It seems that many people do not understand the imperial examination system, some have been brainwashed into thinking that the examination system is decayed and rigid, and others believe that it caused China's backwardness. Since I have some free time, let me elaborate:
The imperial examination system I am referring to is not just the examination itself. After the Northern Song Dynasty, in any dynasty, if one wanted to become an official, the only path was to "pass the examination." Even if you were the legitimate son or grandson of a family with four generations of officials, you could not become an official without passing the examination. It was that strict and fair. Even the emperor could not directly appoint officials; at most, if a family was wealthy but their children were not suited for studying, they might spend a large sum to buy an official position, but such officials would only be at the fourth rank at most and would face disdain in the officialdom. Under the imperial examination system, it does not matter how many generations your family has been officials; you must come from the ranks of the successful candidates to have a future.
The selection of talent through the imperial examination is very scientific, rigorous, and fair. Connections and personal favors are of no use, and cheating is impossible. Lu Xun's father is an example. The abolition of the imperial examination during the Qing Dynasty was purely due to those who could not pass the examination harboring resentment for many years and causing trouble during the turmoil. The abolition of the examination essentially accelerated the fall of the Qing Dynasty.
Some say that even the top scholar only becomes a sixth-rank official, which is clearly ignorant. The top ten candidates in the palace examination are directly admitted to the Hanlin Academy, and the court looks for opportunities to send them out for practical experience. Within ten years, those from the Hanlin Academy typically reach at least the "ministerial level," and those from the third class are generally at the vice-national level. Of course, some successful candidates go directly to the counties, commonly referred to as the "Tiger Class" during the Qing Dynasty. Such individuals rise quickly in the grassroots level and generally become high-ranking officials like governors or provincial officials within ten years.
Some argue that the examination mainly tested the Four Books and Five Classics, which led to the lack of scientific development in China. To be honest, the examination was designed to select bureaucrats, and for governance, the Four Books and Five Classics were the best teaching materials. Of course, adding some natural sciences would have been even better, but the lack of science in China is not caused by the examination system; it is because there was no religion.
Some say that China has been struggling since the Northern Song Dynasty. Without discussing the prosperous eras of Kangxi and Qianlong, was the noble selection system of the Qin Dynasty, the selection of officials based on filial piety in the Han Dynasty, or the aristocratic selection system of the Wei and Jin Dynasties better than the imperial examination system?
If China had an imperial examination system today, at least you would still have a pathway.
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