When the Song dynasty was founded, the political elites consisted of officials (and their sons) who had served in the Five Dynasties era, as well as those who came from prominent families which boasted an aristocratic ancestry and had provided officials for generations.
Saat dinasti Song berdiri, kalangan elit politik terdiri dari para pejabat (dan putra mereka) yang menjabat dalam era Lima Dinasti, serta orang-orang yang datang dari keluarga-keluarga berpengaruh berdarah aristokratik dan memegang jabatan dari generasi ke generasi.