A Research Into The Rise And Fall Of Ancient China Imperial Examination System

Examination, as a way of intellectual nurturing and employing, plays an important role in the development of nation and society, but it cannot guarantee 100% fairness owing to restrictions from various factors and thus has caused wide disputes and denials. Among these nation-wide tests are of especial controversy, take China's College Entrance Examination for instance, which goes each year and accompanies with disputes all the time. The examination is strikingly similar to China's ancient feudal imperial examination. History is the best teacher of people at present. A research into the rise and fall of imperial examination, as well as its cause and process, will give an insight into the reform of current examination system.The imperial examination, with a history of more than 1,300 years, originated in the official selection system in Sui Dynasty, formed in Tang Dynasty, developed in Song Dynasty, further evolved in Yuan Dynasty, reached its zenith in Ming and Qing Dynasty, and finally perished in late Qing Dynasty. The examination advocated the study of Confucian classics, thus fostering a class of Confucian elites in feudal society. It is a graded official qualification examination. Therefore this thesis defines the imperial examination as a feudal society system aiming at intellectual fostering and official selection.The imperial examination system evolved and consummated with the booming of monarchy system while died out with the downfall of the monarchy system. The examination system functioned positively in the rise of feudal society, whereas it exerted negative impact on social development when the feudal society went downhill. The prosperity of the examination came from the dynast's promoting and strengthening, people's zealous pursuing and participating. The relative fairness of the examination, the applicability of thus fostered intellectuals as well as the longevity of feudal system also contributed to its prosperity. In the late 20^th century, China's feudal system was on the verge of collapsing under the attack of western great powers. During the period, the social and economic structure is transforming, social labor division intensifying, and the society called for intellectuals specialized in different areas. However, the imperial examination system, as a traditional way of fostering and employing intellectuals, still stick to its old tradition, trumpeting the importance of literal arts rather than military caliber, machinery rather than skills.As the imperial examination exerted an increasing impact on social development, its reform became a necessity. But the feudal dynast had no serious reflection upon this system, which concerned many areas including politics, education and so on. Thus, the system lost the opportunity to advance into the modern age. While the subject tested in the system as well as its content were the inherent cause of the perdition of the system, the conservation and routinism of the feudal dynast had also contributed to its perdition in an essential way.Although the imperial examination had thus been abolished, but the justice and fairness spirit it advocated is a universal aspiration, which cannot be surpassed by other ways. The pith left from the imperial examination still function well today; that why examination is a widely accepted way of intellectual fostering and employing. Meanwhile, we should take lessons from the past and keep an open mind in modern examination reforms, and try every means to make the examination content keep pace with age, encourage the innovation of the examination system, ensure the fairness and justice of the examination, and develop the system to benefit society. Thus, the examination system would always develop in a healthy way.