What did ancient people without ID cards use to prove their identity?

In today's world of advanced information technology, we need to carry our ID cards wherever we go. For work, study, transportation, hotel accommodation, etc., ID card is a certificate that can prove our identity. Moreover, with the development of technology, facial recognition payment and fingerprint recognition are no longer a problem.

However, as we all know, in ancient times with backward manufacturing technology, people were absolutely unable to create such advanced items as modern ID cards. Even before the invention of papermaking, it was difficult to obtain even a paper certificate. .

However, whether it is passing the imperial examination or an official going to court, when the government is investigating, it is necessary to be present in person and no mistakes can be made. So, how did the ancients without ID cards prove themselves and prove that they were who they were when they were investigated by the government?

1. The first identity certificate? Zhao Shen Tie

1. Shang Yang’s Reform and Zhao Shen Tie

The first appearance of identity proof was in Shang Yang’s Warring States Period When the law changes. During Shang Yang's first reform, there were provisions. In addition to establishing the system of counties and counties and strengthening centralization of power, the most important point was to implement household registration. Since then, the first unified object to prove identity in ancient my country appeared? Photo album.

The body of the photo post is polished from a smooth bamboo board. It is issued by the government and contains the holder's household registration information, such as name, address, etc., and sometimes also displays the holder's profile picture.

2. The pros and cons of the photo ID card

Shang Yang’s reform clearly stipulates that if anyone is traveling or staying in a hotel, they must carry the ID card and show it to the relevant personnel, otherwise the pass cannot be Cleared, no overnight stays in hotels.

If you violate the rules, you will be punished by sitting together. This point stipulated by Shang Yang also became a place where he trapped himself.

"Historical Records" records: "After the death of Lord Shang, he came to the pass and wanted to leave his guest's house. The guest did not know that he was Lord Shang, so he said: 'Shang Lord's method is to sit down if you don't know how to leave others." . '" The people in the inn didn't know that he was Lord Shang, and they wouldn't dare to take him in without documents. Shang Yang could only sigh, the harm of enacting the law had reached such an extent.

The "test" here is to take a photo.

2. Exquisite identification? Fish Talisman

1. Official ID cards of Sui and Tang Dynasties

After the failure of Shang Yang’s reform, there were no official ID cards in the Qin and Han dynasties. The identity certificates issued were only the military symbols used to launch the army. It was not until the Sui and Tang Dynasties that an item used to prove the identity of officials appeared, which was the fish charm.

The fish charm is made of ordinary wooden boards or metal materials. It has a fish-shaped appearance and is divided into left and right halves, which are threaded together with thin threads. Fish charms are mostly used by officials, and ordinary people are not qualified to wear them. The name and rank of the official are written on the surface of the fish charm. The higher the rank, the better the materials for making the fish charm. The fish charm also comes with a fish bag, but only officials of fifth rank or above can possess it.

In addition to officials, envoys from various Tibetan kingdoms also possess fish charms. Half of it was handed over to the court for safekeeping, and the other half was in his own hands. When an envoy comes to an audience, he must hold a fish charm that matches his significant other to prove his identity.

In the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the fish charm was a symbol of noble status, but it was only used by officials when going to pilgrimage or when necessary, and it was not popular among the people. Fish charms are extremely valuable, but their range of use is limited.

2. Fish Talisman and Turtle Talisman

There was a special period in the Tang Dynasty, which was the reign of Wu Zetian. At that time, not only did the name of the country change from Tang to Zhou, but even the fish talisman was changed to a turtle talisman.

Turtle charms and fish charms are very similar in use and production, and they both appeared in the Tang Dynasty. Perhaps the ancients believed that turtles were rarer than fish, so turtle talismans were more respected.

3. Close to modern ID cards? Waist badges and tooth badges

1. Waist badges in the Northern Song Dynasty

In the Song Dynasty, a more systematic talisman badge system appeared. Officials' identity certificates also evolved from fish charms and turtle charms to wearing only fish bags, and finally developed into waist badges.

Waist badges were originally made of wooden materials. They were about the size of a card, with the official’s basic information written on them, very similar to today’s ID cards. Waist tags are more conducive to writing, so more information is entered on the waist tags, and there are even some descriptions of the holder's appearance.

2. Tooth plaques of the Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty’s foreign trade activities became more frequent, especially the introduction of ivory and beast bones, etc., which also became the materials for making waist badges. For this reason, people are more accustomed to calling it "tooth card".

In "Journey to the West", we can often see descriptions of waist cards. For example, Little Tornado in Liger Mountain uses waist tags to identify himself; Sun Wukong steals a boy's waist tag and does whatever he wants in the Heavenly Palace. From this, we can see that waist tags were indispensable proof of identity in ancient times.

4. Nobility from head to toe? Flower feathers and clothing repairs

In the Qing Dynasty, in addition to the waist badges worn by officials to prove their identity, there were also flower feather treasures on the court crowns and clothing repair embroidery. The rare and exotic animals on the altar can also show the noble status of officials.

For example, for the treasures on the imperial crown, the first grade is ruby, the second grade is coral, the third grade is sapphire, the fourth grade is lapis lazuli, the fifth grade is crystal, the sixth grade is clam, and the seventh grade is plain. For gold, the eighth grade is gold with yin patterns and the ninth grade is gold with yang patterns.

The ones who wear treasures are Lings, which are divided into blue Lings and flower Lings. Lan Ling is lower level and has no eyes. Hualing has one eye, two eyes, or three eyes. The one with more Ling eyes is respected.

In addition to treasures, the crown is also decorated with pearls. The number of pearls inlaid is also closely related to the status. For example, there are ten for the prince, nine for the prince, eight for the county prince, seven for Baylor, and so on.

As for mending clothes, the embroidered patterns include cranes, minks, leopards, and wild geese, and the patterns for civil and military officials are also different.

The difference between clothes and official hats, coupled with the wearing of waist badges, makes officials unique, and the proof of identity is self-evident.

Summary

The feudal system in ancient my country was highly hierarchical, with farmers at the bottom working in their own fields and not competing with the world. Such a person is not entitled to have his or her own identity document and does not really need one.

Unless you really want to travel far away, what kind of proof of identity do you need? In ancient times, people could go to the Yamen to apply for a pass certificate. As for identity, there were no high requirements. Strict identity verification is only required when officials are doing business.

In the beginning, identity certificates were just ordinary official information, and the form became more and more convenient and simple. Later, the ruling class used all kinds of methods to show their nobility, from making materials to decorations, and wearing them on their heads. There are strict distinctions between official hats and shoes.

People’s self-awareness is getting stronger and stronger, which is the progress of spiritual civilization, and identity certification is a product of civilization. The identity certificates that appeared in ancient my country show the long-standing cultural heritage and are an indispensable part.