The Five Imperial Examination System Test

Since the system of imperial examinations was created in Sui dynasty and Tang dynasty, it has gradually become the main way of choosing officials. Although the Five Dynasties was in confusion, with dynasties alternating frequently and society in disorder, the imperial examinations were normally carried out ultimately. The system of imperial examinations in the Five Dynasties followed the pattern of Tang dynasty, without changes in the institutional framework. However, many detailed changes inside the system were directly prepared for the institutionally comprehensive changes of imperial examinations in Song dynasty, which was not allowed to ignore.The paper attaches much importance to demonstrating basic profile of the imperial examinations in the Five Dynasties through examining and differentiating historical facts, which is aimed at making the changes of the system of imperial examinations understood clearly and comprehensively between Tang dynasty and Song dynasty. The paper is divided into four chapters:Chapter 1 illuminates the decreasing trend of the setup of subjects of imperial examinations by examining and differentiating the evolutions of the their subjects, and the changes of examination contents and ways of different subjects as well as enrollment standard, which was finally reduced to one subject of Jinshi (imperial scholars) in Song dynasty, with written exam reinforced and written presentation replacing oral one, which makes imperial examinations more practical.Chapter 2 illuminates the trend of the evolution of three-level examinations by testifying the procedure of imperial examinations, with the examinations held by Ministry of Rites becoming more and more important, which gradually evolved into triennial examinations. The frequency of retrial and institutionalization of particularly checking enrollment list by Zhongshu Department gradually evolved into final imperial examination, which have made imperial examinations developing an institutional pattern of selecting scholars layer upon layer from local level to central level ultimately. In the examinations held by Ministry of Rites, they have taken many measures against malpractices, such as holding examinations in daytime, frisking, closing examinations hall, supervision by Censorship Office and system of the final imperial examinations, which was aimed at strengthening solemnity of examinations. All these had much influence on the establishment of imperial examinations system in Song dynasty. Chapter 3 discovers the trend of putting lower officials in important offices by reviewing the situation of officials in charge of imperial examinations in the Five Dynasties, analyzing and counting their enrollment number and the list number of imperial examinations. Although the Five Dynasties was in confusion, enrollees of imperial examinations were stable. Five Dynasties maintained the same scale as that of Tang dynasty in the number of imperial examinations and relative enrollees, while the most distinct changes was the sharp increase of the enrollees of ordinary subjects between Hou Jin dynasty and Hou Han dynasty.Chapter 4 reviews the transformation process that Ministry of Rites replaced Ministry of Official Personal Affairs to choose the first-degree scholars after they have passed imperial examinations in the Five Dynasties, putting emphasis on testifying changes of the banquet to congratulate on passing imperial examinations, which has been held at the imperial scholars' own expenses at Tang dynasty, then held by Emperors in Hou Tang dynasty, and finally held officially in Hou Zhou dynasty. The situation that the imperial scholars were checked to be officials and appointed officials is also testified, which will illuminate the position of imperial examinations in the way to be officials through statistic analysis.