ABSTRACT
The Manchu government, following the tradition of the country, provided special privileges and financial aids for three classes of peoples, Imperial clansmen, Bannermen, and the titular nobles. Two kinds of kinship to the emperor, the clansmen and the alternates Tsung Shih and Chio Lo were recognized, privileged, and supported. The privileges of the imperial clansmen meant far more than the possession of empty titles. To each prince a large house was given, and a good-sized retinue provided and supported with government allowances. The size of the household and the amounts of allowances for the retinue wore scheduled with bureaucratic preciseness. The policy of the government towards the bannermen was two-folded : lavish grants of special privileges and encouragement of military service. The special privileges of the bannermen consisted of about fourteen million mao of land granted to 350,000 males of the original force, an average of forty mao each.
