Chapter 15 Section 3 The Examination System of the Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties

The Khitan nationality is a minority living in the upper reaches of the Liaohe River and the Luanhe River. A Baoji, who was born in the Khitan Yelu family aristocrat, unified the eight Khitan tribes and proclaimed himself emperor in 916 AD, that is, the Taizu of the Liao Dynasty.His son Yelu Deguang succeeded to the throne and changed the name of the Khitan Kingdom to "Liao" in 947 AD.According to the "Liao History Shi Fang Biography", as early as the early years of Liao Taizong Huitong, Shi Fang, a member of the Khitan tribe, "became a Jinshi".It shows that Liao implemented the imperial examination system earlier.According to the "History of Liao·Jingzong Benji": In the eighth year of Baoning (AD 976), Jingzong "challenged the Gongyuan of the Ministry of Rites in Nanjing", that is, the institution for the imperial examination was restored.According to the "Continued Literature General Examination · Election Examination", the imperial examination system of the Liao Dynasty was officially established and improved, and the scope was also expanded. There are a few, a dozen, or dozens of people who pass the exam every year.When it came to Xingzong and Daozong, there were many Jinshi in the middle school, ranging from dozens to hundreds of people.At that time, imitating the Tang system, there were three levels of township examination, government examination, and provincial examination, and later the court examination (that is, the palace examination) was added.At first, only poetry, poetry and law were tested, and later Mingjing, Maocaiyi and other subjects were added.At first, the exam was held once a year, and since Liao Xingzong, it was held once every three years.After the examination, the methods of marking, admitting and conferring officials are all imitated from the Tang and Song Dynasties.Jinshi admission grades are mainly divided into three grades: A, B, and C based on the candidates' performance.After the admission of Xinke Jinshi, the emperor of Liao Dynasty personally received him and held a grand conferring ceremony, so that Xinke Jinshi felt the honor bestowed by the emperor.

Liao's imperial examination system was mainly set up for the Han people, and Khitan people were strictly prohibited from participating in the imperial examination.On the one hand, it means that the court respects the advanced culture of the Central Plains, and on the other hand, it is also to win over Han intellectuals to serve the Liao court.As for the people of the clan, it is enough to learn how to ride horses and archery and hold the military power well. There is also a promotion system.During the Xingzong period, Yelu Shuzhen was punished with "two hundred lashes" for letting his son take the imperial examination ("Liao History · Yelu Shucheng Biography").However, some changes occurred in the late Liao Dynasty, and the restrictions on Khitan people participating in the imperial examination were obviously relaxed.Some descendants of Khitan nobles also passed the imperial examinations and gained fame.For example, Yelu Dashi, the royal family of the Liao Dynasty, "has a word of virtue, and is also the grandson of the eighth generation of Taizu. He has Liao and Chinese characters, is good at riding and shooting, ascended to the fifth year of Tianqing (1115 A.D.) as a Jinshi, and was promoted to the Hanlin Yingfeng" ("Liao History·Tianzuo") "Emperor Benji IV").Another example is Yeluyan, who has been eager to learn since he was a child, "has a poem name, and became a Jinshi in Xianyong (Daozong reign of Liao Dynasty, 1065-1074 AD)" ("Liao History · Yeluyan Biography").

Although the imperial examination system in the Liao Dynasty was far inferior to that of the Tang and Song Dynasties in terms of scale and influence, as well as in terms of management level and examination standardization, and had certain narrow ethnic limitations in the scope of implementation; however, the imperial examination system in the Liao Dynasty The implementation of the Liao Dynasty is beneficial to the acceleration of its feudalization process, the spread of Confucian traditional culture, the promotion of the integration of nationalities and the development of northern culture and education.It also provides a reference for the development of the imperial examination system in the Jin Dynasty.

