曾国藩与左宗棠的科考经历比较探究

A Comparative Study on Imperial Examination Experiences of Zeng Guofan and Zuo Zongtang

曾国藩和左宗棠是晚清历史上著名的政治人物,二人进入官场前的科考经历却鲜有人研究。对比曾、左两位同时代湖南士子的科考经历,发现存在以下特点:二人科考时间跨度相近,用时较短;中间波折略有不同;都曾向亲友借钱北上会试;最终做出了不同的科举选择。进一步分析认为除去个人努力外,曾、左的科考经历既与宏观上晚清湖南科举考试制度及教育发展有关,还受到各自从师风格和家庭背景的影响。

Zeng Guofan and Zuo Zongtang were famous politicians in the late Qing Dynasty.However,almost no one studied their imperial examination experiences.Some characteristics can be found by comparing Zeng′s and Zuo′s imperial examination experiences,who were contemporary intellectuals in Hunan province.They spanned similar time,which were shorter than average;they experienced different setbacks in different phases;both of them once borrowed money to take the metropolitan examination;they finally chose different ways after their last examinations.Besides their own hard work,their different experiences of imperial examination were influenced by the imperial examination system and education development in Hunan province at that time.It was also strongly related to their teachers′thought and family background.