<P> Although , in a general way , the formative ideas behind the imperial exams can be traced back at least to Zhou dynasty times ( or , more mythologically , Yao ) , such as imperial promotion for displaying skill in archery contests , the imperial examination system in its classical manifestation is historically attested to have been established in 605 , during the Sui dynasty ; which in the quickly succeeding Tang dynasty was used only on a relatively small scale , especially in its early phase . However , the structure of the examination system was extensively expanded during the reign of Wu Zetian : the impact of Wu 's use of the testing system is still a matter for scholarly debate . During the Song dynasty the emperors expanded both examinations and the government school system , in part to counter the influence of military aristocrats , increasing the number of those who passed the exams to more than four to five times that of the Tang . Thus the system played a key role in the selection of the scholar - officials , who formed the elite members of society . During the Ming and Qing dynasties , the system contributed to the narrowness of intellectual life and the autocratic power of the emperor . The system continued with some modifications until its 1905 abolition under the Qing dynasty . Other brief interruptions to the system occurred , such as at the beginning of the Yuan dynasty in the 13th century . The modern examination system for selecting civil servants also indirectly evolved from the imperial one . </P>
<P> Although , in a general way , the formative ideas behind the imperial exams can be traced back at least to Zhou dynasty times ( or , more mythologically , Yao ) , such as imperial promotion for displaying skill in archery contests , the imperial examination system in its classical manifestation is historically attested to have been established in 605 , during the Sui dynasty ; which in the quickly succeeding Tang dynasty was used only on a relatively small scale , especially in its early phase . However , the structure of the examination system was extensively expanded during the reign of Wu Zetian : the impact of Wu 's use of the testing system is still a matter for scholarly debate . During the Song dynasty the emperors expanded both examinations and the government school system , in part to counter the influence of military aristocrats , increasing the number of those who passed the exams to more than four to five times that of the Tang . Thus the system played a key role in the selection of the scholar - officials , who formed the elite members of society . During the Ming and Qing dynasties , the system contributed to the narrowness of intellectual life and the autocratic power of the emperor . The system continued with some modifications until its 1905 abolition under the Qing dynasty . Other brief interruptions to the system occurred , such as at the beginning of the Yuan dynasty in the 13th century . The modern examination system for selecting civil servants also indirectly evolved from the imperial one . </P>
who created the civil service system in china
who created the civil service system in china
Zhou dynasty
Zhou dynasty