HIST 106g Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Imperial Examination, Han Dynasty, Confucianism
Document Summary
Intro: body paragraph, the civil service exam system was an important vehicle for social mobility in imperial china. With the implementation of the imperial examination during the han dynasty, the civil service exam evolved and advanced to greater heights as the centuries wore on. These exams included tests on music, arithmetic, writing, the confucian classics and more. This system was a civil service nomination method where government officials were tasked with selecting scholars and categorizing their abilities into the nine- ranks. Only the rich and powerful would be selected for this system: when the sui dynasty took over, emperor yang introduced a new category of recommended candidates for official positions. This was the first time in chinese history where the civil service examination expanded and opened up for locals rather than restricting it to high ranking aristocrats or powerful people.
