Changes

There were four levels of exams through which a candidate would have to pass in order to be eligible to proceed to the next level: one would need to pass exams in one's county to move on to the provincial exams, then on to the metropolitan (i.e. Beijing, i.e. nationwide/empirewide) level, before finally being selected or rejected by the emperor. At each level there were quotas as to how many candidates would be permitted to pass, though, someone who did not advance to the next level could earn a position as a member of the gentry on a more local or provincial level. Thus, each county would possess a number of ''sheng-yuan'' (生員), who held only the lowest degree, having passed only the county-level exams; holders of this degree were considered "government students" and members of the lower gentry, and were not eligible for formal appointment to government positions. Those who passed the provincial examinations were called ''juren'' (舉人), and were eligible for official appointment. Passing the metropolitan exam entitled one to the ''jinshi'' (進士) degree, and, of course, the possibility of official appointment.<ref name=boxer>Joseph Esherick, ''The Origins of the Boxer Uprising'', U California Press (1987), 28-29.</ref>

There were four levels of exams through which a candidate would have to pass in order to be eligible to proceed to the next level: one would need to pass exams in one's county to move on to the provincial exams, then on to the metropolitan (i.e. Beijing, i.e. nationwide/empirewide) level, before finally being selected or rejected by the emperor. At each level there were quotas as to how many candidates would be permitted to pass, though, someone who did not advance to the next level could earn a position as a member of the gentry on a more local or provincial level. Thus, each county would possess a number of ''sheng-yuan'' (生員), who held only the lowest degree, having passed only the county-level exams; holders of this degree were considered "government students" and members of the lower gentry, and were not eligible for formal appointment to government positions. Those who passed the provincial examinations were called ''juren'' (舉人), and were eligible for official appointment. Passing the metropolitan exam entitled one to the ''jinshi'' (進士) degree, and, of course, the possibility of official appointment.<ref name=boxer>Joseph Esherick, ''The Origins of the Boxer Uprising'', U California Press (1987), 28-29.</ref>

An example of the size of the quotas can be seen in the statistic that of roughly 400,000 men who had taken the exams by the mid-13th century, a mere 800 were selected for positions within the government. Towards the very end of the Imperial period, in late 19th century Shandong province, the quota for ''juren'' degrees was set at 70-80 for each triennial administration of the exam.<ref name=boxer/> The average age at which one passed the exams and entered into government service was 31, representing a rather long period of study and preparation. It was not uncommon for a candidate to fail the exams at least once, trying again on numerous occasions; some of the most prominent figures in Chinese history failed numerous times, only finally earning admission into the bureaucracy late in life.  

An example of the size of the quotas can be seen in the statistic that of roughly 400,000 men who had taken the exams by the mid-13th century, a mere 800 were selected for positions within the government. Towards the very end of the Imperial period, in late 19th century Shandong province, the quota for ''juren'' degrees was set at 70-80 for each triennial administration of the exam.<ref name=boxer/> The average age at which one passed the exams and entered into government service was 31, representing a rather long period of study and preparation. It was not uncommon for a candidate to fail the exams at least once, trying again on numerous occasions; some of the most prominent figures in Chinese history failed numerous times, only finally earning admission into the bureaucracy late in life.

 

The [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] administered a similar system of examinations, directly based upon that of [[Ming Dynasty]] China, though reportedly easier to pass, in selecting members of its own scholar-aristocracy for positions in the kingdom's bureaucracy. [[Korea]], too, in various periods, beginning under the [[Koryo Dynasty]] ([[918]]-[[1392]]), used a Chinese-style examination system to select its court bureaucrats.

The [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] administered a similar system of examinations, directly based upon that of [[Ming Dynasty]] China, though reportedly easier to pass, in selecting members of its own scholar-aristocracy for positions in the kingdom's bureaucracy. [[Korea]], too, in various periods, beginning under the [[Koryo Dynasty]] ([[918]]-[[1392]]), used a Chinese-style examination system to select its court bureaucrats.