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. 2024 Jan 23;121(4):e2305564121.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.2305564121. Epub 2024 Jan 18.

Social mobility in the Tang Dynasty as the Imperial Examination rose and aristocratic family pedigree declined, 618-907 CE

Fangqi Wen  1   2 , Erik H Wang  3 , Michael Hout  4
Affiliations

Social mobility in the Tang Dynasty as the Imperial Examination rose and aristocratic family pedigree declined, 618-907 CE

Fangqi Wen et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. .

Abstract

Data from the distant past are fertile ground for testing social science theories of education and social mobility. In this study, we construct a dataset from 3,640 tomb epitaphs of males in China's Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), which contain granular and extensive information about the ancestral origins, family background, and career histories of the deceased elites. Our statistical analysis of the complete profiles yields evidence of the transition away from an aristocratic society in three key trends: 1) family pedigree (i.e., aristocracy) mattered less for career achievement over time, 2) passing the Imperial Examination (Keju) became an increasingly important predictor of one's career achievement, and 3) father's position always mattered throughout the Tang, especially for men who did not pass the Keju. The twilight of medieval Chinese aristocracy, according to the data, began in as early as the mid-seventh century CE.

Keywords: Chinese history; aristocracy; education; historical research; intergenerational mobility.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
The Rubbing of a Tomb Epitaph of a Deceased Elite (Du Zhongliang [Image: see text]) in the Tang Dynasty. Notes: Red = surname and choronym; Blue = grandfather and father’s full name and office rank; Yellow = the deceased elite’s career trajectory; Green = age at death and time of death. Source: National Library of China.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
The distribution of office rank among the Tang elites. Notes: From left to right, each bar represents a rank category in hierarchical order, scored from 10 (no office or no rank) to 1 (highest), with two or four levels distinguished within ranks.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Estimates of the effects of ancestral branch, Keju success, and father’s rank on office rank over time (point estimates with 95% CIs).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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