"Examination Hell" - The Song Dynasty

Announcements

 * Midterm Study Sheet Released
 * And there is a relevant lecture on Chan Buddhism for tomorrow

Five Dynasties Period

 * 50 Years of Disunion
 * Until a new military leader rose up and re-unified China
 * Creating the Song Dynasty
 * Song ("Su-ong") was a troubled dynasty because it never really secure/safe


 * Jurchen (People from Jin) attack the Song and capture the emperor
 * Imperial court flees south, re-establishes new court


 * 960 - 1126: Northern Song
 * 1126 - on: Southern Song Dynasty re-established


 * Not a militarily strong centralized state, but a politically centralized government that becomes a model
 * One of their most interesting measures -> Civil Service Exam System

Civil Service Exam System

 * Systematic administration of standardized tests to determine the most talented men in the system
 * These men would be employed by government


 * Very Confucian idea because it sought to produce a meritocracy
 * Also a legalist idea -> talented men in government


 * Song were not the first to do this -> 1st considered in Han Dynasty
 * Song however used this as primary means of selecting officials for their government


 * Civil Service Examination would continue in China until 1905

How it Worked

 * You had to pass several rigorous tests
 * Scores on these tests determined your position in government

Confucian Classics

 * 13 Texts derived from Confucian thought
 * Were revered as sacred texts
 * Believed to have been written by wise Chinese sages
 * The teachings were believed to be foundational truths


 * Scholars would need to memorize the texts

Four Books

 * Considered to be THE MOST central Chinese scholastic texts


 * 1) Greater Learning
 * 2) Analects
 * 3) Mencius
 * 4) Doctrine of the Mean


 * Very difficult texts that eventually developed a rich commentary tradition

Ages

 * From about 4 or 5 you would begin memorizing these books
 * By 15, most students would have memorized hundreds of texts

Examination Structure

 * Qualifying Exam
 * If passed you become a "JUREN" (Elevated Man)
 * Then you would go to Capital to take another exam
 * At which point you could become a "JINSHI" (Presented Scholar)
 * Here you would become fit for government service
 * Third level was administered by the Palace itself with the Emperor presiding

Examination Stalls

 * Vast spaces
 * Open Stalls for Students to take test and sleep over
 * Meant to bring their own equipment

Exam Mythology

 * Karma (Daoism) played into the reading of who passed and failed
 * Cheating Systems were also very popular
 * Many cheating scandals

Meritocracy

 * Exam was a valuable development in society -> suggested true social mobility along meritocratic system

Examination System and Imperial State

 * High level of Literacy in Chinese Goverment
 * Also created an idea of uniformity in the governmental ideology
 * United individuals and cemented political consistency by orienting government officials to the same central texts
 * Local elites were able talk to other educated individuals around the world
 * A national network was created


 * Not that it was all about consistency
 * Different readings of the same text could become factionalizing

Wang Anshi

 * Led a development of another train of intellectual development, founded on the the same status.