In many forums, people write that it was these two exams that showed how developed the cognitive abilities of the candidate are, and the rest of the objects supposedly could be jaundice. We checked that it actually included an exam for future officials of ancient China.
The ancient Chinese example of two exams in calligraphy and poeticism sounds in many lectures And interview Neurolinguistic scientist Tatyana Chernigov. “Why learn to write a child? Not to fill on a computer, but to write? In one of the ancient Kitaev, people who claimed to take the position of a high state official should have taken two exams. And this was not at all knowledge of the laws, but calligraphy and poem. Wise civilization, because they understood that this was a different type of consciousness, a different type of skill, ”said Tatyana Chernigov in one of her lecturesAbout 7.8 million YouTube users watched. Since then, this statement has been quoted by many Forums, Articles, Citterals And posts In social networks.
IN interview Vladimir Pozner Chernihiv explained that the system of two exams existed in "some of the many ancient Chinese, there were different Chinese." Apparently, this refers to the division of Chinese history into periods of the reign of various dynasties. The history of ancient China covers The pre -imparater and part of the Imperial China: from the XVI century BC. e. Until 221 BC. e.
Centralized states existed earlier, but the formation of a stable state apparatus of the empire It began Around the 3rd century BC. e., at Qin dynasties. In those days, the legitimation of the ruler Founded On the concept of the “heavenly mandate” - relatively speaking, “chosenness” or “goodness” of the highest forces, expressed in the grace and harmony of “de”, descending to the population and the state. Emperor Accept All personnel decisions, formed the control apparatus, assigned titles and ranks to officials. One of the early systems affecting the status and promotion of man was the system "Six Arts", which existed even under Zhou in the 12-3 centuries BC Although the calligraphy was one of these arts, there were no exams in this system. Then, in the era of the Han dynasty, the system of selection and appointment to the public service was born - "Inspectorate system". The selection methods were mainly reduced to the nomination of talents at the local level and the recommendations of worthy candidates for civil service. From each administrative unit, two people who have a “brilliant talent and Son more respectful"(One of the central concepts in Confucian philosophy). So the main way to select officials in ancient China was formed.
In 220 n. e., in the era Three -hazards, a new standard was introduced in one of the kingdoms - System of nine ranks. Censors were set in all areas and districts that evaluated citizens according to several criteria: from virtuous behavior and abilities in study to the number of good deeds done for the province. Depending on the advantages, the censors were appropriated by worthy candidates one of the nine ranks: officials directly subordinate to the emperor had the first rank, and, for example, the ninth was assigned to local judges. The disadvantage of this system was that the censors mainly paid attention to a noble family origin, and as a result, only rich and influential people became candidates.
None of these systems of selection of officials in ancient China had a place for exams. The official of the official could only be got through the recommendation from the censor or by inheritance.
Several centuries later, already during the period of imperial China, the recommendatory selection system began to gradually be replaced by the system of imperial exams Keju. But even there, the selection of candidates for positions in the state apparatus was much more complicated than testing the ability in calligraphy and poem. Keszyu's exams were divided into three levels. The first level took place annually in each county, the second - once every three years in the centers of the provinces, the third - once every three years in the capital, in the imperial residence. On first level Candidates passed exams for knowledge of Confucian classics, geography, history, foundations of jurisprudence, state system, oratory and other objects. At the second level, they wrote an essay on the knowledge of the Confucian canon and the foundations of the government. Those who withstand both tests received a chance to get to the palace exam. He passed once every three years in the imperial residence, where the emperor himself asked the candidates the only question that suggests the answer in the form of a detailed essay. Good results in an exam at any level gave the right to a bureaucratic post. But the height and status of this post depended on the level of the test exam.
It is worth noting that in about the second half of the Tan Dynasty (618–907) in the palace exam, the emphasis was on the ability of a candidate in elegant literature: poetry, Chinese rhymean prose and praise. The remaining steps of the exam, as expected, included a test of knowledge of Confucian classics, jurisprudence, state systems, etc. The skill of calligraphy was also evaluated during each exam. After the change of dynasty, the Tang Palace exam took the former format: one question about the political structure of the empire, as an answer to which it was necessary to write a detailed essay.
Since the time of conducting exams, KESYui formation in imperial China has come down to preparations for exams. State and private schools of any level turned into institutions, where they were engaged in the usual tanger. After inclusion in the exam regulated Eight -membered composition Education has become even more standardized. In the 1900s began to sound Opinionsthat the main obstacle to the spread of new knowledge "was nothing more than the KECZUR examination system." Finally, in 1905 The Qing Dvor He canceled the imperial examination system, which lasted more than a thousand years.
So, the statement that in ancient China, candidates for the post of official were checked only for the ability in calligraphy and poem, there is practically no reason. Calligraphy was really evaluated at all written stages, but there was no separate exam. For several hundred years, the versification was indeed part of the last stage in the palace. But before reaching this stage, the candidates had to prove themselves in the mass of other disciplines, such as mathematics, political science, knowledge of the canonical works, etc. We turned to Tatyana Chernigovskaya for the explanation, which of the periods of ancient or imperial China, she had in mind in her lecture. She promised us to look for her source, but at the time of publication she did not give an answer.
Image: The emperor accepts candidates during the palace exam. Source: Wikicommons
Most of the untruth
Read on the topic:
- World History EncyClopedia: The Civil Service Examinations of Imperial China
- Unmistaken Identity: A Guide to the Rank Badges of Ancient China
- PRC Embassy: The story of China
- Theory & Practice: Selfless bureaucrats: how officials were selected and trained in imperial China
- Is it true that tutoring was banned in China?
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