The Ming Dynasty Military Examination System And The Ming Society

The Ming dynasty's military examination system that inherited the Tang dynasty and Song dynasty military examination system was an important stage in the history of military examination system. During the period of domestic trouble and foreign invasion, the Ming dynasty's military examination system that made for perfection and mature step by step had close relationship with the Ming dynasty society. However, most of the Ming dynasty's military officers came from the hereditary system, therefore the military examination system couldn't take the place of the hereditary system and become the major selective system of military officers. As a result, the Ming dynasty's military examination system wasn't as developed as the imperial examination system.Basing on the predecessor's research and placing the Ming dynasty's military examination system under the background of the Ming society, this thesis tries to give the Ming dynasty's military examination system a new understanding and orientation. The thesis is divided into three parts: the preface, the main body( three chapters) and the additional part.The preface is to expound the present situation and significance of the Ming dynasty's military examination system's research as well as the method and point of view of this thesis.The first chapter is to discuss the evolution of the military examination system before the Ming dynasty, and the social background of the Ming dynasty examination system's emergence and it's development. The Ming dynasty examination system drew on the good experience of the previous ones and was used to the need of fighting the southern and northern enemies and suppressing the peasant uprising, the minority's rebellion and the mutiny. It experienced a preliminary stage, an initial stage, a developing stage and a perfect stage. It had three levels: the provincial examination, the national examination and the emperor's examination. The examination's time, content, the method and number ofenrollment and the appointment after one being choosed had formed stable pattern, which in return made the military examination system stepped forward standardization and finalization.The second chapter is to discuss the Ming dynasty's examination system's function to the Ming society as an outcome of the Ming society. Its function had two sides: the Ming dynasty's examination system and the autocratic monarchy; the Ming dynasty's examination system and the military affairs. The relationship of the former was embodied by this: the emperor unified thought through the unified content of education and examination and elected the emperor's students through the emperor's examination. All that could help the emperor strengthen his power. The emperor strengthened his control of the Ming dynasty's examination system by the struggle between the eunuch and cabinet, and after he controlled the Ming dynasty's examination system, he interfered with it freely according to his will. The relationship of the latter was embodied by this: brave and strong people were elected as the rulers by the Ming dynasty's examination system, which could take preventive measures; a number of excellent military officers were elected by the Ming dynasty's examination system, and they have indispensable effect on fighting the southern and northern enemies and suppressing the peasant uprising, the minority's rebellion and the mutiny. At the same time, someone thought that the Ming dynasty's military examination could be used as a way of cutting down too much military officers and reducing expenditure.The third chapter is to discuss the relationship between the Ming dynasty military examination system and the social atmosphere of valuing civil above military, the atmosphere of fame, and the "Jingshi" idea in the late Ming dynasty. The Ming dynasty's military examination system was an outcome of the Ming society, so it was affected unavoidably by social atmosphere. The atmosphere of valuing civil above military led to the fact that the Ming dynasty military examination system a...