The Confucian Classics & the Civil Service Examinations
The Confucian Tradition Institutionalized through the Examination System
The Civil Service Examination System had its beginnings in the Sui dynasty ( 581 - 618 CE ) but was fully developed during the Qing dynasty.
played a major role in education, government, and society throughout the Qing times
based on the Confucian classics and upon recognized commentaries on those classics
Confucian tradition was institutionally upheld by the imperial state in a very direct way
opening lessons gave children the basic literacy of Confucian classicas and other approved texts
for a young boy, going to school meant beginning the early part of the curriculum — if succeeded at every level he would enter the examination system.
Who Took the Civil Service Exam?
Vast majority of boys did not participate in the exams, a relatively large percentage of boys ended schooling no later than after the first five or six years
as much as 40% of Chinese males at the time were literate
only 10% of Chinese women were literate
only those from wealthier families or showing exceptional promise and wealthy sponsors could continue their studies and compete in the examination system
The Level of the Examination System
the civil service exams were conducted at every level of the Chinese administrative hierarchy
Levels of the hierarchy included:
Lowest level — county seat , took preliminary exam and if passed was qualified to take the exam for the second level
second level — prefectoral (district) seat
thrid level — given in the provincial capitol
fourth and highest — given in the imperial palace itself
those who passed the imperial palace examinations at the highest level (jinshi) became the most important people in China’s educated class
those who passed the provincial-level (juren) became part of the an important provincial elite and held enormous power at that level
those who passed the prefectoral level (xiucai) had the most common imperial degree in China
took positions of leadership in their villages and towns and also became school teachers
Social Mobility and Curricular Uniformity Under the Confucian System
civil service exam was important for social mobility in imperial China
child from the poorest family could join the ranks of the educated elite by succeeding in the exam system
success in the exams depended on the ability of the person and not one’s social position
even if the a farmer’s son didn’t do well, it was a major payoff of working literacy which was acquired through mastery of the same basic texts that others who went on the pass the exams at the highest level