Imperial examination (keju) system in the politics, society and culture of the song dynasty

Imperial examination (keju) system in the politics, society and culture of the Song dynasty The topic of the bachelor thesis is “Imperial examination (keju) system in the politics, society and culture of the Song dynasty”. Imperial examination system was a method of recruitment of officials in the Imperial China. This system has its origins in the Han dynasty, it was officially established in the Sui dynasty and it attained its final form and structure in the Song dynasty. It is for this reason that the Song dynasty was selected as a period, during which the research on examination system is done. The aim of the thesis is to analyze the role of the imperial examination system in the politics, society and culture of the Song dynasty. Thesis has been written by analyzing primary and secondary sources, using comparative method and providing the interpretation of the primary sources. Firstly, keju system was used as a political tool. Emperors used it as a tool to increase their power and to control people. Moreover, examination system was a method by using which people could move between social classes. People, who passed examinations, had an opportunity to become a part of the intellectual elite. Furthermore, keju system has contributed to the creating of a more intellectual society in the Song dynasty, which led to the development of the school system and the printing of the books. Finally, the examination system contributed to the creation of the network, between the politics, society and culture of the Song dynasty. The primary function of the system – the selection of officials – promoted the establishment of an intellectual society, which supported the creation of the educational system, and this system influenced the main function of the keju system – recruitment of officials. The thesis could be used by Lithuanian scholars in order to structure the influence of the imperial examination system not just on one of the spheres of the Song dynasty, but on the politics, society and culture together