Cui clan of Qinghe

Cui clan of Qinghe(清河崔氏) is an eminent Chinese family of high rank government officials and Confucian scholars. The clan is originally from the Qinghe Commandery (清河郡). The founder of this clan, according to the new book of Tang, is Cui Ye(崔業), the earl of Donglai(東萊候) of Han dynasty.^[1] The Cui Clan expanded its power over many official positions in Northern Wei era by political interests based mariages and was counted as one of the four clans of northern China.^[2] In the following dynasties of Sui and Tang, this clan was able to maintain its prosperity by producing a total number of 12 top Chancellors of China.Among the 12 chancellors of this clan, 5 of them are from the ancestry of South. 2 of them are from the elder house. 2 of them are from the junior house while the house of Yanling Xuzhou,the Qingzhou house,and the Cui clan of Zhengzhou each contributed 1 chancellor from their branch. Cuis lost their political privilege by the end of Tang dynasty^[3]and dissolved into different social classes.

Branches

These are the branches of Cui clan of Qinghe and some of their sub-branches.^[4]

• Ancestry of East(東祖)
• Ancestry of West(西祖)
• Ancestry of South(南祖)
  • The house of Wushui(烏水房)
• The elder house of Cui clan of Qinghe(清河大房)
• The junior house of Cui clan of Qinghe(清河小房)
• The Qingzhou house of Cui clan of Qinghe(清河青州房)
• Cui clan of Zhengzhou(鄭州崔氏)
  • The house of Yanling Xuzhou(許州鄢陵房)

Reference

1. New book of Tang vol.72
2. Zhenguan Zhengyao(貞觀政要) vol.7
3. Old Book of Tang vol.113
4. The edited list of Chancellors of New book of Tang. Zhao chao. 1998. ISBN 7-101-01392-9