China's Examination Hell: The Civil Service Examinations of Imperial China

by Ichisada Miyazaki

Book Overview

Written by one of the foremost historians of Chinese institutions, this book focuses on China's civil service examination system in its final and most elaborate phase during the Ch'ing dynasty. All... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0300026390
• ISBN13: 9780300026399
• Release Date: September 1981
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 146 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Terrific Explanation of a real Examination Hell

For years I've read about China's Civil examination system, how difficult it was, how stressful. This book provides the first in depth explanation of how the exams were conducted, what students needed to know, how they were judged by their work, and where their efforts could lead. This translation of Ichisada Miyasaki's book by Conrad Schirokauer definately answers all of these questions succinctly. In mentioning the purpose and benefit of having such an examintaion system, the author conveys the ideals of a system built, ideally, to judge candidates (on the most part) on their merits and learning rather than appearence, connections, etc. Initially set in place as a way of weakening the influence and power of the aristocracy (an effective one at that), the examination system helped standardize learning for the civil service in China. Miyasaki points out the faults in this system as well, detailing some rather complicated methods of cheating as well as the scandals and ensuing banishments or executions which followed them. Although these exams didn't include anything concerning mathematics of science learning, they often demanded specific and exacting word-for-word answers from the writings of Confucious, the commentaries of Confucian scholars, the ancient poets, etc. Questions were often obscure...imagine having studied for years only to be unable to answer an obscurely worded question, all of that time wasted! Miyazaki also presents the reality of many students of the era--while the examination system was supposed to select based upon merit, it still cost money to travel to the exams, and to pay the chief examiner, to whom a passed student was likened a disciple of, the usual "gratuity" upon passing. Miyazaki offers a convincing arguements and evidence that it was still virtually impossible for some people to gain standing and position in spite of their true merit. Nor was the stress and wory done after one test! After passing the district exam, the candidate could look forward to taking the prefectural exam, another qualifying exam, Provincial exam, Metropolitan exam, and then for the very cream of the crop the Palace exam and court review. Whew! Oh, and then retests every few years to demonstrate continued competence. Interesting explanations of how papers were graded, disqualifiers, the amazingly spartan conditions available for students (you got to bring your own container to relieve yourself, not to mention your own food, bedding, etc--imagine coming from the other end of the empire!), and odd instances such as reports of hallucinations and at the local level at least, visitations by ghosts. Supernatural events seem to lessen as the competence level goes up, although in the cramped stalls these men occupied, often for several days it isn't hard to see how an individual with claustrophbia, schizophrenia, or simple homesickness might have broken down. I was pleased to see that in addition to the many levels of civil exams d