The Relations Between The Merit System And The Management Of Officials In Tang Dynasty

The merit system set up in Tang Dynasty is used to assess the officials' meritsand demerits, morality and talents. This merit system is divided into two parts. Thefirst part is the inspection, which inspects the officials' performance in carrying outthe laws and regulations during their tenure of office, and the second part is thesubjects prescribed according to the administrative plan. Generally speaking, the meritsystem is based on the enforced laws and administrative regulations to evaluate theofficials of all levels, and on this basis, to promote or demote and reward or punishthe officials. Therefore, the said merit system is related to the officials' appointmentsand dismissals.The merit system is an important part in the officials' management system.Therefore, it had been received due attention in China's feudal dynasties as to itsorganization, periods, contents, standards, rewards and punishment and the like. Themerit system in Tang Dynasty was relatively complete and mature, and the operationwas scientific and efficient. It stimulated the enthusiasm of the officials to be devotedto their duties and to make great contributions and accomplish grear tasks, whichexercised profound influence on the official management in Tang Dynasty and playedan important role in maintaining and solidifying the feudal rule. Undoubtedly, afurther study and overall examination of the merit system in Tang Dynasty would helpto better understand the official management in Tang Dynasty and its effects. Thisthesis can be classified into four parts, namely, reasons for the emphasis on the meritsystem in Tang Dynasty, the merit system and its operation in Tang Dynasty, therelations between the merit system and the management of officials, and what we canlearn from the merit system.Two aspects are stressed in this thesis. The first one is that we take the operationof the merit system as a starting point so as to find out the cause-and-effect relationsbetween the merit system and the management of officials, rather than the merit itself,which was the main focus of the previous studies. The second one that we study themerit system from the perspective of the construction of the official management in order to explore the effects produced by the merit on the officials. One point needs tobe stressed here. That is, although the merit system in Tang Dynasty is relativelycomplete and mature, there existed some weaknesses in carrying out and renewing orupgrading the system, which led to the corruption of the officials and ultimately thedownfall of the Tang Dynasty.At present, reform in personnel system is being carried out in China, and theoverall analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the merit system, the study ofthe system and in the relations between the merit system and the official management,and the experience gained from the merit system will certainly produce positiveeffects on the reform of the government functionary and merit system of thegovernment functionary.