This was a standardized test that public officials were required to take, covering everything from arithmetic to writing to military science.

The idea was to ensure that all public servants were educated and qualified.

This concept grew through the centuries, from the Sui to the Tang, Sung, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, with each successive leader further refining the exam.

It even lasted into China's early days as a republic at the beginning of the 20th century, and still persists today in Taiwan.

China has had a very long tradition of placing substantial social value on education.

There was a brief interruption in the 20th century during Mao's Cultural Revolution in which 100,000+ intellectuals were persecuted and shipped off to labor camps.