AP World History: Modern
The Civil Service Exam was a standardized test developed in Imperial China to select candidates for government positions based on merit rather than aristocratic connections. This system aimed to create a competent and educated bureaucracy, playing a crucial role in governance during the time of significant industrialization and modernization in various regions.
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Originating during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE) and becoming fully developed in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the Chinese civil service examination system aimed to recruit government officials based on merit rather than hereditary or aristocratic status. This system sought to ensure that the most capable and educated individuals governed China.
The civil service exam system profoundly influenced Chinese society and governance for over a millennium. It promoted a meritocratic principle, shaping the intellectual, social, and political fabric of China. The system encouraged education, fostered a bureaucratic governance model emulated by other cultures, and contributed to the stability and development of the Chinese state.