Ming and Qing Imperial Scholars Register

Author: Pan Rongsheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: The official system of China, the hereditary system in the slave society was called the "system of hereditary ministers and hereditary privileges" in history; the Qin Dynasty implemented the appointment of officials based on merit; the Han Dynasty adopted two methods: recommendation and recruitment; the Northern and Southern Dynasties mainly implemented the nine-rank system. The imperial examination system had already emerged in the Sui Dynasty and was perfected and fully implemented during the Tang Dynasty. This system of appointing officials after passing exams brought significant reforms compared to the past. It played a positive role in selecting talents more broadly, strengthening central authority, and promoting education. It continued without interruption through the ages. During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, each state held exams, and the Jin and Yuan Dynasties were no exception. Even the Daxi Kingdom established by Zhang Xianzhong in Sichuan and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom established by Hong Xiuquan in Nanjing also conducted imperial examinations. As a government, it was indispensable without the imperial examination system. It is recorded that the practice of using exams to appoint officials in foreign countries originated from China. "The examination systems in most countries today are modeled after the British system. Tracing the source, the British examination system originally came from China" (Sun Yat-sen, "Five Powers Constitution"). The imperial examination system is listed as one of China's "Five Great Inventions."