In the year 607, the Emperor Yang of the Sway Dynasty implemented reform whereby a series of exams would be administered throughout the empire to create a bureaucratic elite that would administer the country.

That reform became one of the bedrock of Chinese society through the Chinese society today. Learn more about the Mandarin class and the Imperial Examination System on this episode of

Everything Everywhere Daily. The concept of a class of people who administered kingdoms or empires was not invented in China.

Pretty much every ancient empire from Egypt to Babylon had some group of priests or

scribes who was responsible for the day-to-day administration of the state.

These elites in society would sometimes have a monopoly and literacy with the ability to

read and write being passed down through families over generations. and positions like eight aisles or quasters were won via election and elections

were often determined by popularity and bribes not by who would do the best job.

In ancient China there too was a class of bureaucrats who were responsible for the administration of the state.

The first such people all came from aristocratic families.

The first imperial exams for admission to the administrative class were administered in 165 BC during the Han Dynasty

by the Emperor Wen. However, passing an exam wasn't a guarantee of employment.

Almost all civil service jobs were handed out on the basis of recommendations from aristocrats.

The tests were mostly about categorizing those candidates who had already been recommended

by those in positions in power.

The total number of people who were placed in positions of authority during

this period was still quite small. During the Three Kingdoms period which followed the

Han Dynasty, a nine-ranked system was introduced during the Wei Kingdom. This system created a

hierarchy of civil service positions with the top being an advisor to the King or

Emperor, whereas the bottom might just be a local tax collector. This system was

open to lower classes, but only the lower ranks of the system.

The upper ranks were still reserved for the elite.

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