Higher EducationHigher EducationGoals: Goals: – championed and championed and

promoted Confucian promoted Confucian values values

– trained Confucian trained Confucian scholars and made scholars and made them ruling elites, them ruling elites,

– and strengthened and strengthened imperial power.imperial power.

• Two forms of institutional Education:•Religious•Secular

Religious: Religious: – Temples or monasteries taught Buddhist and Temples or monasteries taught Buddhist and

Daoist textsDaoist texts– Recitation of sutras was primary taskRecitation of sutras was primary task– understanding sutras through exegesis was understanding sutras through exegesis was

secondarysecondary

Secular:Secular:– Public schools: capital and provinces Public schools: capital and provinces

(prefectures) (prefectures) – Confucian and Daoist classicsConfucian and Daoist classics

– Private: village schoolsPrivate: village schools– Instructors’ choices, but primarily Confucian textsInstructors’ choices, but primarily Confucian texts

Public SchoolsPublic Schools

National schools: Run by central National schools: Run by central government: government: Two types of capital collegesTwo types of capital collegesFirst type of capital college: First type of capital college: – the Colleges for Sons of State the Colleges for Sons of State 國國

子學子學– Grand LearningGrand Learning 太學太學 – Four GatesFour Gates 四門學四門學

Confucius and His Disciples

TheseThese capitalcapital collegescolleges werewere for sonsfor sons whosewhose fathersfathers heldheld officesoffices fromfrom ranksranks (grades)(grades) 1-3,1-3, 4-5,4-5, andand 6-76-7 respectivelyrespectively– FourFour GatesGates laterlater openedopened forfor sonssons ofof officialsofficials ofof

88thth andand 99thth gradesgrades (ranks)(ranks)– AndAnd laterlater openedopened forfor talentedtalented commonerscommoners– YoungYoung menmen betweenbetween thethe agesages 14-1914-19 werewere

acceptedaccepted– TheThe statestate providedprovided stipendstipend andand housinghousingTheyThey taughttaught Confucian and Daoist classics, Confucian and Daoist classics, medicinal textsmedicinal texts– Curricula stressed lectures, memorization, andCurricula stressed lectures, memorization, and

examinationsexaminations

Second type of capitalSecond type of capital colleges:colleges: Schools for Schools for specializedspecialized fieldsfields– LawsLaws (( 律 學律 學 ):): TangTang Code,Code, statutesstatutes– MathMath (( 算 學算 學 ) :) : texttext mathmath textbookstextbooks toto

mastermaster inin 1414 yearsyears– CalligraphyCalligraphy (( 書 學書 學 ):): threethree stylesstyles andand twotwo

dictionariesdictionaries toto bebe completedcompleted inin 66 yearsyearsOtherOther specialspecial schoolsschools inin thethe capitalcapital– AstronomyAstronomy – Calendrical science, Calendrical science, – DivinationDivination– RitualRitual

Hand-copied Buddhist Scripture, Tang Dynasty

Provincial schools Provincial schools

ProvincialProvincial Schools:Schools: prefectualprefectual andand countycounty schoolsschools – SeniorSenior officialsofficials selectedselected studentsstudents betweenbetween 1818

andand 2525 forfor admissionadmission toto thesethese schoolsschools– ConfucianConfucian andand DaoistDaoist classicsclassics werewere thethe majormajor

curriculumcurriculum– RequirementsRequirements includedincluded thethe studystudy ofof marriagemarriage

andand funeralfuneral ritesrites– TheThe mastersmasters gavegave anan examexam everyevery tenten daysdays

OnOn materialsmaterials coveredcovered duringduring thethe weekweek

FormatFormat ofof examsexams– OneOne fill-infill-in questionquestion forfor everyevery 1,0001,000 wordswords ofof texttext

memorizedmemorizedStudentsStudents hadhad toto supplysupply fromfrom memorymemory aa passagepassage ofof whichwhich theythey receivedreceived onlyonly thethe beginningbeginning sentencesentence

– OneOne interpretiveinterpretive questionquestion forfor everyevery 2,0002,000 wordswords ofof texttext coveredcovered inin lectureslectures

– AA year-endyear-end examexam consistingconsisting of 10of 10 oraloral questionsquestions waswas givengiven toto determinedetermine whetherwhether aa studentstudent couldcould passpass thethe classclass

– AA studentstudent wouldwould bebe dismisseddismissed andand sentsent homehome ifif hehe failedfailed thatthat examexam threethree yearsyears inin aa rowrow oror hadhad beenbeen inin schoolschool forfor ninenine yearsyears incapable ofincapable of graduatinggraduating

Paths to Official CareerPaths to Official Career

One could become an official through One could become an official through these channels:these channels:– Recommended by schoolsRecommended by schools– Recommend by village head of gentry, if the Recommend by village head of gentry, if the

candidate was not in schoolcandidate was not in school– Recommended oneself without going through Recommended oneself without going through

the authorities and could sign up for special the authorities and could sign up for special imperial examinationsimperial examinations

