Class Structure in China

1
Class Structure in China
2
Terms to Know

• Meritocracy a system where you get a job based
  on your ability, not wealth
• Civil Service Exams very hard test given to
  determine your ability for a government job
• Scholar officials social class which grew from
  those who passed the exams

3
Chinese Social Pyramid Place the following
social classes in order, top to bottom
Landlords
Craftsmen/ Merchants
Emperor
Peasants
Scholar Officials (new)
4
Development of the Scholar Official Class

• Highly used during Tang and Song dynasties
• Those who took and passed the difficult civil
  service exams were rewarded with jobs in
  government (poets, teachers, police, led
  Confucian ceremonies, etc.)
• Those that passed would become part of the
  wealthy scholar-officials class
• Importance Created a meritocracy encouraged
  education in all classes.