Ancient Chinese Civil Service Exam
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- The opening lessons in the curriculum that gave these children basic literacy were the Confucian classics and other approved texts. For a young boy, simply going to school meant beginning the early part of the very curriculum which, if he succeeded...
- The lowest level of the Chinese imperial administration was the county seat, and in the county seat one took the preliminary examination, which, if passed, qualified one to take the examination at the second level, which was at the prefectoral...
- This curricular uniformity had an extremely powerful effect on Chinese society, and the major impetus for this uniformity was the meritocracy promoted by the civil service examination system.
- Japan imitated it during the eighth to tenth centuries; its subjects include xiucai, mingjing, jinshi, mingfa, as well as medicine and acupuncture. Korean imperial examinations are the longest and most comprehensive ones among other East Asian countries. Vietnam was the last to abolish the imperial examinations. All three East Asian countries imitated China in their imperial examinations, which greatly raised their cultural levels. Tokyo: Yurindou, In: Koukusho itubun kenkyukai, ed.
Influence Of China’s Imperial Examinations On Japan, Korea And Vietnam
The system had an important impact on society, spreading Confucianism far and wide for a long time. Here are some interesting facts about the examination system. The civil service examination system dates back to the Sui Dynasty — at which time it became not only the predominant education system, but it became the standard of selection for talented people across the nation. The system was adjusted as time went on, for example during the Tang Dynasty — and the Song Dynasty — They Disseminated the Confucian Worldview Throughout China The imperial examination played a key role in the dissemination of the Confucian worldview throughout China because the examination was squarely based upon the Confucian classics and recognized commentaries of those classics.- These classics were also the basic support for the school curriculum taken on all over China starting with boys' schools at a time when not many girls attended schools, yet whom were then expected to go on and take the examination and work for the government. Conformity was Key Yuelu Academy in Hunan One element of the test perhaps comparable to the biggest criticism of Chinese examinations to this very day the gaokao, the national university entrance examination sat by high school students nation-wide, for example is the importance of remembering, conformity, and presentation of the answers, rather than of showing the ability to be analytical or creative. This is a little ironic considering the test did not actually require proving your ability to deal with administrative issues in the job you were testing for. Men Only The exams were open to be sat for men only. Men considered 'undesirable,' such as executioners, slaves, and strangely, actors, were not able to sit, neither were their male descendants.
Civil Service Examinations In Ancient And Medieval Imperial China
Women were not to be taking the test, nor to be joining government ranks at this time. The tutors for the imperial examinations were generally those scholars who tried to take the exams themselves, but failed, because they had a good understanding of what the examinations were really about. They were hired by rich families for their sons, or even worked at small schools for groups of students to prepare them. The Tests Were Often Likened to Actual Hell And this is not only because the tests were really difficult, which they were, but also because the candidates were confined to tiny cells throughout the examinations, which lasted between one and three days depending on the time period.- They ate and slept in these cells, and we can only imagine what else they did in there, too. This temple was built to worship Confucius and his ideologies which were central to the education system throughout imperial China, and still have an influence on China's social structure and ethics to this day. Cheating Was Really Very Common Because the examinations were so difficult, there were many cases of cheating, even at that time. One way that it is known that people cheated during their imperial examination was to have the notes written in the inner linings of robes so that they could easily look up the results during the testing.
History Of Psychological Assessment: Chinese Use Of Essay Examinations For Civil Service
The System Came to an End in The imperial examination system officially came to an end in , in the final years of the Qing Dynasty China's last dynasty, — The devastating decline of imperial China in the s had led to new modernization efforts throughout the country. Learn More About Imperial Examinations and Confucianism During Your Tour Beijing's Confucius Temple You can spend your tour learning more about the imperial examination system and how it has influenced education to this day, just let us know what you'd like to focus on seeing and learning when you are putting together your tour. Tours to the cities of Qufu, Suzhou, Quzhou, Beijing, Nanjing, and Shanghai will generally include a visit to their Confucius temple depending on time.- In B. By B. Scholars were tested for their proficiency in the Six Arts: music; archery and horsemanship; arithmetic; writing; and knowledge of the rituals and ceremonies, both public and those described in the Five Classics. The Sui introduced a rule that the officials of a prefecture must be appointees of the central government rather than local aristocrats, and that the local militia was to be subject to the officials appointed by the central government. Those who hoped to enter the upper levels of the bureaucracy then competed in the chin-shih exams, which tested their knowledge of the Confucian Classics.
- Throughout China, public schools were established for the benefit of those who were talented but indigent. Officials related by blood or marriage were forbidden to engage in business together, and members and relatives of the imperial family were not allowed to hold high positions. Higher-level Sung officials were recruited by passing the chin-shih degree. After , the chin-shih examinations were held every three years, and were open to anyone who had passed the qualifying tests on the local level. No official was permitted to serve in his home district, and officials were rotated every three years to prevent hem from building up a power base. The subject matter of the examinations was limited to the Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism. Regional recruitment quotas were set to prevent any one region from predominating, and precautions were taken against cheating.
