Chapter 12 Section 6 The Function and Influence of the Imperial Examination System in the Tang Dynasty

As far as the social conditions at that time were concerned, the imperial examination system in the Tang Dynasty was a relatively progressive and reasonable examination system.Compared with the selection system of the previous dynasties, it has three most obvious features: first, the power of selecting officials is more effectively concentrated in the central government by local aristocratic clans and local governors, which strengthens the centralization of power and satisfies the needs of common people and landlords. The strong desire to participate in the political power expanded the social foundation of the ruling group; second, closely linking study, taking exams, and being an official opened the way for intellectuals in feudal society to obtain high officials and rich salaries and enjoy wealth and glory; Third, trying to change the disadvantage of only emphasizing character and family status in the selection of officials, while ignoring knowledge and talents. It has certain objective standards.

From a political point of view, the implementation of the imperial examination system in the Tang Dynasty did meet the political requirements of the feudal autocratic monarchy, and achieved the effect of centralizing power and consolidating feudal rule.The central government exercised the power of selection of officials, which strengthened the unity and centralization of the national regime; there was a unified standard for the selection of officials, and all those who wanted to be officials in the whole country tried their best to adapt to these standards, which strengthened the unity of thought; The landlords of the common people and even the common people in various places opened the way, stimulating and recruiting a large number of middle and lower intellectuals, giving them the opportunity to participate in the political power, which reconciled class contradictions and was conducive to the stability of the political power; It seems to be the most fair, as long as anyone studies hard, he is qualified to take the exam to be an official. This not only conceals the class essence of bureaucracy, but also attracts intellectuals from the whole society, making them immerse themselves in their studies and develop an extremely docile attitude. Character, not easy to produce unstable thoughts of dissatisfaction with feudal rule.This is the fundamental reason why the imperial examination system was able to last for 1300 years in the feudal society of ancient China.

From the perspective of culture and education, the Tang Dynasty implemented the imperial examination system, which had a profound impact.Since the standards and requirements for selecting talents and cultivating talents were consistent, the imperial examination system promoted the development and prosperity of school education.Because passing the imperial examination can obtain a certain official position and status, the middle and lower class intellectuals and young intellectuals strongly demanded to enter the school.This objectively promoted the prosperity and development of ancient school education; the main content of the imperial examinations was Confucian classics. From school to society, people paid attention to reading, prose, and poetry, and studied Confucian classics. The nonchalant style of study and mystical thoughts popular in schools and society since the Jin Dynasty have positive significance for the atmosphere that "five-foot boys are ashamed of not knowing literature and ink" at that time; Martial arts and so on, which more or less impacted the stereotypes and bad habits that emerged in schools and society at that time, emphasizing literature over martial arts, emphasizing literature over calculation, and emphasizing adults over juveniles and children.

However, schools and society also pay attention to what is tested in the imperial examination.When school education has completely become the preparatory institution for the imperial examination, the shortcomings and disadvantages of the imperial examination system itself directly affect all aspects of school education.The content of the imperial examination was limited to a few Confucian classics and poems, and the examination method focused on rote memorization. The vices of dogmatism and formalism.This is not conducive to the selection and training of talents with practical ability, but also develops a sparse style of study; the imperial examination system closely links the three things of reading, taking exams, and being an official. The imperial examination has become a ladder for feudal intellectuals to enter the officialdom. They are the best way to get high officials and rich salary.Therefore, the purpose of studying and studying is to "become famous in one fell swoop after ten years of hardship, to be rich and prosperous, to be well-clothed and well-fed", to "be a farmer in the morning, and to the emperor's hall in the evening".This purpose of reading and philosophy of life dominates school education, social education, and family education, and seriously affects the thinking of ordinary scholars; It is often transferred by power and family status.In general, middle and lower-level intellectuals, if they do not have a backer or connections, it is very difficult to have any hope of being admitted.Under such circumstances, the ethos of heavy family status, passing joints, bribery, entrusting, cheating in scientific examinations, and private thanksgiving, etc., spread openly, which seriously polluted and corroded the mental outlook of intellectuals, and poisoned schools and society. atmosphere.