Wanyan Agu, a Jurchen aristocrat, established "Jin" in Huining (now Baicheng, Acheng County, Heilongjiang) in 1115 AD.In 1125 A.D., Jin destroyed the Liao Dynasty, and in 1127 A.D., Jin also destroyed the Northern Song Dynasty. The area controlled by the Jin regime expanded rapidly.In 1141 AD, after the Jin Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty reached the "Shaoxing Peace Agreement", all the areas north of the Huaihe River were under the rule of the Jurchen nobles.In order to win over intellectuals of the Han nationality, in the first year of Tianhui (1123 A.D.) of Emperor Taizong of the Jin Dynasty, an imperial examination was set up for the first time, followed by two consecutive imperial examinations in the second year.After the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty in 1127 AD, Jin held another imperial examination, which was divided into north and south exams, each of which selected scholars based on classics, meanings and poems.200 Jinshi were admitted in the North Field and 150 Jinshi were admitted in the South Field.In the first year of Hailing Wang Zhenglong (AD 1156), Jin abolished the practice of the two examinations in the north and the south, and adjusted the imperial examination, which was determined to be held once every three years. The examination was divided into four levels: rural examination, government examination, and provincial examination. Test, court test (temple test). "All Jinshi candidates, from the township to the government, from the government to the province and the court examination, all the four examinations are selected, and the official will be selected." ("Golden History · Election Records") The scope of the examination is limited to the text of the Five Classics and Three History, Subjects include Ci Fu, Classics and Meanings, Policy Theory, Law, Jingtong, etc.Those who are selected in the Ci Fu, Jingyi, and Policy Theory are called Jinshi; those who are selected in Law and Jingtong are called Juren.In addition, there are temporary departments.In the 11th year of Jin Shizong's Dading (1171 AD), the Jin Dynasty first created the Jurchen Jinshi Department.There is a set of examination and admission procedures that are different from those of the Han nationality.It can be seen that the Jin Dynasty paid more attention to the imperial examinations than the Liao Dynasty, and did not follow the narrow regulations of the Liao Dynasty that did not allow its own people to participate in the imperial examinations.However, there is still a hereditary guarantee for the descendants of Jurchen aristocrats to be officials, and they do not necessarily have to pass the imperial examination.Some descendants of Jurchen aristocrats failed the imperial examinations, but they could still be granted "Jidi", which is called "enclave", or were recommended by the ministers of the imperial court, which is called "special grace".In Aizong's later years, it was clearly stipulated that "Xu Mai Jinshidi" ("Gold History·Aizong Benji"), which opened the door for nobles, bureaucrats and their descendants to be promoted.It is worth mentioning that the Jin Dynasty still had many innovations in the content, form and admission methods of the imperial examinations.For example, in the first year of Jinzhangzong Mingchang (AD 1190), the emperor issued an edict in the "Six Classics", "Seventeen History", "Book of Filial Piety", "Mencius" and "Xunzi", "Yangzi" (Yangxiong), "Laozi" sets a topic, and also notes the basis of its quotations from classics. This kind of proposition range and requires the method of noting the source of its classics, which is an innovation in the Jin Dynasty.Compared with the Liao and Song imperial examinations, which mainly searched for answers from the "Four Books" and "Five Classics", it has been greatly expanded, expanding to the scope of classics, history, and the words of a hundred schools of thought, and requires candidates to indicate the source of the materials cited in their answers. , which puts forward higher requirements for candidates.The treatment of Jinshi in the Jin Dynasty was very generous, which was more attractive to Han intellectuals.This is probably also out of the need for political struggle, competing with the Southern Song regime for the support of intellectuals.When people in the Yuan Dynasty wrote "History of Jin", they also called the imperial examination system of the Jin Dynasty "prosperous because of people".Different from the Liao Dynasty, in addition to the "Chang Ke", the Jin Dynasty also set up special subjects such as the "Hongci Ke" and the Wuju Ke.The special department is the system department, "for extraordinary people", which is a supplement to the regular department. "Hongci" was originally set up in the Song Dynasty, and it examines subjects such as Zhangbiao, Lubu, Xishu, Song, and Zhenming.In the Jin Dynasty, it was used as a special department, also to win over some Han intellectuals with special talents. The "Martial Examination" subject was first established in the reign of Emperor Xizong of Jin Dynasty (1141-1149 AD), and it was divided into two levels: the government examination and the provincial examination, with upper, middle and lower grades.In the last years of the Jin Dynasty, the imperial examinations were very strict, and sergeants were required to supervise the inspections, and the privately carried books were strictly searched. Some required candidates to bathe and change clothes before they were allowed to enter the venue, and some even had "undressing and undressing". ear nose", which is even more unprecedented anecdote.

Of course, the imperial examination system in the Jin Dynasty was not perfect, and there were no evasion measures, which opened the door for the powerful to use their power for personal gain.Moreover, at the end of the Jin Dynasty, more emphasis was placed on family shading and military merits, and even in Jin Aizong's later years, it was clearly stipulated: Xu Maiguan, Xu Mai Jinshi.The imperial examination became the privilege of bureaucrats and nobles, but it lost its meaning to ordinary scholars. In 1206, Genghis Khan proclaimed himself emperor and established the Mongolian Khanate. In 1237, when Genghis Khan's son Okuotai Khan occupied the Central Plains, Zhongshu Ling Yelu Chucai once suggested the implementation of the imperial examination system, thinking that civil servants must be used to keep the business.Wokuotai Khan accepted this suggestion and issued an edict to take the examinations of various roads. He began to select scholars in three subjects including classics and meanings, Ci Fu, and theory.This is the imperial examination held by the Yuan Dynasty before the unification of North and South China.After Kublai Khan proclaimed himself emperor in 1260, some Han officials proposed to implement the imperial examination system, but the court always refused to make a decision.It was not until the second year of Emperor Renzong of the Yuan Dynasty (1313 A.D.) that the Yuan Dynasty formally formulated the regulations for the imperial examination.

