明清士人出仕前景差异及原因探析--以《光绪续修庐州府志》为例

A Case Study of Scholars' Prospects to Be Officials in Ming and Qing Dynasty

明清两代的科举制度虽然大体相似,但士人的出仕前途却有很大的不同。明代进士出身的官员升迁的空间很大,能够做到较高官位;举人出身的官员升迁的空间很小,屈沉下僚者居多;贡生的出仕率较高,人数众多,构成社会中下层官员的主体。清代汉人进士出身的官员升迁的空间较小,一般只能做中下级小官吏;举人和贡生的出仕率都较低,升迁的空间都较小,仕途前景黯淡。造成两者不同的根本原因是清代是满人专制的社会,统治者在官员任用上明显偏向于满族士人。

Although the imperial examination systems were broadly similar during the Ming and Qing dynasties,scholars had very different prospects to be officials.In the Ming dynasty,officials once selected as“jinshi”had bigger promotion chance,who could achieve higher positions;while those once selected as“juren”had smaller one,who could only make lower officers.Those once selected as“gongsheng”had relatively more prospects to be officials,who were of a large number to constitute the main body of lower officials.In the Qing dynasty,officials of the Han nationality once selected as“jinshi”had smaller promotion chance,who could normally only become mid or lower officers.The prospects of“juren”and“gongsheng”were gloomy,and only a small number of them could be officers.The main cause was that the Qing dynasty was a manchu despotism society,whose rulers had a noticeable tendency for the manchu scholars in the official appointment.