The imperial examination system created during the Sui and Tang Dynasties had a great impact on both the East and the West.In 618 AD, the Tang Dynasty achieved unprecedented unification in China. In the middle of the 7th century, Silla also unified Korea.After reunification, Silla and Tang often maintained friendly relations, and many people from Silla went to Tang to study.In 840 AD, as many as 105 overseas students returned from the Tang Dynasty within one year.Imperial examinations prevailed in the Tang Dynasty, and Silla people were allowed to take the exams. At that time, many people passed the exams and were recruited as officials. Those whose names could be tested included Jin Yunqing, Cui Zhiyuan, Cui Kuangyu, Cui Yanzhu [huihui], etc.Cui Zhiyuan is the most famous. His poems are included in "Quan Tang Poetry". He wrote 20 volumes of "Guiyuan Bigeng" in China, which has become the best anthology in ancient Korea.Not only was Cui Yancui himself a Jinshi in the Tang Dynasty, but his son Guangyin was also a Jinshi in the Later Jin Dynasty of the Five Dynasties.According to the volume 184 of "Supplementary Documents General Research": "At the beginning of Tang (Mu Zong) Changqing, there was Jin Yunqing, who began to name Du Shi Li Bang with the title of New Robin Gong. By the end of the Tang Dynasty, there were fifty-eight people who had ascended the Bin Gong Ke. , Five Dynasties Liang, Tang and thirty-one people... In Silla, Jin Yiyu, Jin Keji, Cui Zhiyuan, Park Inbem, and Jin Wo all entered Tang Dengdi."

Not only that, Silla also imitated the Tang system and implemented an imperial examination system based on Confucianism.According to the ancient history of Korea "Historical Records of the Three Kingdoms (Volume Ten) Silla Benji (Tenth)": (Yuanshengwang) in the spring of the fourth year (AD 788), he decided to study three grades to be born, read "Chunqiu Zuoshi Zhuan", if "Book of Rites", if "Wenxuan", and can understand its meaning, and also Ming, "" Those who read "Book of Filial Piety" are the top; those who read "Qu Li", "Book of Filial Piety" are the middle; those who read "Qu Li" and "Book of Filial Piety" are the bottom.If you have a broad knowledge of the Five Classics, the Three Histories, and the books of a hundred schools of thought, you will be able to use them.In the past, people were only selected with bows and arrows, but it has been changed.

In this way, in 788 AD, North Korea began to implement the imperial examination system.In 918 AD, after the establishment of the Goryeo Dynasty, it also sent overseas students to China many times to take part in the Chinese imperial examinations.According to "History of Koryo (Volume 73), Chronicles (Volume 27), Election (1)": "In May of the ninth year of Guangzong (958 AD), Shuangji offered a proposal and began to set up imperial examinations. Try poetry , Fu, eulogy and timely affairs policy, taking Jinshi and taking Mingjing, medical divination and other careers", and "mostly its methods are based on the Tang system".It can be seen that the imperial examination system in Goryeo was only implemented under the influence of the Tang Dynasty.The imperial examination system was implemented in North Korea for more than 1,100 years, and it was not abolished until 1893 AD.

In 1010 AD, Vietnam established the Li Dynasty.According to "Dayue Historical Records, Benji Quanshu (Volume 3) Li Ji (2)": Li Renzong Taining "in the fourth year (AD 1075) in the spring and February, ordered to select Mingjing erudition and test Confucianism three times, Li Wensheng This is the beginning of Vietnam's implementation of the imperial examination system based on Confucianism.In 1185 A.D., Li Gaozong "tested the world's scholars, and those who could master poetry and books from the age of fifteen, served at the Imperial Banquet, took Pei Guozhen [kai], Deng Yan, etc. 30 people, and the rest went to study abroad." After the establishment of the Chen Dynasty, followed In the Li Dynasty, the imperial examination system was further improved and developed. It is contained in "Dayue Shiji Quanshu Benji Quanshu (Volume 5) Chen Ji (1)", in the eighth year of Emperor Taizong Jianzhong (AD 1232) "February, test Tai Students. Zhang Heng and Liu Yan ranked No. 1, Deng Yan and Zheng Fou (fou no) ranked No. 2, and Chen Zhoupu No. 3.In 1239 A.D., the imperial examinations were held again, and the imperial examinations were held as scheduled after that.It was not until 1915-1919 that Vietnam officially abolished the imperial examination system.

