tập ấm

Definition
  1. Noun (Historical):
    • Hereditary privilege: A system in feudal Vietnam where the son or descendant of a high-ranking mandarin could inherit an official position or a noble title from his father or ancestor.
    • The beneficiary of such a system: Refers to the person who receives an official position or title through this hereditary system.
Usage Examples
  • Noun:
    • Chế độ tập ấm là đặc quyền của tầng lớp quý tộc phong kiến. (The tập ấm system was a privilege of the feudal aristocracy.)
    • Ông ta được bổ nhiệm chức quan nhờ vào tập ấm, không phải do tài năng. (He was appointed to a mandarin position due to tập ấm, not because of talent.)
Advanced Usage
  • The term is almost exclusively used in historical contexts to describe pre-modern Vietnamese feudal society. It carries a connotation of nepotism and unearned privilege from a modern perspective.
Variants and Related Words
  • Ấm sinh (n): A related historical term for students who entered the national academy due to their father's high official rank, rather than through examination.
Synonyms
  • Hereditary appointment: The conferral of a position by inheritance.
  • Patrimony: Property or a title inherited from one's father or ancestor.
Related Concepts
  • Cử nghiệp (Exam-based career path): The contrasting system where mandarins were selected through competitive civil service examinations, which often bypassed.
  • Nepotism: The practice of those in power favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs. This is a modern, broader term for the concept.