从74位状元的家世看唐代科举的实际选才范围

Who can be Selected as Talented Persons by Analyzing the Family History of 74 Number One Scholars in the Tang Dynasty

唐代有家世资料的74名状元中,出身官僚家庭的69 人,占92%,而且其中家世较显赫者就有59人,占79.73%。出身相对“寒素”者仅5人,占8%。这些数据可以近似地表明:唐代的科举考试主要是在社会上层中选拔人才,中层的都很少,更不用说下层了。所谓“广开才路”只是一句空话。

Among the 74 Number One Scholars who have detailed materials on their family history in the Tang Dynasty, there are 69 (consist of 92 percent) born in bureaucrat families, among which there are 59 (consist of 79.73 percent) from great renown families; there are only 5 Number One Scholars (consist of only 8 percent) with their families in strained circumstances. The statistics seems to show that in imperial examination, majority of the scholars selected are from the upper-class society, only several from the middle-class and a few from the lower-class society. So it is nonsense to open all avenues for people of talent in the Tang Dynasty.