In ancient China, why not forge an official seal with no photos on it to be an official?

In the ancient feudal dynasty of China, officials, big and small, whether they were senior officials in Beijing or local sesame officials, whether they were vassal separatist forces or ethnic minority regimes, generally had their own official seals. Official seals in different periods can often show the cultural characteristics of their dynasties. At the same time, the official position also determines the size and material of the official seal. Therefore, the official seal can be said to be a symbol of an official. In other words, with the official seal, you can be an official.

And there were no official photos in ancient times. If the official seal is forged, you may be able to be a bully in a place where the mountain is high and the emperor is far away. But no one has forged official seals to be an official in past dynasties. Why?

Before the Southern Song Dynasty, especially during the Qin and Han Dynasties, official seals were carried by officials and belonged to officials. No matter when you are an official or after you leave office, as long as there is no violation of law and discipline, you don't need to hand it in. It can be said that the official seal is this person's business card in North Korea. Then, in the imperial court, the world generally recognizes people and appoints documents, and does not value official seals. Forging the official seal can be said to be a completely meaningless thing.

After the Southern Dynasties and the Song Dynasty, the official seal began to become the official seal of the state administrative organs. After that, the official seal generally belongs to an official, and after he leaves office, the next official takes over. At this time, the official seal was not carried by officials, only the right to control and manage. So the official seal is usually in the office. At the time of handover, the court will often assign someone to take care of it and seal it up. When opening the seal, there must be a special ceremony and ensure that the process is open.

Then, it is even more meaningless to forge the official seal at this time. After all, the official seal has never left the government's door. If someone comes to be an official, build an official seal and arrest him directly. This kind of thankless work is generally done by no one.

In ancient China, the official seal was generally regarded as a symbol of imperial power. Therefore, officials who lose their official seals are often demoted or otherwise disposed of by the state. People who steal official seals are often sentenced to life imprisonment or suspended execution. It can be seen that the ancients thought that disrespect for official seals was a symbol of contempt for imperial power, so the punishment was extremely strong.

For those who forge official seals, the court generally treats them as forgeries. Although there is no record showing the intensity of their punishment, the punishment for the crime of loss and theft will certainly not be very light. People who forge official seals are tantamount to putting themselves in danger and living in fear every day for fear that someone will expose them and bring disaster to themselves.

Therefore, forging the official seal, no matter from which angle, is an extremely unwise choice, which is why almost no one did such a thing in ancient times, let alone forging the official seal as an official.