Meritocracy or not: state, elite families, and the examination system in the Qing dynasty

This research investigates how social mobility and institutions interacted and shaped inequality in premodern Chinese society. The thesis consists of three interdisciplinary papers. The first paper investigates the generational mobility of the elite. It challenges prevailing notions of Chinese society’s high mobility and the Markov process assumption of multigenerational mobility. The intergenerational mobility rate is 0.58, whereas the rates of three- and four-generational mobility are 0.2 and 0.1, respectively. It emphasizes the transmission of family endowments in perpetuating elite status and underscores the civil service examination’s role in ensuring social stability and authority. The second paper sheds light on the marriage dynamics of elite families, unveiling women’s higher bargaining power in the marriage market and their tendency to marry into higher social strata due to an unbalanced sex ratio. Moreover, this study challenges traditional notions of assortative mating by revealing that marriages were far more assortative than previously believed (0.8 vs. 0.4). This paper underscores the pivotal role of marriage in mitigating downward mobility risks and perpetuating lineage. Paper three provides empirical evidence of the Qing rulers’ strategic manipulation of the civil service examination system to maintain power and control over the elite class. By analyzing the mobility patterns between the bannermen and the Han Chinese, it reveals disparities in opportunities and outcomes. Bannermen had higher levels of absolute mobility and multigenerational mobility compared to their Han Chinese counterparts. However, both groups demonstrated similar levels of relative mobility, approximately 0.4. This research underscores the interplay between the state, elite mobility, and social stability in Qing dynasty China. It sheds light on the mechanisms through which the civil service examination system perpetuated social hierarchy. This thesis contributes to a deeper understanding of Qing society’s complexities and challenges prevailing narratives regarding social mobility and governance.