shumiyuan 樞密院すうみついん, the Bureau of Military Affairs

The shumiyuan 樞密院すうみついん "Bureau of Military Affairs" was the highest instiution in the military hierarchy of the political system from the Five Dynasties period 五代ごだい (907-960) to the end of the Yuan period 元もと (1279-1368). It was headed by a shumishi 樞くるる密使みっし "Military Affairs Commissioner". The term shumishi was introduced by Emperor Daizong 唐とう代だい宗むね (r. 762-779) of the Tang dynasty 唐とう (618-907) when it was used for a provisional palace secretary (the work of which was actually be taken over by the Palace Secretariat zhongshusheng 中書ちゅうしょ省しょう). The post of this novel institution were occupied by eunuchs. Although it was not really regularized, the secretaries wielded greatest power and were able to determine the accession to the throne, and the appointment and dismission of chief ministers. The two shumishi ("palace secretaries") and the commanders of the capital Army of Inspired Strategy (shencejun 神かみ策さく軍ぐん, concretely spoken, the two palace commandant-protectors, hujun zhongwei 護まもる軍ぐん中尉ちゅうい and palace protectors, zonghujun 中なか護まもる軍ぐん) were so powerful that they were called the "four nobles" (sigui 四よん貴たか).

The Later Liang dynasty 後ご梁はり (907-923) founded the institution of the Office for the Veneration of Governance (Chongzhengyuan 崇たかし政せい院いん), in which state officials were employed that administered important military matters. The first holder of the office of shumishi was Jiang Xuanhui 蔣玄暉あきら (d. 906), the dynastic founder's trusted minister. The Later Tang dynasty 後ご唐とう (923-936) changed the name of the Chongzhengyuan to shumiyuan, the ancient name of the Palace Secretariat. Its head, the shumishi, assisted the Left Counsellor-in-Chief (zuo zaixiang 左ひだり宰相さいしょう) and was specialized on military affairs. His status was further elevated after the foundation of the Song dynasty 宋そう (960-1279). While the regular Palace Secretariat (zhongshusheng) was responsible for civilian matters, the Shumiyuan administered military affairs. Both were called the "two offices" (erfu 二に府ふ) or the "two places" (erdi 二に地ち), the former the "Western Office" (xifu 西府にしふ), the latter the "Eastern Office" (dongfu 東ひがし府ふ).

Head of the Bureau of Military Affairs was the Military Affairs Commissioner (shumishi), also called Administrator of the Bureau of Military Affairs (zhi shumiyuan shi 知ち樞密院すうみついん事ごと), when the holder of the office was nominally holding another position. His deputy was called Vice Military Affairs Commissioner (shumi fushi 樞密すうみつ副使ふくし) or Administrator of the Bureau of Military Affairs (tongzhi shumiyuan shi 同どう知ち樞密院すうみついん事ごと, when he nominally held another post). The notaries of the bureau were called qianshu shumiyuan shi 簽書樞密院すうみついん事ごと, and vice notaries tong qianshu shumiyuan shi 同どう簽書樞密院すうみついん事ごと. Between 1078 and 1089 the offices of the commissioner and the vice commissioner were called zheng zhangguan 正せい長官ちょうかん and fu zhangguan 副ふく長官ちょうかん.

Towards the end of the Northern Song period 北きた宋そう (960-1126), numerous high state officials were bestowed the honorific title of Military Affairs Commissioner. The position was often held concurrently by the Counsellor-in-chief.

After the defeat of the Song by the Jurchens in 1126 and the foundation of the Southern Song 南みなみ宋そう (1127-1279), the Bureau of Military Affairs was reinvigorated, and the office of shumishi was elevated above that of zhi shumiyuan shi. It was common to appoint a civilian official with the post of Military Affairs Commissioner, following the concept of premature of the civilian realm over the military realm. The Counsellor-in-chief often acted concurrently as Military Affairs Commissioner (shumishi and zhi shumiyuan shi), but it was also common that the Vice Commissioner acted concurrently as Participant in Determining Governmental Matters (can zhizheng shi 參まいり知ち政事せいじ).

The Bureau of Military Affairs was divided into six departments (fang 房ぼう) that managed affairs according to the traditional division of the Six Ministries (liubu 六ろく部ぶ), namely military, personnel, finance, rites, justice and works. The departments were headed by a Recipient of Edicts (chengzhi 承うけたまわ旨むね, later called Chief Recipient of Edicts du chengzhi 都と承うけたまわ旨むね), and each department by one or two Vice Repicipents of Edicts (fu chengzhi 副ふく承うけたまわ旨むね). The number of departments was gradually increased. At the beginning of the Southern Song period there were already more than twenty departments that were in 1127 reduced to the traditional six, and one for miscellaneous matters.

When the Kitans founded the Liao dynasty 遼りょう (907-1125) in the northern part of China, they adopted many parts of the the political system of the Five Dynasties. The first Military Affairs Commissioner was the defector Li Song 李り崧 (d. 948). He was responsible for the administration of the Chinese military units, while those of the Kitan federation remained in the hands of the Kitan princes. It was therefore also called "Southern" or "Chinese" Military Affairs Bureau (nan shumiyuan 南みなみ樞密院すうみついん, Han shumiyuan 漢かん樞密院すうみついん). Emperor Shizong　遼りょう世よ宗むね (r. 947-950) founded a Bureau of Military Affairs for the Kitan people that was divided into a northern and a southern department. The northern department administered military matters, the southern department civilian matters.

The Jurchens in 1123 similarly founded a Bureau of Military Affairs to administer the surrendering Kitan and Chinese military units. Two years later Emperor Taizong 金太きんた宗むね (r. 1123-1134) founded the Chief Military Command (du yuanshuai fu 都と元帥げんすい府ふ). Prince Hailing 海うみ陵りょう王おう (r. 1149-1160) later renamed this institution shumiyuan. The traditionalist Emperor Zhangzong 金きむ章あきら宗そう (r. 1189-1208) preferred the older name in 1206, but in 1208 chose the term shumiyuan again.

The Mongols also adopted this institution. The post of shumishi was normally held by the heir apparent of the Yuan dynasty 元もと (1279-1368), but in fact left vacant, while the Bureau was guided by the zhi shumiyuan shi. In the beginning of his uprising against the Mongol Yuan dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang 朱しゅ元もと璋あきら (Emperor Taizu 明太めんたい祖そ, r. 1368-1398), founder of the Ming dynasty 明あきら (1368-1644), created temporary Bureaus of Military Affairs, but he decided to abolish this term in 1361, and to replace it with that of Chief Military Command (da dudu fu 大だい都と督とく府ふ).