The Yuan Dynasty divided people into four classes: the first class is the Mongols; the second class is the Semu people (including Xixia, Huihui and other ethnic minorities in the Northwest); the Han Chinese); the fourth class is the Southerners (including the Han people south of the Yangtze River and the ethnic minorities in the Southwest).The Yuan Dynasty stipulated that the Mongols and Semu people had two exams. The first exam asked five questions (from the four books of "University", "Mencius" and "The Doctrine of the Mean", with Zhu Xi's chapters and sentences as annotations); the second exam was one ( Topics based on current affairs, limited to 500 words or more).Three exams for Han people and southerners, the first one is about two questions about the classics of the Ming Dynasty (the questions are drawn from the "Four Books", with Zhu Xi's chapters and sentences), and one of the classics (selected from the "Five Classics", with ancient annotations, limited to 500 Words or more); the second round of archaeological Fu, imperial edicts, chapters and tables; the third round of research and policy (from the classics, history and current affairs, the limit is more than 1,000 words).The Mongols and Semu people admitted in the examination make one list, which is called the "right list"; the Han people and southerners make another list, which is called the "left list".The first place is awarded Jinshi and the first rank, from the sixth rank; the second and second ranks are all up to the seventh rank; the third rank and below are all up to the eighth rank ("Yuan History · Election Records").Although the number of admissions for each class is the same, if the Mongols and Semu people are willing to take the exams for the Han and Nan people, the official positions awarded after admission can be increased by one class.These regulations all reflect the policy of ethnic discrimination implemented by the Mongolian rulers in the imperial examination system.

The imperial examinations in the Yuan Dynasty were held every three years and were divided into three levels: one was the provincial examination (provincial examination), the other was the general examination (the examination of the Ministry of Rites), and the third was the imperial examination (the imperial examination).After the list was released, the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty would give a feast of grace and honor at the Hanlin Academy of National History.Then, the newly admitted Jinshi had to meet the emperor, salute at the Confucian Temple, and inscribe their names on stones at the Guozijian.In the Yuan Dynasty, there was no system examination, but there was a boy's department, and children who passed the boy's department could be sent to Guozixue to study.

The imperial examination system in the Yuan Dynasty became increasingly strict.According to "Yuan History · Election Records": Except for the books that are allowed to be carried, all other books are not allowed to be carried in the pocket; candidates prepare three papers and draft papers (12 for each game), and the papers first indicate the place of origin and age , the names of the three generations of grandfathers; those who belong to prostitutes, those who suffer from invalid diseases, and who have committed the ten evils and robbers are not allowed to enter the test; candidates who have five relatives with the examiner should avoid themselves; The author, a Han Chinese from southern China, whose parents live in mourning, is not allowed to take the examination in the next two sessions; candidates who violate the discipline of the examination room and make loud noises are also not allowed to apply for the next two sessions; Each examinee sent a soldier to monitor to prevent fraud and so on ("Yuan History Electoral System").

In addition, the examiners in the Tribute Court, the Mifeng officials, the reading officers, the transcription officers, the supervisory examination officers, the officials inside the curtain, the officials outside the curtain, the patrol officers and military service perform their duties, and those who deviate from the line will also be punished.This laid the foundation for the perfection of the tribute court system in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The imperial examinations in the Yuan Dynasty were held 16 times, of which only two times more than 100 Jinshi were admitted, and the rest were less than 100 people. A total of 1133 people were recruited.Although the imperial examination system in the Yuan Dynasty was not developed and perfect, it played a role in connecting the past and the future between the Tang and Song Dynasties and the Ming and Qing Dynasties.In particular, there were major changes in the content and standards of the imperial examinations in the Yuan Dynasty. Since the second year of Emperor Renzong's reign (1313 A.D.), it was stipulated that Zhu Xi's "Four Books Collection" should be used as the interpretation standard for the imperial examinations, that is, Cheng Zhu Neo Confucianism was carried into the From then on, the "Four Books" advocated by Zhu Xi and the "Five Classics" were listed as the scope of the imperial examination questions, and were followed by the Ming and Qing dynasties.

In the fourth year of Taiding (1327 A.D.), Sadula, a famous Hui poet of the Yuan Dynasty, became a top-ranked Jinshi. He wrote a "Poem of Thanksgiving" "Dingmao Jidi Xie En":