Military ranks of Imperial China

The Military ranks of Imperial China were the military insignia used by the Military of the Qing dynasty, until the abdication of the Xuantong Emperor.

Army ranks

The Army of the Qing dynasty has two different types of army structures: the early military system of the Eight Banners and the New Army, a later system based on Western standards.

Eight Banners ranks

Main article: Eight Banners

The Eight Banners armies used what is known as "Mandarin squares" to denote rank. ^[1]

Animal	Qilin	Lion	Leopard	Tiger	Bear	Panther	Rhino	Rhino	Sea horse
1759–1912 [1]
	一品 Yīpǐn	二品 Èrpǐn	三品 Sānpǐn	四品 Sìhpǐn	五品 Wǔpǐn	六品 Liùpǐn	七品 Qīpǐn	八品 Bāpǐn	九品 Jiǒupǐn
Translation	First class	Second class	Third class	Fourth class	Fifth class	Sixth class	Seventh class	Eighth class	Ninth class

New Army

Main article: New Army

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
1904–1910 [2]
			上等第一级 Shàngděng dì yījí		上等第二级 Shàngděng dì èrjí		上等第三级 Shàngděng dì sānjí				中等第一级 Zhōngděng dì yījí		中等第二级 Zhōngděng dì èrjí		中等第三级 Zhōngděng dì sānjí		次等第一级 Cìděng dì yījí		次等第二级 Cìděng dì èrjí		次等第三级 Cìděng dì sānjí
1911–1912 [3]
			上等第一级 Shàngděng dì yījí		上等第二级 Shàngděng dì èrjí		上等第三级 Shàngděng dì sānjí				中等第一级 Zhōngděng dì yījí		中等第二级 Zhōngděng dì èrjí		中等第三级 Zhōngděng dì sānjí		次等第一级 Cìděng dì yījí		次等第二级 Cìděng dì èrjí		次等第三级 Cìděng dì sānjí

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Non-commissioned officers			Soldiers
1904–1910 [2]
1911–1912 [3]

Imperial Guards

The rank insignia of Imperial Guards officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
1909–1912 [4] [ better source needed ]
			上等第一级 Shàngděng dì yījí		上等第二级 Shàngděng dì èrjí		上等第三级 Shàngděng dì sānjí				中等第一级 Zhōngděng dì yījí		中等第二级 Zhōngděng dì èrjí		中等第三级 Zhōngděng dì sānjí		下等第一级 Xiàděng dì yījí		下等第二级 Xiàěng dì èrjí		下等第三级 Xiàěng dì sānjí

Navy ranks

See also: Imperial Chinese Navy

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
1882–1912 [5]
			一等第一级 Yīděng dì yījí		一等第二级 Yīděng dì èrjí		一等第三级 Yīděng dì sānjí				二等第一级 Èrděng dì yījí		二等第二级 Èīděng dì èrjí		二等第三级 Èīděng dì sānjí		三等第一级 Sānděng dì yījí		三等第二级 Sānděng dì èrjí		三等第三级 Sānděng dì sānjí

Rank flags

Flag
Rank	一等第一级 Yīděng dì yījí	一等第二级 Yīděng dì èrjí	一等第三级 Yīděng dì sānjí

See also

• Military ranks of the Republic of China (1912–1949)

References

1. Dine, Susan Michelle (18 March 2022). "Qing-Dynasty Rank Badges at the University of Michigan". UMMA Exchange. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
2. Ping 2009, pp. 4–12.
3. Ping 2009, pp. 16–17.
4. "奏為擬定禁衛軍服色章記(附圖式)". 清代檔案檢索系統. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
5. Ping 2009, p. 28.

Sources

• Ping, Xu, ed. (2009). Zhōngguó bǎinián jūnfú (zēngbǔ bǎn)中国百年军服 (增补版) [China Regimental 100 Years] (2nd ed.). Gold Wall Press. ISBN   978-7-80084-679-3 . Retrieved 13 September 2023.
• Wu, Shang Rong (2018). 100 Years of the Chinese Military Uniform (in Chinese). King Kong Publishing. ISBN   978-986-97216-1-5 . Retrieved 27 September 2022.

External links

• "Empire of China (1915-1916)". Uniform insignia. The International Encyclopedia of Uniform Insignia. Retrieved 24 March 2024.