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China's ancient feudal society selection and employment system has gradually matured after the beginning of several dynasties, from the military merit system in the Qin Dynasty to the Inspection system and the requisition system in the Han Dynasty, the feudal dynasty is exploring appropriate ways to select talents.
During the Wei and Jin Dynasties and the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Jiupin Zhongzheng system selected talents according to the origin of the scholar clan, blocked the channels for the promotion of the Shu people, the quality of state officials was significantly reduced, the administrative efficiency was low, and the Examination System began to develop during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, experiencing the transition of the rise of the Shu clan in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.
During the Song Dynasty, the Sui and Tang dynasties were inherited and carried forward, forming their own independent characteristics. The imperial examination system broke the monopoly of the upper class of the Jiupin Zhongzheng scholar clan and opened up a channel for the commoners to ascend upwards, and the Song Dynasty improved and carried forward on the basis of the Sui and Tang dynasties.
No matter what period the imperial examination system was indiscriminately coveted, it was undoubtedly the Song Dynasty that pushed the imperial examination system to the peak, so how did the Song Dynasty reform the imperial examination system? What are the characteristics?
First, the rise of the examination system
1. Southern and Northern Dynasties period
During the Southern and Northern Dynasties period, due to the rise of the Shu people, the history of the aristocratic monopoly of the upper class was broken, and the children of the Hanmen also had a channel for promotion, and the predecessor of the examination system was formed, and the Southern and Northern Dynasties period began to appear in the category examination to select people.
At the same time, there were proctors in the examination room, and the imperial court would also conduct regular examinations for the selected officials, and for unqualified officials, they would also be deposed.
2. The examination is made of type
The imperial examination system was formally established in the Sui Dynasty and became a tool for the ruling class to control the minds of the people, Confucianism became the mainstream, and the Sui Emperor added the Jinshi branch, which was regarded as the beginning of the imperial examination system. In the Tang Dynasty, the imperial examination system was formally established, and the major departments were divided into changkes and system sections, and wuju was added during the Wu Zetian period.
However, during the Tang Dynasty, there were also many drawbacks in the examination system, and the biggest drawback was that in the selection process, in addition to the high examination results, it was also necessary to have the recommendation of celebrities, which provided soil for favoritism and nepotism, and there were corrupt factors in the examination system.
Second, the characteristics of the Song Dynasty examination
1. Appointment examination
During the Song Dynasty, the implementation of the appointment examination was equivalent to a kind of professional qualification assessment, and after being admitted, it would not be immediately awarded an official position, but it was only certified as an official, and a series of training and assessments were carried out in the follow-up.
During the Song Zhenzong period, the imperial examination system was divided into three or five grades, as long as they were admitted, they could be awarded official positions, and most of the prime ministers in the two Song Dynasties were admitted through the imperial examination, and the appointment examination broadened the channels for the entry of the scholar clan.
2. Break the door restrictions
Although the Wei and Jin Dynasties and the Southern and Northern Dynasties had begun to pass the examination to obtain a scholar, in addition to the results, the birth of the door was also valued, if there was no good birth or celebrity recommendation, it was difficult to embark on the career path, aristocratic power affected the fairness of the examination.
During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the imperial examination system was greatly improved, which broadened the channels for the children of the cold door to enter the army, but the phenomenon of nepotism and favoritism and fraud was still there. During the Song Dynasty, since the time of Emperor Guangzong, great importance has been attached to the selection of talents and abilities, and the scope of the Shu people to enter the army through examinations has expanded, breaking the restrictions of the door.
Third, the system is strict
During the Song Dynasty, the imperial examination was divided into three levels, the interpretation test, the provincial test and the temple test. The examination is the most basic examination, only through the examination can continue to the next step of the examination, in order to prevent favoritism and fraud, the imperial court has strict regulations for the examination of the imperial examination.
Candidates who have relatives in the state who are officials near the local area will be arranged to go to the examination room far from home. Provincial examination candidates are transported by the state transport departments and participate in the examination of the Ministry of Etiquette in Beijing. The temple examination is the emperor himself as the chief examiner, the process is naturally very strict, and the selected candidates are called "Tianzi protégés" and have great influence.
Fourth, improve the drawbacks
1. Recommendation is prohibited
In the early Song Dynasty, the recommendation system was tried, and the examiner was allowed to know the candidates in advance in the form of public papers, which was used by powerful people to help the candidates to connect with the examiners and engage in favoritism.
The recommendation effect is very poor, the selected talents can not be applied to the needs of the state, Song Taizu stopped the loss in time, ordered the prohibition of public and private recommendations, and blocked the passage of relying on power and money to ascend to power.
2. Hall test and lock hall
In order to prevent the officials from favoritism and fraud, the emperor decided to serve as the chief examiner himself, fundamentally eliminating cheating, and selecting suitable officials for the imperial court, even if they passed the provincial examination, they also needed to pass the emperor's test.
The lock hall system began in the Song Dynasty, in response to the phenomenon of favoritism and fraud by the chief examiner, the Song Dynasty stipulated that the chief examiner should be closely monitored for several months before the examination, and the contact with the outside world was almost severed to prevent collusion with the candidates outside.
3. Pasting names and transcription systems
During the Tang Dynasty, the system of pasting names and transcription was implemented, but it was abolished during the Wu Zetian period. During the Song Dynasty, this system was also introduced, the so-called pasting and transcription is not to reveal the candidate's name, and then the official copied the content of the examination paper for the examiner to review.
This system completely blocks the way for candidates to cheat through the handwriting of the test paper, ensures the fairness of the test, and prevents the occurrence of cheating to the greatest extent. However, in the late Song Dynasty, officials were corrupt, and there were also cases of accepting bribes in the examination, and there were also flaws in the system of pasting names and transcription, which undermined the fairness of the examination system.
During the Song Dynasty, the heyday of the development of China's imperial examination system, in the early stage of the formation of the imperial examination, favoritism and fraud, celebrity recommendation, and the monopoly of the scholar clan occurred from time to time, but after the Sui and Tang dynasties, the examination system gradually became formal, but the cheating and celebrity recommendation system was still difficult to return.
In the Song Dynasty, the examination system was inherited and carried forward, the examination was divided into the examination, the provincial examination and the temple examination, the examination system was set strictly, recommendation and door valve monopoly were strictly prohibited, and the fairness of the examination was ensured through the palace examination and the recording of the transcription of the name, although the examination system in the later Song Dynasty also exposed a very good drawback, but its improvement of the examination system was still a very valuable thing, laying the foundation for the subsequent examination to obtain scholars.
Reference: History of the Song Dynasty