Hongwu Official Salary Reform

Timeline

1. 1371Yingtian Prefecture (Nanjing) · Yingtian PrefectureOn the 26th day of the first month of Hongwu 4, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the Central Secretariat and Ministry of Revenue to draft annual salary figures for civil and military officials, ranging by rank from 900 shi for the highest first rank down to 50 shi for the lowest ninth rank, establishing an annual salary standard based primarily on grain.
2. 1371Ming territory · ChinaAfter the salary plan was promulgated, officials' pay across the realm was calculated annually and disbursed monthly, becoming the Ming dynasty's first unified national salary standard; later adjustments in Hongwu 9, 13, and 20 all used it as a reference.