The Ages at which people were required to work,
to serve as soldiers and to end their military service during the Qin - Han
Period constitute an important question we must study in the process of studying the taxation system of that period. Historians have always held different views about it. This paper maintains the following views; during the Qin Dynasty people were required to work and
to serve as soldiers at the age of 15; those under the age of 15 were also fit to be recruited for the armed forces so long as they were tall enough; those with noble titles were exempted from military service when they reached 56; those who did not hold any noble titles were exempted from military service at the age of 60. During the Han Dynasty
the ages at which people were required to work and to perform military service were different at different periods. Men were generally exempted from military service when they reached 56. Of course, there were exceptions. When it was called for by the political, economic and military situations, the feudal rulers would advance the ages at which people were required to work and to serve as soldiers, or extend the ages at which people could stop military service or be exempted from it.