【Objective】How to measure development degrees of Hydragric Anthrosols is still an unsolved problem in pedogenesis. Therefore, it is essential to define indices that can be used to quantitatively evaluate developments of Hydragric Anthrosols.【Method】In this study, chronosequences of three types of Hydragric Anthrosols derived from purple sandy shale (PS), Quaternary red clay (RC) and red sandstone (RS), separately, in the hilly regions of South China were studied in an attempt to characterize development degree of Hydragric Anthrosols with attribute distance and soil development indices and to exposit effect of parent materials on development rate of Hydragric Anthrosols. Five morphological characteristics, including rubification, melanization, texture, structure and moist consistence, were cited as horizion indices (HI), while common soil properties, like pH, clay contents, free iron (Fed), soil organic carbon (SOC) and magnetic susceptibility (MS), were for horizon distance (HD) calculations.【Result】Compared with their respective original soil profiles, the paddy soil profiles generally had complicated patterns with pedogenic horizons getting more obvious with depth due to pedogenesis. Similarly, clay, SOC, pH, iron oxides and magnetic properties varied observably with cultivation history. HI is an indicator for layer difference in soil morphology and HD one for layer difference in soil property between paddy and their original soils. They can be used to measure development of individual horizons within a profile from different angles. The variations of SOC, pH, clay and MS in soil development were significantly related to HD, indicating that they played important roles in determining HD and the soils, easier to have these properties changed were often higher in developing rate. It was also quite obvious that rubification was the most closely related to HI, explaining 83.1% of the variation of HI at all depths, and followed by melanization and moist consistence, which indicated that soil color and soil consistence played important roles in determining HI in this study. Moreover, an intrinsic relationship was observed of morphological features with general soil properties in pedogenesis of Hydragric Anthrosols. As RC-derived soils were thick in soil layer, red in color, and high in clay content, in soil moisture and nutrient retention capacity, and in cohersiveness and plasticity, they were liable to have SOC accumulated and develop rapidly. As PS-derived soils were thick in soil layer, high in clay+silt (<0.10mm) content and in moisture and nutrient retention capacity, and fairly high in cohersiveness and plasticity, they were liable to have SOC accumulated too and develop quite rapidly or rank second in soil development rate. And as RS-derived soils were thin in soil layer and low in clay and silt content, in soil moisture and nutrient retention capacity and in cohersiveness and plasticity, it was hard for them to accumulate SOC or to develop fast.【Conclusion】The effects of parent material on development of Hydragric Anthrosols were reflected through their effects on development rate of the soil. All the findings show that Hydragric Anthrosols develops at a much higher average rate than natural soils do, particularly under paddy cultivation towards a set direction. But with the cultivation going on and on, development rate of the soil generally declines. The relationship between soil development rate and soil forming history or age can be fitted with a logarithmic equation. This quantification method may help improve knowledge about the soil forming process of Hydragric Anthrosols and realize quantitative comparison of Hydragric Anthrosols of different regions in development rate, and hence it may enjoy a bright future in application. However, as this method is still at its initial test stage, it needs further validation and improvement through researches.