GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Detailed explanation-1: -The system continued to play a major role, not only in education and government, but also in society itself, throughout Qing times. The civil service examination system was squarely based upon the Confucian classics and upon recognized commentaries on those classics.

Detailed explanation-2: -In a society in which most people were illiterate, scholar-officials stood out by virtue of their reading and writing skills. Their Confucian education encouraged them to aspire for government service, but also to speak up when they thought others were pursuing the wrong course, making them courageous critics of power.

Detailed explanation-3: -The examination system was an attempt to recruit men on the basis of merit rather than on the basis of family or political connection. Because success in the examination system was the basis of social status and because education was the key to success in the system, education was highly regarded in traditional China.