Abstract: During the Song Dynasty, the official system was complicated and changeable. The most prominent example was that salaries instead of the officers actual assigned functions were based on the titular offices in the early Song Dynasty. The titular offices who indicated the duties of government officials during previous dynasties became a series of ranks also called ranks of the titular offices that determined the salaries and allowances of the officials in the Northern Song Dynasty, unlike the situation before the Tang Dynasty whose official salaries and positions were decided by the official ranks. This paper expounds the process how ranks of the titular offices turned into grand masters and court gentlemen of salary offices among selectman, capital officials and court officials within the civil officials. The variations of their functions are also discussed. To be more specific, the thesis consists of three parts. Firstly, the ranks of the titular offices. Secondly, salary offices(the reformation in Yuanfeng and the reformation in Chongning and Zhenghe). Thirdly, salary offices were divided into “left” and “right”. The feature of this paper is that these issues are illustrated by numerous empirical evidence for the official titles during different periods. And this paper offers a new perspective on the study of salary offices of civil officials in the Song Dynasty.

Key words: the Song Dynasty, rank of the titular office, salary office, salary offices divided into “left” and “right”