Development
of the Civil Service
Before
the beginning of our magnificent Song dynasty, China suffered
under a period of unrest. Many nobles seized power and plotted
to weaken the imperial throne. It was a time of war and chaos,
harmful to all in China. Then, about 150 years ago, General Zhao Kuangyin reunified China. Under glorious
Song rule, China has prospered greatly. Cities have increased
in size and number, trade has flourished throughout the land,
and many of the arts have reached new heights.
The
old administration, limited as it was to the nobility, would
not have been adequate to handle these changes. Thus, it was
necessary to ensure that the Civil Service grew and developed
along with the country. The Song Emperors decreed that the
Civil Service should be expanded and its authority centralized
in order to establish and maintain peace and harmony in the
provinces.
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