The Three Ducal Ministers , also translated as the Three Dukes, Three Excellencies, or the Three Lords, was the collective name for the three highest officials in ancient China. Starting in the Zhou Dynasty

Zhou Dynasty

The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...

, the top three were:

• Grand Secretary
  Senior Grand Tutor
  Senior Grand Tutor was the senior-most of the top three civil positions of the Zhou Dynasty. The other two were Grand Tutor and Grand Protector , respectively. These three posts were the first posts to be known as the Three Excellencies. The position titles and duties of the Three Excellencies...
  
   ;
• Grand Tutor ;
• Grand Protector .

During the Western Han Dynasty

Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...

, the three positions were::

• Chancellor
  Chancellor of China
  The Chancellor , variously translated as Prime Minister, Chancellor of State, Premier or Chief Councillor, was a generic name given to the highest-ranking official in the imperial government in ancient China...
  
  ;
• Imperial Secretary (御史大夫);
• Grand Commandant of the Military (太尉).

In the Eastern Han Dynasty the names of the Three Ducal Ministers were changed to:

• Grand Commandant (司馬);
• Minister over the Masses
  Minister over the Masses
  Minister over the Masses was one of the three most important official posts during the Han Dynasty, called the Three Excellencies. The nominal salary attached was 20,000 dàn of grain. The position and title had existed since the Warring States, but was only standardised during the Qin Dynasty....
  
   (司徒);
• Minister of Works (司空).

Each minister was responsible for different areas of government, but the boundaries were often blurred. Together, the Three Ducal Ministers were the emperor's closest advisors. Toward the end of the dynasty, the positions were often sold to men of wealth to raise state revenue. The Three Ducal Ministers were abolished by Cao Cao

Cao Cao

Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...

 in 208 and replaced with the position of Imperial Chancellor

Chancellor of China

The Chancellor , variously translated as Prime Minister, Chancellor of State, Premier or Chief Councillor, was a generic name given to the highest-ranking official in the imperial government in ancient China...

.

Rank

During the Han Dynasty civil service officials were classified according to twenty grades (reduced to sixteen after 32 BC), expressed by the official's annual salary in terms of so many dàn (石) or Chinese bushels of grain. This extended from the ten-thousand-bushel rank at the top to the one-hundred-bushel at the bottom. Under this system, the Three Ducal Ministers all held the highest rank of ten-thousand-bushel.