Txiliakonglau

Txiliakonglau (士農工商 - Scholars, Farmers, Craftsmen, Merchants) was an occupation classification. The four occupations were not always arranged in this order. The four categories were not socioeconomic classes; wealth and standing did not correspond to these categories, nor were they hereditary. The system did not factor in all social groups present in premodern National society, and its broad categories were more an idealization than a practical reality. The commercialization of National society in the Renaissance periods further blurred the lines between these four occupations. The definition of the identity of class changed over time—from warriors, to aristocratic scholars, and finally to scholar-bureaucrats. There was also a gradual fusion of the wealthy merchant and landholding gentry classes, culminating in the early Meng Dynasty.
Category:Sociology
Category:History
Category:Imperial Order
Category:The Imperial Exam