Southern Song Central Bureaucratic Institutions

Timeline

1. 1127–1162Lin'an · JiangnanAfter Emperor Gaozong's southern retreat, the Three Departments and Six Ministries and the Bureau of Military Affairs system were rebuilt in Lin'an, with the civil official group at the core managing Jiangnan finances and relations with the Jin, forming a 'temporary capital' central structure different from the Northern Song.
2. 1181–1190Lin'an imperial city · Lin'anIn the 1180s the central administration operated during the late years of Xiaozong and the early years of Guangzong; the Chancellor of the Three Departments coordinated government affairs, the Ministry of Revenue's jing-zong-zhi office managed southeastern finances, and the Bureau of Military Affairs and regional commissioners controlled the defense of the Huai region; Emperor Xiaozong's abdication in 1189 triggered personnel adjustments, reflecting the interaction between Southern Song imperial power and the bureaucratic system.
3. 1199–1279Lin'an · JiangnanFrom Emperor Ningzong onward, powerful chancellors (Han Tuozhou, Shi Miyuan, Jia Sidao, and others) gradually hollowed out the regular operations of the Three Departments, shifting central decision-making power toward the inner court and powerful chancellors, until the fall in 1279.