The Revival of the Civil Service System

Under Ming emperors, civil service exams were again used to fill government positions.  This system lasted into the 20th century.

In many ways, the exam system served China well.  It provided a well-organized government.  The education of its scholar-officials  emphasized  [emphasized: to call attention to or highlight the importance of something]  moral behavior, justice, kindness, loyalty to the emperor, proper conduct, and the importance of family.  These values helped to unify Chinese culture.

The civil service system allowed poor men who were ambitious and hardworking the opportunity to be government officials. At the same time, it ensured that officials were trained and talented, not merely rich or related to the emperor.

Yet China's civil service system may also have stood in the way of progress. The exams did not test understanding of science, mathematics, or engineering.  People with such knowledge were therefore kept out of the government.  Confucian scholars also had little respect for merchants, business, and trade.  Confucians had often considered merchants to be the lowest class in society because they purchased and sold things rather than producing useful items themselves.  Under the Ming, this outlook dominated, and trade and business were not encouraged.   Additionally, the bureaucracy became set in its ways, and its inability to adapt contributed to the fall of the Ming in 1644.