Senior Grand Secretary

Senior Grand Secretary
內閣首輔
Seal of the Emperor of the Ming dynasty
Longest serving Yang Shiqi
Member of	Grand Secretariat
Appointer	Emperor
Term length	At His Majesty's Pleasure
Precursor	Grand Chancellor
Formation	1402 (1402)
First holder	Xie Jin
Final holder	Wei Zaode
Abolished	April 1644 (1644-04)

This is a list of Senior Grand Secretary (Chinese: 內閣首輔) of the Ming dynasty in China, who is usually the most senior member in the Grand Secretariat.

Until 1380, the left and right Grand Chancellors were the top ranking officials to advise the emperor. After Hu Weiyong was executed, no other officials were appointed as Grand Chancellor. Xie Jin, who served under the Yongle Emperor, became the first mandarin to be recognised as Senior Grand Secretary.

List

Grand Chancellors (before 1380)

Source:^[1]

Left Chancellor (born–died)	Term of office			Right Chancellor (born–died)	Emperor (Reign)	Notes
Left Chancellor (born–died)	Took office	Left office	Time in office, c.	Right Chancellor (born–died)	Emperor (Reign)	Notes
Li Shanchang (1314–1390)	c. Jan 1368	c. Jan 1371	3 years	Xu Da (1332–1385)	Hongwu (1368–1398)
—	c. Jan 1371	c. Jan 1373	2 years	Wang Guangyang (?–1379)
—	c. Jul 1373	c. Oct 1377	4 years, 3 months	Hu Weiyong (?–1380)
Hu Weiyong (?–1380)	c. Oct 1377	c. Jan 1380	2 years, 3 months	Wang Guangyang (?–1379)		Executed
Hu Weiyong (?–1380)	c. Jan 1380	c. Feb 1380	1 month	—		Executed

Senior Grand Secretaries (after 1402)

Source:^[2]

Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Emperor (Reign)	Notes
Portrait	Name (born–died)	Took office	Left office	Time in office, c.	Emperor (Reign)	Notes
	Xie Jin (1369–1415)	1402	1407	5 years	Yongle (1402–1424)
	Hu Guang (1370–1418)	1407	c. June 1418	11 years		Died in office
	Yang Rong (1371–1440)	1418	1424	6 years
	Yang Shiqi (1365–1444)	c. Sep 1424	c. Mar 1444	19 years, 6 months
					Hongxi (1424–1425)
					Xuande (1425–1435)
					Zhengtong (1435–1449)	Died in office
	Yang Pu (1372–1446)	c. Mar 1444	c. Jul 1446	2 years, 4 months		Died in office
	Cao Nai (1404–1449)	c. Jul 1446	c. Aug 1449	3 years, 1 month		Died in office
	Chen Xun (1385–1462)	c. Aug 1449	c. Jan 1457	7 years, 5 months
					Jingtai (1449–1457)
					Tianshun (1457–1464)
	Xu Youzhen (1407–1472)	c. Jan 1457	c. Jun 1457	5 months
	Xu Bin (1393–1468)	c. Jun 1457	c. Jul 1457	1 month
	Li Xian (1408–1467)	c. Jul 1457	c. Mar 1466	8 years, 8 months
	Li Xian (1408–1467)	c. Jul 1457	c. Mar 1466	8 years, 8 months	Chenghua (1464–1487)	Mourning
	Chen Wen (1405–1468)	c. Mar 1466	c. Jun 1466	3 months
	Li Xian (1408–1467)	c. Jun 1466	c. Jan 1467	7 months		Died in office
	Chen Wen (1405–1468)	c. Jan 1467	c. Apr 1468	7 months		Died in office
	Peng Shi (1416–1475)	c. Apr 1468	c. Mar 1475	6 years, 11 months		Died in office
	Shang Lu (1414–1486)	c. Mar 1475	c. Jul 1477	2 years, 4 months
	Wan An (1418–1489)	c. Jul 1477	c. Oct 1487	10 years, 3 months
	Liu Ji (1427–1493)	c. Oct 1487	c. Aug 1492	4 years, 10 months
	Liu Ji (1427–1493)	c. Oct 1487	c. Aug 1492	4 years, 10 months	Hongzhi (1487–1505)
	Xu Pu (1429–1499)	c. Aug 1492	c. Jul 1498	5 years, 11 months
	Liu Jian (1433–1526)	c. Jul 1498	c. Oct 1506	8 years, 3 months
	Liu Jian (1433–1526)	c. Jul 1498	c. Oct 1506	8 years, 3 months	Zhengde (1505–1521)
	Li Dongyang (1447–1516)	c. Oct 1506	c. Jan 1513	6 years, 3 months
	Yang Tinghe (1459–1529)	c. Jan 1513	c. Mar 1515	2 years, 2 months		Mourning
	Liang Chu (1451–1527)	c. Mar 1515	c. Nov 1517	2 years, 8 months
	Yang Tinghe (1459–1529)	c. Nov 1517	c. Mar 1524	6 years, 4 months
	Yang Tinghe (1459–1529)	c. Nov 1517	c. Mar 1524	6 years, 4 months	Jiajing (1521–1567)
	Jiang Mian (1463–1532)	c. Mar 1524	c. Jun 1524	3 months
	Mao Ji (1463–1545)	c. Jun 1524	c. Jul 1524	1 month
	Fei Hong (1468–1535)	c. Jul 1524	c. Mar 1527	2 years, 8 months
	Yang Yiqing (1454–1530)	c. Mar 1527	c. Oct 1529	2 years, 7 months
	Zhang Cong (1475–1539)	c. Oct 1529	c. Aug 1531	1 year, 10 months
	Zhai Luan (1477–1546)	c. Aug 1531	c. Oct 1531	2 months
	Li Shi (1471–1539)	c. Oct 1531	c. Apr 1532	6 months
	Zhang Cong (1475–1539)	c. Apr 1532	c. Aug 1532	4 months
	Li Shi (1471–1539)	c. Aug 1532	c. Apr 1533	8 months
	Zhang Cong (1475–1539)	c. Apr 1533	c. May 1535	2 years, 1 month
	Li Shi (1471–1539)	c. May 1535	c. Jul 1535	2 months
	Fei Hong (1468–1535)	c. Jul 1535	c. Oct 1535	3 months
	Li Shi (1471–1539)	c. Oct 1535	c. Dec 1538	3 years, 2 months		Died in office
	Xia Yan (1482–1548)	c. Dec 1538	c. May 1539	5 months
	Gu Dingchen (1473–1540)	c. May 1539		0 months
	Xia Yan (1482–1548)	c. May 1539	c. Aug 1541	2 years, 3 months
	Zhai Luan (1477–1546)	c. Aug 1541	c. Oct 1541	2 months
	Xia Yan (1482–1548)	c. Oct 1541	c. Aug 1542	10 months
	Zhai Luan (1477–1546)	c. Aug 1542	c. Aug 1544	2 years