Although Japan did not introduce China's imperial examination system like Korea and Vietnam, the imperial examination system of the Tang Dynasty still deeply influenced Japan.In the short 28 years of the Sui Dynasty, it received three groups of Sui envoys, overseas students and monks sent by Japan.From AD 630 to AD 894, Japan sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty 19 times, of which 13 arrived in the Tang Dynasty.Every batch of envoys sent to China will send a large number of students to study in the Tang Dynasty, sometimes as many as 500 at a time.Japan established the university dormitory during the reign of Emperor Tianzhi (AD 676).The Daxue Liao is divided into four subjects: Confucianism, Phonetics, Calligraphy, and Mathematical Sciences, with the Confucianisms occupying the status of the main subjects, and the Books and Musicals as the introduction to Confucianisms.The qualifications and procedures for admission, the content and methods of subject examinations, etc. are similar to the imperial examination system of the Tang Dynasty.

The imperial examination system established in the Sui and Tang Dynasties also influenced Western countries.The French thinker Quesnay (AD 1694-1774) believed: "There are no hereditary nobles in China, and officials and titles can only be obtained by merit and talent." He praised China's imperial examination system for "enabling craftsmen's children to become governors" and criticized France. The feudal autocratic system and corrupt bureaucracy at that time. From the end of the 18th century to the 19th century, the civil service assessment system gradually implemented in European countries also absorbed the experience of the imperial examination system established in the Sui and Tang Dynasties of China. In 1791, France first tried out the civil service assessment system. In 1806, the British East India Company began to implement the civil service assessment system. In 1855, the United Kingdom began to implement the civil service assessment system.At that time, in the soil of the European feudal hierarchy, a large number of idle bureaucrats grew up.The patriarchal principle of nepotism became less and less suitable for the needs of state institutions to safeguard the interests of the bourgeoisie, which is why the imperial examination system established in the Sui and Tang dynasties attracted attention in Europe.Mr. Sun Yat-sen said in his "Constitution of the Five Powers": "The examination systems of various countries are almost all learned from the United Kingdom. Tracing back to the source, the British examination system was originally learned from ours in China." The civil service system in the United States It was originally proposed by Ren Kesi of Rhode Island. In his report to the US House of Representatives in May 1868, a chapter was devoted to the discussion of "China's civil service system".When the Boston Municipal Government hosted a feast for the diplomats of the Chinese embassy in May 1868, Emerson also praised China's examination system. He said: "There is something about China's current politics that interests us. I believe that all of you here I still remember that Lord Renkes of Rhode Island once wanted to mention the bill passed by Congress twice, which advocated that civil servants must first pass the examination and obtain academic qualifications before they can hold office. Indeed, in terms of correcting bad habits, China is It has come ahead of us, and it has also gone ahead of Britain and France. Similarly, Chinese society respects education very much and has also come ahead of us. This is the only proof that China is worthy of glory." A researcher on cultural exchanges between the East and the West The American scholar Bu De also believed that the influence of China's imperial examination system on the Western civil service system is one of China's most valuable contributions to the West in the field of spiritual civilization.The famous Japanese historian Shigema Fukui believes that the Chinese imperial examination system is far more important than the inventions of papermaking, gunpowder and the compass. It provides the initial model for the civil service examination system in modern capitalist society.It "spread to the West", broke the tranquility of aristocratic politics in medieval Europe where "nobles are always nobles, and commoners are always commoners", inspired the newborn bourgeoisie to forge ahead and actively compete, and served as a test for Western civil servants. Institutional establishment provides experience.