MILITARY RANKS OF IMPERIAL CHINA

The Military ranks of Imperial China were the military insignia used by the Military of the Qing dynasty, until the abdication of the Xuantong Emperor.

Army ranks

The Army of the Qing dynasty has two different types of army structures: the early military system of the Eight Banners and the New Army, a later system based on Western standards.

Eight Banners ranks

The Eight Banners armies used what is known as " Mandarin squares" to denote rank.^[1]

Animal	Qilin	Lion	Leopard	Tiger	Bear	Panther	Rhino	Rhino	Sea horse
1759–1912^[1]
1759–1912^[1]	一品 Yīpǐn	二品 Èrpǐn	三品 Sānpǐn	四品 Sìhpǐn	五品 Wǔpǐn	六品 Liùpǐn	七品 Qīpǐn	八品 Bāpǐn	九品 Jiǒupǐn
Translation	First class	Second class	Third class	Fourth class	Fifth class	Sixth class	Seventh class	Eighth class	Ninth class

New Army

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group				Senior officers			Junior officers
1904–1910^[2]
1904–1910^[2]	上等第一级 Shàngděng dì yījí	上等第二级 Shàngděng dì èrjí	上等第三级 Shàngděng dì sānjí	中等第一级 Zhōngděng dì yījí	中等第二级 Zhōngděng dì èrjí	中等第三级 Zhōngděng dì sānjí	次等第一级 Cìděng dì yījí	次等第二级 Cìděng dì èrjí	次等第三级 Cìděng dì sānjí
1911–1912^[3]
1911–1912^[3]	上等第一级 Shàngděng dì yījí	上等第二级 Shàngděng dì èrjí	上等第三级 Shàngděng dì sānjí	中等第一级 Zhōngděng dì yījí	中等第二级 Zhōngděng dì èrjí	中等第三级 Zhōngděng dì sānjí	次等第一级 Cìděng dì yījí	次等第二级 Cìděng dì èrjí	次等第三级 Cìděng dì sānjí

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Non-commissioned officers			Soldiers
1904–1910^[2]
1904–1910^[2]
1911–1912^[3]
1911–1912^[3]

Navy ranks

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
1882–1912^[4]
1882–1912^[4]			一等第一级 Yīděng dì yījí		一等第二级 Yīděng dì èrjí		一等第三级 Yīděng dì sānjí				二等第一级 Èrděng dì yījí		二等第二级 Èīděng dì èrjí		二等第三级 Èīděng dì sānjí		三等第一级 Sānděng dì yījí		三等第二级 Sānděng dì èrjí		三等第三级 Sānděng dì sānjí