[World History Exploration] The 'Age of Knowledge and Wealth' Driven by the Civil Service Examination and Merchants: Society, Economy, and Culture of the Song Dynasty
What is the 'super-difficult exam' that people staked their lives on?
When you hear the phrase 'a high-stakes exam that one stakes their life on,' what comes to mind?
A university entrance exam? A professional certification exam? Or perhaps a job interview?
About 1,000 years ago in China, during the Song Dynasty, there was an exam to select the 'super-elites' who would carry the future of the nation.
Its name was—the Keju (Civil Service Examination).
The acceptance rate was a staggering one in several thousand.
Moreover, if you passed, even someone from a poor family could suddenly play an active role at the center of politics.
It was truly a 'chance to turn one's life around.'
Naturally, the examinees were desperate. Some even resorted to 'forbidden tactics'...
They would write Confucian classics in tiny script on paper the size of a grain of rice and sew them into the lining of their clothes before heading to the exam hall.
It is said that some examinees even hid cheat sheets in the bottom of their lunch boxes or inside their shoes.
(Of course, if caught, they were immediately disqualified. There were also punishments.)
People who were obsessed with 'passing' even at such lengths.
What drove them was not merely a desire for fame, but
the atmosphere of the era that 'the power of knowledge is what moves this country'.
What did the Shidafu (scholar-officials) seek?
In Song society, those who passed this civil service exam—the Shidafu—played a central role.
However, their character differs significantly between the 'Northern Song' and 'Southern Song' periods.
The Southern Song, having lost the northern lands to the Jin dynasty of the Jurchen people, moved its capital to Lin'an (modern-day Hangzhou).
Amidst the unprecedented crisis of losing half the country, how did their hearts and the atmosphere of society change?
Out of the following four perspectives, choose the one you think is 'the one!' and try to think of the reason why.
1. More people became disillusioned with the country's future and immersed themselves in arts like poetry and painting as if to escape reality.
2. A movement was born to build a new philosophy (Neo-Confucianism), fueled by patriotic passion saying, 'Now is the time for the sake of the country!'
3. Commerce developed centered around Lin'an, and vibrant urban culture and the energy of the common people spread.
4. More people chose to return to their hometowns and live grounded lives, protecting their clans and local communities.
Actually—they are all correct.
Southern Song society possessed all four of these aspects simultaneously.
Those who found beauty in despair (1).
Intellectuals who vowed to rebuild the nation (2).
Cities bustling with the power of merchants (3).
And the stable lives of people living in their local regions (4).
Even within a single era, completely different values coexisted.
It can be said that the Southern Song was truly a 'multifaceted society.'
Why did the Southern Song economy develop even though it lost territory?
The Southern Song was invaded by the Jin in the north and lost half of its territory.
Yet—strangely enough, the economy developed even further than in the Northern Song era.
Even though the scale of the country became smaller, why did people's lives become more prosperous?
Out of the following four perspectives, choose the one you think is 'the biggest factor' and try to think of the reason why.
1. People who fled from the north brought new technologies and culture, increasing productivity.
2. The wetlands of Jiangnan were developed, and agriculture advanced with new rice varieties like Champa rice.
3. Maritime trade flourished, and profits were gained by exporting products from various parts of China to foreign countries.
4. Handicrafts and commerce developed centered around the capital, Lin'an, and the urban economy prospered.
Actually—this, too, is all correct.
The prosperity of the Southern Song was not born from any single force.
People who fled from the north built new production systems in the Jiangnan region (1, 2),
cities and ports developed to distribute the goods produced there both domestically and internationally (3, 4),
and the entire country became vibrant.
Losing territory was a painful blow, but
it served as a catalyst fora new growth as an 'economically open maritime nation'—this was the defining characteristic of the Southern Song.
The people of the Southern Song discovered new possibilities even amidst crisis and drove society forward.
Where would you find the driving force behind this development?
Prosperity Created by 'Technology' and 'Intellect'
What supported the prosperity of the Song era wasthe power of technologyandthe power of intellect..
First, the'Three Great Inventions (movable type printing, the compass, and gunpowder)'greatly changed society.
Movable type printing spread knowledge, the compass supported overseas trade, and gunpowder changed the nature of warfare.
And it was the intellectuals known asshidafu (scholar-officials)who put these to use.
They created Neo-Confucianism and cultivated a refined culture of white porcelain and ink wash painting.
The Song era was truly a time when 'knowledge' and 'technique' resonated to move society.
Its influence spread not only throughout China but also to the Islamic world and Europe,changing the course of world history.
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