Abstract:

In the 22nd year of Qianlong (1757), poetry component (shilüshi) was added to the permanent system of imperial examinations. A significant reason for this reform was to break from the previous mode of examination questions and test-taking techniques and to reduce the phenomena of bringing notes and imitating writing. By utilizing his authority and strategies, Emperor Qianlong avoided the objection of ministers. The emperor managed to issue orders and launch this reforms that had not been implemented for decades and finally increased his power of recruiting civil officials. Over the same period, the re-examination system was well established, and the re-checking policy became strict. Because the poetry component had specific standards of versification, the examiners started reexamining and re-checking whether the poetry component conformed with versification regulations to discover cheaters. The coordinated development of re-examination system, re-checking system and the poetry component of the imperial examination made the discipline of examination stricter and the evaluation standard more objective. The poetry component of the imperial examination was not only an important event in the history of literature, but also a momentous reform in the history of imperial examination, which had multiple historical reasons and far-reaching institutional significance.