On the Policy of Four-Social-Estate System of the Yuan Dynasty

This paper discusses the four-social-estate system of the Yuan Dynasty.The author argues that the division of people into four kinds meets the need of grand unification to some extent on the one hand,and it's a recognition of the outcome of national integration of Song,Liao,Jin and Yuan Dynasties on the other hand.The policy resulted in tremendous changes in the distribution pattern of nationalities,and created favorable conditions for national amalgamation to a greater degree.According to the author,most scholars' opinion that the policy of four-social-estate system of the Yuan Dynasty has the implication of ethnic discrimination and oppression seems incomplete.