A Study on the Revival and Abolition of the Imperial Examination System Based on the Response of Shanxi Common People (1894-1915)

Abstract

In the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, due to factors such as famine, conflict between religious believers, and collusion between officials and businessmen in Shanxi, common people accepted passively and resisted inwardly the abolition of imperial examinations and the rise of western-style schools. This article outlines the changing process of common people’s attitudes in Shanxi divided into three stages. In the early period, common people generally accepted the imperial examination system, while in the middle period, their attitudes towards the reform of the examination system and the promotion of new learning gradually diverged. In the later period, common people exhibited a clear polarization in their attitudes towards the abolition of the imperial examination system and the promotion of new learning. Through the analysis from a Western perspective, this article argues that the contradictory reactions of the common people are due to the cognitive dissonance in rural societies during institutional reforms. However, the internal motivations behind their actions and their attitudes were remain highly aligned.