	Yan Song (1480–1565)	c. Aug 1544	c. Jan 1546	1 year, 5 months
	Xia Yan (1482–1548)	c. Jan 1546	c. Feb 1548	2 years, 1 month
	Yan Song (1480–1565)	c. Feb 1548	c. Jun 1562	14 years, 4 months
	Xu Jie (1503–1583)	c. Jun 1562	c. Jul 1568	6 years, 1 month
	Xu Jie (1503–1583)	c. Jun 1562	c. Jul 1568	6 years, 1 month	Longqing (1567–1572)
	Li Chunfang (1511–1585)	c. Jul 1568	c. May 1571	2 years, 10 months
	Gao Gong (1513–1578)	c. May 1571	c. Jul 1572	1 year, 2 months
	Zhang Juzheng (1525–1582)	c. Jul 1572	c. Jun 1582	9 years, 11 months
	Zhang Juzheng (1525–1582)	c. Jul 1572	c. Jun 1582	9 years, 11 months	Wanli (1572–1620)	Died in office
	Zhang Siwei (1526–1585)	c. Jun 1582	c. May 1583	11 months		Mourning
	Shen Shixing (1535–1614)	c. May 1583	c. Oct 1591	8 years, 5 months
	Wang Jiaping (1536–1603)	c. Oct 1591	c. Apr 1592	6 months
	Zhao Zhigao (1524–1601)	c. Apr 1592	c. Feb 1593	10 months
	Wang Xijue (1534–1614)	c. Feb 1593	c. Jun 1594	1 year, 4 months
	Zhao Zhigao (1524–1601)	c. Jun 1594	c. Sep 1601	7 years, 3 months		Died in office
	Shen Yiguan (1537–1615)	c. Sep 1601	c. Aug 1606	4 years, 11 months
	Zhu Geng (1535–1608)	c. Aug 1606	c. Dec 1608	2 years, 4 months		Died in office
	Ye Xianggao (1559–1627)	c. Dec 1608	c. Sep 1614	5 years, 9 months
	Fang Congzhe (1562–1628)	c. Sep 1614	c. Dec 1620	6 years, 3 months
	Fang Congzhe (1562–1628)	c. Sep 1614	c. Dec 1620	6 years, 3 months	Taichang (1620)
	Liu Yijing (1567–1635)	c. Dec 1620	c. Nov 1621	11 months	Taichang (1620)
	Liu Yijing (1567–1635)	c. Dec 1620	c. Nov 1621	11 months	Tianqi (1620–1627)
	Ye Xianggao (1559–1627)	c. Nov 1621	c. Aug 1624	2 years, 9 months
	Han Kuang (1566–1644)	c. Aug 1624	c. Dec 1624	4 months
	Zhu Guozhen (1557–1632)	c. Dec 1624	c. Jan 1625	1 month
	Gu Bingqian (1550–?)	c. Jan 1625	c. Oct 1626	1 year, 9 months
	Huang Liji (1568–1637)	c. Oct 1626	c. Dec 1627	1 year, 2 months
	Shi Fenglai (1563–1642)	c. Dec 1627	c. Apr 1628	4 months
	Shi Fenglai (1563–1642)	c. Dec 1627	c. Apr 1628	4 months	Chongzhen (1620–1627)
	Li Guopu (1585–1631)	c. Apr 1628	c. Jun 1628	2 months
	Lai Zongdao (1571–1638)	c. Jun 1628	c. Jul 1628	3 months
	Li Biao (1582–1636)	c. Jul 1628	c. Dec 1628	8 months
	Han Kuang (1566–1644)	c. Dec 1628	c. Feb 1630	1 year, 2 months
	Li Biao (1582–1636)	c. Feb 1630	c. Apr 1630	2 months
	Cheng Jiming (1559–1635)	c. Apr 1630	c. Oct 1630	6 months
	Zhou Yanru (1593–1644)	c. Oct 1630	c. Jul 1633	3 years
	Wen Tiren (1574–1638)	c. Jul 1633	c. Jun 1637	3 years, 11 months
	Zhang Zhifa (1573–1642)	c. Jun 1637	c. May 1638	11 months
	Kong Zhenyun (1574–1644)	c. May 1638	c. Jul 1638	2 months
	Liu Yuliang (1594–1642)	c. Jul 1638	c. Mar 1639	8 months
	Xue Guoguan (1582–1641)	c. Mar 1639	c. Jul 1640	1 year, 4 months
	Fan Fucui (1580–1658)	c. Jul 1640	c. Jun 1641	11 months
	Zhang Sizhi (?–?)	c. Jun 1641	c. Oct 1641	4 months
	Zhou Yanru (1593–1644)	c. Oct 1641	c. Jun 1643	1 year, 8 months
	Chen Yan (1600–1644)	c. Jun 1643	c. Mar 1644	9 months
	Jiang Dejing (1593–1646)	c. Mar 1644	c. Apr 1644	1 month
	Wei Zaode (1605–1644)	c. Apr 1644		0 months		Died after captured

References

明史　卷一百九　表第十　宰辅年表一 (in Chinese) – via Wikisource.
甄鹏 (2014). "明代大学士的排名及首辅的确定". Journal of Shengli College China University of Petroleum. 28 (1): 36–9.