Abstract: The Song Dynasty was a critical juncture in the development and refinement of the imperial examination system.Since its inception in the Sui Dynasty,the number of candidates selected in each examination remained extremely limited throughout the Tang period and into the early Song Dynasty.However,during Emperor Taizongs reign,with the basic unification of the empire,a strategic shift favoring civil governance over military power,and the practical need to replace outdated bureaucrats at various levels,these changes aligned with the broader cultural trend of valuing literature and scholarship.At the outset of Emperor Taizongs reign,he decisively expanded the scale of the imperial examination system.From then on,this expansion became a sustained national policy.The intellectual elites produced by this system assumed control of administrative functions from the central government to local levels,fundamentally transforming the political ecology of traditional Chinese society.This shift gave rise to a new form of scholar-official politics.Scholar-official politics extended beyond administration,influencing thought,culture,and other spheres.It facilitated the transformation of Confucianism,awakened the independent spirit of scholars,and accelerated the widespread dissemination of culture across society.The expanded scale of the imperial examination system fostered a large literati class,which,under the unique convergence of political,economic,and cultural priorities in the Southern Song Dynasty,drove the social transformation during the Song-Yuan transition and guided China from early modernity toward modernization.Viewed from a broader temporal and spatial perspective,the turning point of the imperial examination system in the Song Dynasty laid the foundation for its development in the Yuan,Ming,and Qing dynasties.Additionally,it influenced neighboring ethnic regimes and enriched the East Asian Sonographic cultural sphere.

Key words: imperial examination, Song Dynasty, scholar-official politics, joint governance by ruler and ministers, independent spirit