Question

How were officials chosen in the Han dynasty?

Answer 1

Hint: Han dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, it ruled from 206 BC to 220 AD. Han dynasty is credited for the rise of Confucianism in China as the state religion and the construction of the silk route to Europe. Paper was invented in the Han dynasty, which is the most significant contribution of this dynasty to the modern world.

Complete answer: - The Han dynasty organized civil service examinations to hire bureaucrats and officials to work for the government.
- The exam was open for the young men of the country who could qualify and become part of the high ranking officials of the dynasty.
-The civil service exams had multiple levels and were difficult to qualify and covered subjects like law, language, government, religion among others.
- This idea of recruiting officials through such an extensive exam originated from the Han dynasty, an imperial academy was established in 124 BCE for students to study about Confucianism, and by the end of the Han dynasty, it was training about 30,000 students.
- Han dynasty held the view that education was the hallmark of a developed and civilised society and in order to efficiently run such an extensive empire, a class of educated and skilled officials was required.

Note: The civil service exams also had a social implication. The idea that skill was more important than social background and no one has to follow the same profession of their parents, was extremely radical in that period, however, it still lacked in some aspects because the exam was only open to men and the jobs were also limited.