What was the establishment and continuation of the imperial examination system in ancient China?

From the Sui and Tang dynasties to the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Tang and Song dynasties were divided into two types of examinations: the "regular" and the "system". The annual examination was called the "regular examination", while the examination held temporarily by imperial decree was called the "system examination".

There are two sources of candidates for the regular section: one is the apprentice, and the other is the township tributes. In the Tang Dynasty, there were schools from the court to the local government. Those set up by the court included the Guozijian (国子监), Hongwenkan (弘文館) and Chongwenkan (崇文館), while those at the local level included the Zhouxue (州學) and Xianxue (县學). The subjects of the regular subjects were Xiu Cai, Ming Jing, San Shi, Dao Jiu, Tong Zi, Kai Yuan Rites, etc. The earliest Imperial Examination in China was the Tang Dynasty Martial Arts Examination, which was organized by the Tang Dynasty. China's earliest temple examination for the Tang Wu Zetian Zaichu yuan year (A.D. 689) in February. According to the "Tongdian" records: "Caiqi tribute to the Luo Zai Hall, a few days square." The system of science is held by the emperor specially convened a number of eminent persons to test subjects. The system of science titles are numerous, according to the situation in the Tang Dynasty, there are more than 80 kinds of, the Song Dynasty tends to lengthen, there are virtuous and Liangfangzheng, straight talk and extreme admonition, Bo Tong Graveyard Dictionary, the military strategize far and wide, and details of the political arts and other titles. Examination of all subjects are focused, for example: the scholar heavy poetry and fugue, Mingjing heavy post scripture ink, Mingfa heavy criminal law order and so on. From here we can see that the talents taken at that time, and not confined to the political path, but each has its own specialization, not only in literature and martial arts, there is a scholar, a scholar, and there are proficient in the scriptures, history, etiquette, law, writing, calendars, but also according to the need to take a variety of special talents, quite wide-open talent. It is for this reason that many famous prime ministers, ministers, poets, lyricists, scientists in Chinese history are out in the Tang and Song dynasties. For example, "All Tang Poetry" *** collected 49,403 poems from 2,955 poets; "All Tang Wen" included 20,025 articles from 3,516 authors, which wrote a glorious page in the history of Chinese literature. In short, under the imperial examination system, there were many talented people who excelled, "each leading the way for hundreds of years".

The importance attached to intellectuals during the Tang and Song dynasties is also commendable. In the Tang Dynasty, the imperial examinations after the list, the court to give a banquet and the new subjects and the first section of the people, known as the "wenxi banquet". Newly graduated, but also in the Qujiang Pavilion party feast tour, called "Qujiang will", the feast tour poem to the young handsome for the flower scouting make, all over the famous garden, folding the famous flowers, so also known as "flower scouting feast". More "wild goose pagoda inscription", the name of the person who won the test is engraved on the wild goose pagoda, so that it will be immortalized. The Song Dynasty attached more importance to, after the Imperial Examination held a grand "Hall Court singing" ceremony, the Emperor announced the name of the scholar, and give feast Qionglin Yuan, called "Qionglin Banquet". The first three of the Palace Examination is particularly prominent, the Northern Song Dynasty can be called "scholar", the Southern Song Dynasty, the first for the "scholar", the second for the "top eye", the third for the "scout". "flower", given a gold belt, purple capsule, boots watts, and ordered the township for the establishment of the house of cards. It can be seen that the Tang and Song dynasties, the imperial examination system in the stage of prosperity and development, although this period of the imperial examination system also implies a number of shortcomings, but on the whole, it and the social and economic development of the time is still compatible, conducive to the development of the centralized power and the selection of talents, but also conducive to the prosperity of the culture.

Because of the Mongols advocate martial arts, so after the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, the imperial examinations once fell. Until the Ming and Qing dynasties, once again restored the imperial examinations, and pushed it to the peak. Ming and Qing dynasty imperial examination is divided into three levels: (1) county-level examination. The national government, state, county scholars in the local examination (commonly known as the county test) to take, can be called "student", commonly known as "Xiu Cai", only has achieved the qualification of student can participate in the provincial examination held every three years (commonly known as the township test). (2) Provincial Examinations (Township Examinations). Those who were admitted to the township exams acquired the status of "Lifu Ren" and could participate in the "Kaiju Exam" held in the capital the following year. (3) National Examinations ("Kaikaku" and "Tendan"). Will be admitted to participate in the Palace Examination (also known as the "transport test"), presided over by the Emperor himself, was taken in the nominal name of the person called "the son of God's disciples". Admitted to the Palace Examination is known as the "scholar". Scholar is divided into three a, each a rank order, a first place is commonly known as the "scholar", the second is commonly known as the "top eye", the third is commonly known as the "flower", called the "give scholar and the first". The first place is called "the scholar", the second place is called "the first prize", the third place is called "the flower", it is called "give the scholar and the first"; the second place is called "give the scholar's birth"; the third place is called "give the same scholar's birth". All of them were awarded certain official positions according to their grades. There were also a lot of people who were awarded lower-level official positions. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, Confucianism was the main subject of the imperial examinations, along with other insights and talents. The township examination and the examination will be examined three: the first exam four books and five classic Confucianism and other basic works of doctrine; the second exam on the Analects, judgment, drafting edicts and enjoining chapter table; the third exam on the history and poetry and fugue and so on. After the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the eight-legged essay gradually became the main subject of the three exams. Rigid and rigid eight-legged essay victimized countless young literati, Gu Yanwu once said: "Eight-legged harm, equal to the burning of books. And the corruption of talent, there is even more than the suburb of Xianyang." Liaozhai Zhiyi", "Confucianism", "Dream of Red Mansions" are given to the imperial examination system at the time of a profound revelation and bitter satire, it is no wonder that Gong Zizhen to send out the "I persuade the heavens to shake again, do not stick to one pattern of lowering the talent" of the call.

After the Opium War, China woke up from the fire, the advanced intellectuals soberly see the harm in China is "the people's wisdom is not open", "and the people's wisdom is not open to the reason that all the eight shares of the scholar as", strongly advocate the abolition of the imperial examinations, even the Emperor Guangxu was y concerned about "the people's wisdom is not open". Emperor Guangxu was also y impressed that "Westerners are all useful studies, and we are all useless studies in China". In this case, the abolition of the imperial examinations, imperative, so in 1901, an imperial edict to reform the imperial examinations, and finally, according to Zhang Zhidong, Liu Kunyi's proposal, in 1905, the official abolition of the imperial examinations. So far, in China continued for more than 1300 years of the imperial examination system end of life.