The Imperial Examinations

By Jenna Faichney, Staff Writer

In the Tang dynasty, Empress Wu ruled as the first empress in Chinese history. She was the wife of Kao Tsung and the mother of four sons. Empress Wu was known for her intelligence, strength, and beauty. Wu made some big changes to the Tang dynasty's government. Empress Wu created a fairer and stronger government system because it gave a chance to all people who may have had more capability then the rulers who were born into power. This was called the imperial examination system. "The imperial examination system was further revised in order that no man of ability should be excluded due to his lowly birth" ("Wu Zetian").  Before the Tang dynasty, other empires had used the examination system, but it was not as advanced as the system that Wu created. The improved system allowed any person to become ruler or have power. It did not matter if the person was born into power or was a farmer who had no power at all. Any man would be able to take the test and have a chance at passing it. This system in the government allowed rulers to come to power with greater achievements and abilities instead of someone who was automatically put into power by their ancestors. By using the examination system the government became sturdier because there were stronger and more capable people in power. The system also gave a chance to all men and women to have power. This was fair to everyone because anyone could take the exam.

The tests were for anyone who wanted to take it. The exam was taken in small bedroom cells. Each of these rooms had a bed, desk, and pencils. The individuals that took the test were locked in these rooms to provide security for the tests and so there would be no cheating going on. By locking them in rooms it made the government fairer because every person had just as good of a chance at getting power. "China's imperial examinations were intense and difficult" ("Imperial Exams"). The exams were several tests long and each lasted between 24 hours and 72 hours. The exam sometimes contained arts, arithmetic, agriculture, military skills, geography, taxation, and Confucianism. The test-takers were to take these exams by themselves and did not always know what was going to be on it. If someone was a top scorer on the exam they would get to have the honor of entering the "Forbidden City" through the middle gate. This was something all people wanted because it gave people the chance to change their future. By taking the exam it made the empire stronger because only the smartest and most accomplished people would be top scorers and move on to get a role in the government. This system created fairness because it gave everybody the same opportunities and made the empire stronger because only the best, meaning the most intelligent, were picked to rule.