Benefits of official career Benefits of official career – provided one with opportunities to secure provided one with opportunities to secure

power and wealth, power and wealth, – Could hold a high office in Chang’an, Could hold a high office in Chang’an, – Could become a prestigious ranking officialCould become a prestigious ranking official

Hand-copied Buddhist Scritpture, Tang Dynasty

Schools and StudentsSchools and StudentsTang government encountered Tang government encountered

difficulties running public schoolsdifficulties running public schoolsCouldnCouldn’’t supply enough qualified teacherst supply enough qualified teachersCouldnCouldn’’t support teachers and students t support teachers and students

financiallyfinancially students numbered from 63,570 to130,000 in students numbered from 63,570 to130,000 in

two different time periodstwo different time periodsPerformancePerformance ofof studentsstudents inin capitalcapital collegescolleges

waswas lessless thanthan desirabledesirableSomeSome hiredhired substitutessubstitutes toto taketake theirtheir examsexamsManyMany werewere shiftless:shiftless: theythey gambled,gambled, drankdrank tootoo

much,much, quarreled,quarreled, andand showedshowed nono respectrespect forfor authority….authority….

They became moreThey became more andand moremore slackslack inin classclass work,work, vilifiedvilified teachers,teachers, andand thrashedthrashed themthem inin thethe streets…streets…

Public schools lost its appealPublic schools lost its appealYouths from privileged families had Youths from privileged families had

priority to enroll in schoolspriority to enroll in schoolsGood teachers went to private schools Good teachers went to private schools Students from schools outperformed by Students from schools outperformed by

those from private schools in the civil those from private schools in the civil services examinationsservices examinations

Schools discontinued in later TangSchools discontinued in later Tang

The Civil Service ExaminationsThe Civil Service Examinations

A meritocratic system aimed to A meritocratic system aimed to embody Confucian ideal of selecting embody Confucian ideal of selecting men of talent and ability to help rule men of talent and ability to help rule the state the state ……..

Talented men, after passing Talented men, after passing examinations, became public officialsexaminations, became public officials

Major examinations:Major examinations:Law, math, history, Law, math, history, classical masters, classical masters,

advanced scholarsadvanced scholars, elevated warriors, elevated warriors……

Most Important ExaminationsMost Important ExaminationsClassical masters (Classical masters (MingjingMingjing): 3 tests): 3 tests

1st test: On classical knowledge1st test: On classical knowledgeMajor (large) classics: Major (large) classics: Rites, Spring & Autumn AnnalsRites, Spring & Autumn AnnalsMiddle classics: Middle classics: Poetry, Rites of Zhou, Poetry, Rites of Zhou, Lesser classics: Lesser classics: Changes, HistoryChanges, HistoryOther classics: Other classics: Filial Piety, the AnalectsFilial Piety, the Analects

2nd test: On commentaries on classics 2nd test: On commentaries on classics 3rd test: On policy discussion/essays3rd test: On policy discussion/essays——3 questions (A 3 questions (A

3/3; B 2/3)3/3; B 2/3)Advanced scholars (Advanced scholars (JinshiJinshi):): 3 tests 3 tests

On classical knowledge major, middle, lesser classicsOn classical knowledge major, middle, lesser classics On belles lettres: poetry in On belles lettres: poetry in shishi and and fufu forms forms On policy discussion/essaysOn policy discussion/essays——5 questions (A 5/5; B 5 questions (A 5/5; B

4/5)4/5)

“Classical Master” emphasized memorization: candidate passed the first text if he could answer 5 out of 10 fill-in questions

Jinshi (Chin-shih) Examination• Advanced Scholars:

– 10 fill-in questions on one major (large) classics with a commentary, five essays on policy discussion, and compositions of poetry and prose-poems

• Degree holders were more respected and prestigious than scholars passing other examinations

• Became the most reliable route to upward mobility within government

• Influences:– Poets highly admired; ability to write poetry and prose much

emphasized

Before and After the Before and After the ExaminationsExaminations

Before: Scroll Before: Scroll presentationpresentation– Candidate Candidate

presented his presented his works in scrolls works in scrolls to examinersto examiners

– In spring, In spring, candidates candidates congregated in congregated in the capital to the capital to take the take the examinationsexaminations

• After: Successful candidates– Given a reception by

examiners

– Toured the scenic parts of the capital

– Waiting for “selection examination” to receive appointments

“The Night Revels of Han Xizai”

--20 to 30 passed exams and received appointments per year--Degree holders and examiners formed a permanent “master-disciple” bond of union and fellowship

Buddhist Art

Song reproduction of Tang painting,“Songzi Tianwang,”

Originally done by Wu Daozi, now preserved in Japan

Tang Art

Wei Yan, “A Hundred Horses,” Tang, National Palace Museum in Beijing

Han Gan, “Night-shinning White,” High Tang, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY

Han Gan, “Herding Horse,” High Tang, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY