Household equality system (English: hù děng zhì)

Japanese: 戸等制 - ことうせい（英語表記）hù děng zhì

A system in China that ranks households according to the amount of their assets. Under the equal-field system from the Northern Wei dynasty to the Tang dynasty (5th to early 10th centuries), there was a 3rd to 9th class household system, but it only played a secondary role in adjusting the disparity in wealth that arose under the equal-field system. It was during the Song dynasty that the household rank system was established as a standard for the dynasty's control of the people. According to the amount of assets, head households were ranked into 10th class in cities and 5th class in rural areas. A household rank register was compiled every three years to allow households to be promoted or demoted. These were called the Five-Class Dingyuan Register and the Five-Class Household Register.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

中国において，財産の多寡に従って戸を上下に等級化する制度。北魏以来唐(5～10世紀はじめ)までの均田体制下においても3等ないし9等戸制があったが，均田制のもとで生ずる貧富の差を調節するための二次的役割を果たしたにすぎない。王朝の人民支配の基準として戸等制が確立するのは宋代である。財産高に応じて主戸を都市では10等，郷村では5等に等級化した。3年に1度戸等簿が作成されて戸等の昇降が行われ，五等丁産簿，五等戸版簿などとよばれた。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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