Imperial Examinations (Keju) For Government Service In Ancient China
By , the examinations lasted between 24 and 72 hours, and were conducted in spare, isolated examination rooms; sometimes, however, it was held in cubicles. 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. The examinations were often criticized because the ability to do well on the examination did not necessarily reflect the ability to govern well, and because they gave precedence to style over content and originality of thought. The Confucian examinations were finally abolished by the Qing dynasty in as part of its modernization program, and the civil service system was overthrown along with the Qing government in the Revolution of The short-lived Taiping regime was the first in Chinese history to admit women as candidates in the examination system. After the fall of Qing Dynasty in , Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the leader of the newly risen Republic of China, developed similar procedures for the new political system through an institution called the Examination Yuan, although this was quickly suspended due to the turmoil caused by regional warlords and the Japanese invasion between the two World Wars.- The Examination Yuan continues to exist as one of the five branches of government in the Republic of China on Taiwan. Purpose of Imperial Examination System Candidates gathering around the wall where the results had been posted. 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 small group of relatively wealthy land-owning gentry. However, there are a number of examples in Chinese history of individuals who moved from a low social status to political prominence through success in the imperial examination. Under some dynasties the imperial bureaucracy became corrupt, examinations were abolished and official posts were either sold or given as political rewards. At these times, the public morale diminished, and some type of reform was often introduced to restore traditional Confucian values in the government.
- In late imperial China 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 elites. Their loyalty ensured the integration of the Chinese state, and countered tendencies toward regional autonomy and the breakup of the centralized system. 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 political aspirants across the whole of China were inculcated with the same values.
- Though only a small fraction about 5 percent of those who attempted the examinations passed them and received titles, the preparation for and the hope of eventual success on a subsequent examination sustained 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 of the arts, and managers of local projects, such as irrigation works, schools, or charitable foundations. In late traditional China, education was valued because success in the examinations assured upwards social mobility. The overall result of the examination system and its associated program of study was cultural uniformity and the identification of the educated elite with national, rather than regional, goals and values.
- Content and Structure of the Civil Service Examinations Examinations were given at the local, provincial, metropolitan and national levels. District exams tested candidates on their knowledge of the Confucian classics, and their ability to compose poetry on given subjects using set poetic forms and calligraphy. The provincial level examinations tested candidates on the breadth of their knowledge of the Classics.
- A candidate who passed the provincial level exam was termed juren recommended man and was eligible for the national level. At the national level, candidates were examined on their ability to analyze contemporary political problems, in addition to the usual examinations based on the Classics. An individual who succeeded in the national examination was raised to the level of jinshih presented scholar.
10 Interesting Facts About China's Imperial Examination System
Occasionally, highly prestigious special examinations were held by imperial decree. The success rate in the civil service examinations was low and restricted by regional quotas; during the Tang Dynasty the passing rate was about two percent. The personal suffering undergone by individuals in preparing for and taking the examinations has become part of Chinese folklore. Many candidates failed repeatedly, and some committed suicide because of the disgrace that their failure brought to their families.- Others continued taking exams even when they became old, gray-haired men. The clans or families of those who rose through the ranks by passing these examinations also rose in social prestige and wealth. The meritocratic nature of these exams has been noted in Chinese history: during the Ming Dynasty about 47 percent of those who passed the highest level examinations were from families with no official connections. It was also copied in Vietnam from to Japan used a similar examination system during the Heian period for the promotion of minor nobles; it was replaced by the hereditary system in the Samurai era. It has been suggested that 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. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, admission to the British civil service administration depended on success in an examination in classical studies.
Imperial Examinations (Keju) For Government Service In Ancient China – Brewminate
Sun Yat-sen , in his Five-Power Constitution, which created a separate body, called the Examination Yuan, to supervise the examination process, along with four other bodies were responsible for legislative, executive, judicial and supervisory powers in his government. Two centuries later, in , the civil official examination system was officially established in Britain. This examination was prepared and presided over by the Emperor in person, and held in the Hall of Preserving Harmony in the royal palace. The large Golden List was cm long and cm wide. The Manchu language was written from left to right, while the Chinese was written from right to left. The paper began with an imperial command and followed with the name lists of successful candidates for each of the three categories. Cords for anging were attached every meter along the upper edge of the paper. There are over fragments of small and large Golden Lists in the custody of the First Historical Archives, rangeing from the sixth year of the reign of the Kangxi emperor to the 29th year of Emperor Guangxu All the documents are written in beautiful calligraphy and can be considered pieces of art in their own right.- By Candice SongUpdated Mar. Beginning from the time of the Xia dynasty BC , it was traditional for ancient kings and emperors to select well-educated officials to assist them in administering their kingdoms. The civil service examination system for selecting officials was established by Emperor Yang AD of the Sui dynasty It was further refined by Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty It was not until the late Qing dynasty that the civil service examination system was dismantled by Yuan Shikai , and replaced by a more western education system. Since the foundation of the People's Republic of China in , the Chinese education system has been modeled on the Russian system, with perhaps more spoon-feeding and rote-learning than in some other countries.
