All Topics  
Imperial examination

 
Imperial Examination

   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link






 

Imperial examination



 
 
The Imperial examinations in Imperial China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
 determined who among the population would be permitted to enter the state's bureaucracy
Bureaucracy

Bureaucracy is the structure and set of regulations in place to control activity, usually in large organizations and government. As opposed to adhocracy, it is represented by standardized procedure that dictates the execution of most or all processes within the body, formal division of powers, hierarchy, and relationships....
. The Imperial Examination System in China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
 lasted for 1300 years, from its founding during the Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty

The Sui Dynasty followed the Southern and Northern Dynasties and preceded the Tang Dynasty in China. It ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes....
 in 605 to its abolition near the end of the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty , also known as the Manchu Dynasty, followed the Ming Dynasty in History of China, and was the last ruling Chinese Dynasties of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 ....
 in 1905.

nning in the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The Han Dynasty was ruled by the family known as the Liu clan who had peasant origins....
 (206 BCE to 220 CE), prior to the imperial examination system, most appointments in the imperial bureaucracy were based on recommendations from prominent aristocrats and local officials, and it was commonly accepted that recommended individuals must be of aristocratic rank.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Imperial examination'
Start a new discussion about 'Imperial examination'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Civilserviceexam1
The Imperial examinations in Imperial China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
 determined who among the population would be permitted to enter the state's bureaucracy
Bureaucracy

Bureaucracy is the structure and set of regulations in place to control activity, usually in large organizations and government. As opposed to adhocracy, it is represented by standardized procedure that dictates the execution of most or all processes within the body, formal division of powers, hierarchy, and relationships....
. The Imperial Examination System in China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
 lasted for 1300 years, from its founding during the Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty

The Sui Dynasty followed the Southern and Northern Dynasties and preceded the Tang Dynasty in China. It ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes....
 in 605 to its abolition near the end of the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty , also known as the Manchu Dynasty, followed the Ming Dynasty in History of China, and was the last ruling Chinese Dynasties of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 ....
 in 1905.

Purpose

Beginning in the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The Han Dynasty was ruled by the family known as the Liu clan who had peasant origins....
 (206 BCE to 220 CE), prior to the imperial examination system, most appointments in the imperial bureaucracy were based on recommendations from prominent aristocrats and local officials, and it was commonly accepted that recommended individuals must be of aristocratic rank. Beginning in the Three Kingdom period
Three Kingdoms

The Three Kingdoms period is a period in the history of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty emperors....
 (with the nine-rank system
Nine-rank system

The Nine rank system , or much less commonly Nine grade controller system, was a civil service nomination system during the Three Kingdoms and the Southern and Northern Dynasties in China....
 in the Kingdom of Wei), imperial officials were responsible for assessing the quality of the talents recommended by the local elites. This system continued until Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui

Emperor Yang of Sui , personal name Yang Guang , alternative name Ying , nickname Amo , known as Emperor Ming during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong), was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the second emperor of China's Sui Dynasty....
 established a new category of recommended candidates for the mandarinate in 605 CE
605

Events...
. For the first time, an examination system was explicitly instituted for a category of local talents. This is generally accepted as the beginning of the imperial examination system.

Theoretically, any male adult in China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
, regardless of his wealth or social status, could become a high-ranking government official by passing the imperial examination, although under some dynasties members of the merchant class were excluded. In reality, since the process of studying for the examination tended to be time-consuming and costly (if tutors were hired), most of the candidates came from the numerically small but relatively wealthy land-owning gentry. However, there are vast numbers of examples in Chinese history in which individuals moved from a low social status to political prominence through success in imperial examination. Under some dynasties the imperial examinations were abolished and official posts were simply sold, which increased corruption
Political corruption

Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption....
 and reduced morale.

In late imperial China
Late Imperial China

Late Imperial China refers to the period between the end of Mongol rule in 1368 and the establishment of the Republic of China in 1912 and includes the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty Dynasties....
 the examination system and associated methods of recruitment to the central bureaucracy were major mechanisms by which the central government captured and held the loyalty of local-level elites. Their loyalty, in turn, ensured the integration of the Chinese state, and countered tendencies toward regional autonomy and the breakup of the centralized system. The examination system distributed its prizes according to provincial and prefectural quotas, which meant that imperial officials were recruited from the whole country, in numbers roughly proportional to each province's population. Elite individuals all over China, even in the disadvantaged peripheral regions, had a chance at succeeding in the examinations and achieving the rewards of holding office.

The examination system also served to maintain cultural unity and consensus on basic values. The uniformity of the content of the examinations meant that the local elites and ambitious would-be members of those elites across the whole of China were taught with the same values. Even though only a small fraction (about 5 percent) of those who attempted the examinations passed them and received titles, the studying and the hope of eventual success on a subsequent examination served to sustain the interest of those who took them. Those who failed to pass--most of the candidates at any single examination--did not lose wealth or local social standing; as dedicated believers in Confucian orthodoxy, they served, without the benefit of state appointments, as teachers, patrons
Patronage

Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege and often financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors....
 of the arts, and managers of local projects, such as irrigation works, schools, or charitable foundations.

