Centralization and decentralization in North Song Dynasty

This article discusses centralization and decentralization measures that of the North Song government took to fortify the absolute centralized monarchy, which mainly include : the cut of the power of the local seigniors and the withdrawal of the local military, financial and administrative power; division of the administrative power of government at all levels; decentralization of the local military power. It also analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of these measures and points out that the theory and the practice of centralization and decentralization in traditional Chinese political system are distinct from those developed in the west and are inapplicable to the modern times.