- The History of Ancient Education In primitive society, knowledge was passed on orally by elders to their children. As hieroglyphic writings emerged 3, years or so ago, professional institutions emerged aiming to teach knowledge. These were called chengjun, the predecessors of schools. Xu were divided into East Xu and West Xu. East of the capital of the Zhou kingdom stood the East Xu. These were the precursors of college, where the children of nobility were educated. West of the capital stood the West Xu. These were the precursors of elementary schools, where the children of ordinary citizens studied. The East Xu only recruited children of the nobility, and were just a dream for children of the ordinary people. With the expansion of productive forces and the prosperity of culture during the Zhou dynasty BC , more and more schools were established. During the Western Zhou dynasty BC slave society was at its peak.
- Schools were divided into state schools and village schools. State schools were established just for children of the nobility; and consisted of elementary schools and higher-level colleges. Village schools, also known as local schools, were divided into four levels: shu, xiang, xu and xiao. Generally speaking, students who studied well in shu could enter the next level and proceed upwards. If determined and persistent, they even stood a chance of studying in college. The king at the time sought out able men including Mencius, Hsun Tzu, Zou Yan and Lu Zhonglian across his kingdom to lecture regularly on various topics, leading to schools of thought contending with each other. After the unification of the Qin Empire BC in BC, Qin Shi Huang the first emperor of China, who reigned from BC forbade private schools of any form in his kingdom, so that he could exert strict control over the common people.
- He forbade the common people to read privately or collect Confucian classics, and he even gave orders to burn books and to bury Confucian scholars alive. Imperial Colleges Emperor Wu BC of the Western Han dynasty BC-9 AD established government-sponsored imperial colleges, and teachers were selected from among learned and accomplished officials, who were called boshi present-day doctors. Students from the imperial colleges were called boshi disciples. The number of boshi disciples roughly equivalent to present-day college students reached over 30, during the Shundi Emperor's AD reign. The Imperial Academy was established by Emperor Wu Sima Yan reigning from to during the Western Jin dynasty , and it was explicitly stipulated by Emperor Hui that only children of 5th-rank officials or higher were allowed to study in the Imperial Academy. Classification of Ancient Chinese Education Generally speaking, ancient Chinese education was divided into official school education and private school education.
- These supplemented each other to train talent for the ruling classes. Ancient Official School Education Ancient official school education refers to a whole set of education systems sponsored by central and local governments of slave and feudal societies. It aimed to train talent of various kinds for the ruling classes, whose rise and fall was related to social and political developments in ancient China. According to historical documents, however, central official school education was only initiated in the Western Han dynasty BC-9 AD , and it waxed and waned during the Wei , Jin , and Northern and Southern dynasties, owing to changes in the political situation.
- It was not until the Tang dynasty that the central official school education reached its peak under the advocacy and encouragement of the ruling classes. Official school education was run down from the time of the Northern Song dynasty , and during the Qing dynasty existed in name only, as an instrument of the national examination system. The ruling classes emphasized development of official schools during the Han Dynasty BC , especially of Taixue. Guozijian were established by Emperor Yang in the Sui Dynasty , and served as educational institutions until the Qing Dynasty In addition, a number of professional academies were established by government to train specialized talent for the ruling classes, such as the History Academy of the Northern and Southern dynasties , the Calligraphy Academy of the Tang dynasty , the Law Academy of the Song dynasty and the Painting Academy of the Ming dynasty Other prefectures across the country soon opened their own schools.
The Revival Of The Civil Service Exam - Flores- World History 7
The local official school system was completely established in the 1st year of Emperor Pingdi's reign 9 BC-6 AD during the Western Han dynasty BC-9 AD , but it was in decline during the Wei , Jin , and Northern and Southern dynasties, owing to unceasing wars. Local official schools developed on an unprecedented scale during the early Tang dynasty , and were inherited and developed on a larger scale during the Song , Liao , Jin , Yuan , Ming and Qing dynasties. Ancient Private School Education Over against the ancient official school education, ancient private school education also played an important part in the educational history of China. The Spring and Autumn Period BC and Warring States Period BC were periods of transition from a slave society to a feudal society, during which education went through dramatic changes along with the prevailing economic and political situations.- Ancient private schools emerged under such circumstances. Scholars served different rulers and created various schools, among which the most famous included the Confucian School, Mohist School, Taoist School and Legalist School, leading to the phenomenon of schools contending with one another to dominate the realm of thought.
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