<P> The earliest known example of a merit system dates to the Qin and Han dynasties . To maintain power over a large , sprawling empire , the government maintained a complex network of officials . Prospective officials could come from a rural background and government positions were not restricted to the nobility . Rank was determined by merit , through the civil service examinations , and education became the key for social mobility . After the fall of the Han Dynasty , the nine - rank system was established during the Three Kingdoms period . The concept of a merit system spread from China to British India during the 17th century , and then into continental Europe . </P>
<P> The earliest known example of a merit system dates to the Qin and Han dynasties . To maintain power over a large , sprawling empire , the government maintained a complex network of officials . Prospective officials could come from a rural background and government positions were not restricted to the nobility . Rank was determined by merit , through the civil service examinations , and education became the key for social mobility . After the fall of the Han Dynasty , the nine - rank system was established during the Three Kingdoms period . The concept of a merit system spread from China to British India during the 17th century , and then into continental Europe . </P>
who developed the first governmental system based on merit
who developed the first governmental system based on merit
the Qin and Han dynasties
the Qin and Han dynasties