In late traditional China, then, education was valued in part because of its possible pay-off in the examination system. The overall result of the examination system and its associated study was cultural uniformity--identification of the educated with national rather than regional goals and values. This self-conscious national identity still underlies the nationalism
Chinese nationalism

For the political party, see Chinese Nationalist PartyChinese nationalism , sometimes synonymous with Chinese patriotism refers to Chinese culture, historiographical, and political theories, movements and beliefs that assert the idea of a cohesive, unified Zhonghua Minzu and Culture of China under a unified country known as China....
 that has been so important in China's politics in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Detail of the Imperial Examination

Exam Cells Large
There are a few degree types offered:

  • Shengyuán, also called xiùcái, licentiate; administered at exams held in the county level each year.
    • Anshou,a shengyuán who ranked #1
    • Gongsheng, or "tribute student",a senior licentiate
  • Jurén or "recommended man", a provincial graduate, administered at the provincial level every three years
    • Jieyuan jurén who ranked #1.
    • Huiyuan, jurén who ranked #1 in prequalification
    • Gongshi, jurén who passed prequalification
  • Jìnshì or "presented scholar",a metropolitan graduate, administered in the capital every three years
    • Jinshi jidi Jinshi who were ranked first class in Jinshi examiniation.
    • Zhuangyuan, lit. exemplar of the state, jìnshì who ranked #1 first class (in Jinshi examination) .
    • Bangyan, lit. eyes positioned alongside (the top-ranked scholar), jìnshì who ranked #2 first class.
    • Tanhua, lit. selective talent (in reference to the eponymous banquet), jìnshì who ranked #3 first class.
    • Jinshi Chushen jìnshì who were ranked second class in Jinshi examination.
    • Tong Jinshi Chushen jìnshì who were ranked third class in Jinshi examiniation.


By 115, a set curriculum had become established for the so-called First Generation of examination takers. They were tested on their proficiency in the "Six Arts
Six Arts

Six Arts refer to the six practices in ancient Culture of China. During the Zhou Dynasty , students were required to master the "li? y?" . They are: Confucianism#Rites, Music of China, Archery, Charioteering, Chinese calligraphy, and Chinese mathematics....
":
  • Scholastic arts: music, arithmetic, writing, and knowledge of the rituals and ceremonies in both public and private life.
  • Militaristic: archery and horsemanship
The curriculum was then expanded to cover the "Five Studies": military strategy, civil law, revenue and taxation, agriculture and geography, and the Confucian classics. In this form the examinations were institutionalized during the sixth century CE, under the Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty

The Sui Dynasty followed the Southern and Northern Dynasties and preceded the Tang Dynasty in China. It ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes....
. These examinations are regarded by most historians as the first standardized tests based on merit.

By 1370, the examinations lasted between 24 and 72 hours, and were conducted in spare, isolated examination rooms; sometimes, however, it was held within cubicle
Cubicle

A cubicle, cubicle desk or office cubicle is a partially enclosed workspace, separated from neighboring workspaces by partitions that are usually five to six feet tall....
s. The small rooms featured two boards which could be placed together to form a bed, or placed on different levels to serve as a desk and chair. In order to obtain objectivity in evaluation, candidates were identified by number rather than name, and examination answers were recopied by a third person before being evaluated to prevent the candidate's handwriting from being recognized.

Demise and Legacy

The Imperial examination system was abandoned for a time under the Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty

The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was both the continuation of the Mongol Empire and the Mongol founded historical state in Mongolia and China, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368....
, but thrived under the Ming
Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty , or Empire of the Great Ming , was the ruling Dynasties in Chinese history of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty....
 and Qing
Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty , also known as the Manchu Dynasty, followed the Ming Dynasty in History of China, and was the last ruling Chinese Dynasties of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 ....
 dynasties. The Taiping
Taiping Rebellion

The Taiping Rebellion was a large-scale revolt in China from 1850 to 1864, during the Qing Dynasty, by an army led by Heterodoxy Christianity convert Hong Xiuquan....
 regime was the first in Chinese history to admit women as candidates in the examination system, although they abandoned the system later. With the military defeats in 1890s and pressure to develop a national school system, reformers called for abolition. After the Boxer Uprising
Boxer Rebellion

The Boxer Rebellion, or more properly Boxer Uprising, was a violent anti-foreign, anti-Christian movement by the "Righteous Fists of Harmony,? Yihe tuan or Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists in China....
, the government organized a wide range of reforms and drew up plans to reform, then abolish the exams. On September 2, 1905 the throne endorsed a memorial which ordered that the old examination system be discontinued at all levels in the following year. The new system provided equivalents to the old degrees; the Bachelor's Degree, for instance, would be considered equivalent to the xiu cai. The details of the system remained to be worked out before the fall of the dynasty in 1911.

