Institution

Gentry

The gentry in Ming China were the local elite of landowners and degree holders who had passed the civil service examinations. They dominated local society, mediated between the state and villages, and were central to the social order of the Ming Empire.

Gentry
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Mentioned in 10 profiles

Ming EmpireSocioeconomyQing EmpireGovernanceUmayyad CaliphateGovernanceEastern JinFoundationRyukyu KingdomSocioeconomy, Military, GovernanceGrand Duchy of LithuaniaGovernanceGrand Duchy of MoscowGovernanceTsardom of RussiaMilitaryKingdom of Great BritainGovernanceKingdom of GeorgiaSocioeconomy

Mentioned in 5 state histories

Powys FadogConfederate IrelandGreat XiKingdom of Hungary (1867-1918)Republic of Formosa

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Gentry. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gentry
MLA
“Gentry.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gentry. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Gentry.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gentry.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Gentry’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gentry (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