Abstract:

The relationship between imperial examinations and literati associations was extremely complicated. Imperial examinations had enormous influence on literati associations, and the later, reaching a certain scale and standard, had an counteractive effect, too. The examinations’ influence on literati associations was mainly embodied as follows: the participation of the scholars who had already passed an imperial examination encouraged the prevalence of associations; the Imperial Examination System itself served as a catalyst to the birth and development of associations; the examination every three years provided an opportunity for candidates to form or join an association; and the content and style of imperial examinations also had a strong effect on associations. The counteractive effects of literati associations were reflected directly in the admission results of the imperial examinations, and indirectly in the styles of the stereotyped eightpart compositions. 

Key words:  the Ming Dynasty, imperial examinations;literati associations