Under the Republic of China


After the fall of Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty , also known as the Manchu Dynasty, followed the Ming Dynasty in History of China, and was the last ruling Chinese Dynasties of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 ....
 in 1911, Dr. Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen

Sun Yat-sen , also known as Sun Yixian, Sun Wen, Sun Itchisen/Sun Itchiyama and Sun Zhongshan , was a China revolutionary and Politician leader often referred to as the Father of the Nation....
, the leader of the newly risen Republic of China
Republic of China

The Republic of China , also known as Nationalist China is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with Political status of Taiwan....
 developed similar procedures for the new political system through an institution called the Examination Yuan
Examination Yuan

The Examination Yuan is in charge of validating the qualification of civil servants in the Republic of China. It is one of the five government branches of the ROC government....
, one of the five branches of government, although this was quickly suspended due to the turmoil in China between the two world wars, such as the warlord period and the Japanese invasion
Second Sino-Japanese War

The Second Sino-Japanese War was the largest Asian war in the twentieth century. From 1937 to 1941, it was fought between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan....
. The Kuomintang
Kuomintang

The Kuomintang of China , also often translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party, is the founding and the ruling party of the Republic of China ....
 administration revived the Examination Yuan in 1947 after the defeat of Japan. This system continues into present times in Taiwan along with the regime itself after loss of the mainland to the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China

The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and the ruling party of the People's Republic of China and the world's largest political party....
.

Influence

The Chinese Imperial examination system had extensive influence throughout East Asia
East Asia

East Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either Geography or cultural terms. Geography and geopolitically, it covers about 12,000,000 km?, or about 28 percent of the Asian continent, about 15 percent bigger than the area of Europe, though some categorize Tibet, Xinjiang, and Mongolia as Central Asia....
. It was modelled by the Goryeo
Goryeo

The Goryeo Dynasty was a sovereign state established in 918 by Taejo of Goryeo. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392....
 Dynasty and Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty

Joseon , was a sovereign state founded by Taejo Taejo of Joseon, and lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo Kingdom at what is today the city of Kaesong....
 for the Yangban
Yangban

The Yangban were part of the traditional ruling class of dynastical Korea during the Joseon dynasty. Yangban were landed or unlanded gentry who comprised the Confucianism idea of a "scholarly official", and thus were part of the agrarian bureaucracy within Korea prior to 1910 during the Joseon Dynasty....
 and Chungin
Chungin

The chungin also jungin, were the educated professionals and literati in the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. In fact, the name "chungin" literally means "middle people"....
 classes in Korea
Korea

Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries, a civilization, and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia....
 (see Gwageo
Gwageo

The gwageo were the national civil service examinations under the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasty dynasties of Korea. Typically quite demanding, these tests measured candidates' knowledge of the Chinese classics, and sometimes also of technical subjects....
) until its annexation by Japan
Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty

The Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty was signed on August 22, 1910 by the representatives of the Korean Empire and Empire of Japans, and was proclaimed to the public on August 29, officially starting the Korea under Japanese rule in Korea....
. This had also been modelled in Vietnam
Vietnam

Vietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by People's Republic of China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east....
 from 1075 to 1919. Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
 modelled this in the Heian period
Heian period

The is the last division of classical History of Japan, running from 794 to 1185. It is the period in Japanese history when Confucianism and other Chinese culture were at their height....
; however, the influence was under minor nobilities only and was replaced by the hereditary system in the Samurai
Samurai

is the term for the military nobility of Pre-industrial society Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character ? was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau....
 era.

The Chinese Imperial examination system was an important influence on the Northcote-Trevelyan Report and hence on the reform of the Civil Service in British India and later in the United Kingdom
British Civil Service

Her Majesty's Civil Service, also known as the Home Civil Service, is the permanent bureaucracy of Crown employees that supports Government of the United Kingdom and the devolved administrations in Welsh Assembly Government and Scottish Government....
.

See also

  • History of China
    History of China

    China civilization originated in various city-states along the Yellow River valley in the Neolithic era. The written history of China begins with the Shang Dynasty ....
  • Chinese classic texts
    Chinese classic texts

    Chinese classic texts or Chinese canonical texts refer to the pre-Qin Dynasty Chinese texts, especially the Confucian Four Books and Five Classics ....
  • Nine rank system
  • Education in the People's Republic of China
    Education in the People's Republic of China

    The Politics of the People's Republic of China has a nationwide system of public education, which includes primary schools, middle schools , and universities....
  • Scholar-bureaucrats
    Scholar-bureaucrats

    Scholar-bureaucrats or scholar-officials were civil servants appointed by the emperor of China to perform day-to-day governance from the Sui Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1912, China's last imperial dynasty....
  • Hanlin Academy
    Hanlin Academy

    The Hanlin Academy was an academic and administrative institution founded in eighth century Tang dynasty China by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang.Membership in the academy was confined to an elite group of scholars, who performed secretarial and literary tasks for the court....
  • Donglin Academy
    Donglin Academy

    The Donglin Academy , also known as the Guishan Academy , was originally built in A.D. 1111 during the Northern Song dynasty at present-day Wuxi in China....
  • Eight-legged essay
    Eight-legged essay

    The eight-legged essay was a style of essay writing that had to be mastered to pass the imperial examinations during the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty Dynasties....


Further reading

  • Schirokauer, C., (tr) China's Examination Hell (Yale University Press, 1976).