Examination system

The governments of Ju, Makkada, and Diao use a system of examinations to find people worthy of serving in government. The practice originated in Diao, though it has fallen out of favor since Kuan occupation. Originally, the goal of the examination was to create a meritocracy, where the wisest and most able served in high positions in government.

## Exams in Diao

The earliest recorded exams in Diao took place 1812 PS and all literate male citizens at the time were invited to sit for the first round, which occurred every two years. Those who scored in the top ten percent of their sections could continue to the preantepenultimate, antepenultimate, penultimate, and ultimate rounds. The top 25% of the ultimate exam, which was held every four years, was invited to join the bureaucracy, often at an administrative level.

During the Lei Dynasty, the exams were opened to men and wifere, though caps were placed on the number of wifere who could serve in government. Empress Xia, the first known Diao empress, decreed that women also be allowed to sit for the exams, though due to low literacy rates amongst women, few did so.

Though Diao went through many upheavals, including multiple fractured periods, when local warlords or chiefs declared themselves emperors and waged war for control of a united Diao, the exams remained relatively constant traditions, offered every two years and, eventually, every year, and it remained important in almost all territories and dynasties that everyone be allowed to attempt them, regardless of social position. Although members of the bureaucracy or aristocracy had an advantage during the exams, there was relatively high turnover in the lower levels of administration, which resulted in more egalitarianism, especially at the local level.

### Exam Contents

The exams test participants in between three and five subjects: rhetoric, knowledge of the classics, poetry, political theory, and current affairs and policy. Traditionally, the subjects tested in the initial examination are not repeated in the preantepenultimate and antepenultimate rounds. The penultimate and ultimate rounds almost always include questions about the classics, rhetoric, and political theory. A single exam is generally composed of no more than three questions.

Questions are open ended and often include both a time and character limit, which is interpreted strictly—an essay with 250 characters must have exactly 250 characters, neither more nor less, and style and calligraphy are taken under advisement during scoring. Participants are expected to cite works of philosophy and scholarship, even when not asked to interpret the classics, and most prepared exam-takers have a broad knowledge of both current and historical writing.

The classics encompass between ten and fifteen texts, depending on dominant philosophical thinking, uncovered by the scholars Mu and Jin. While Mu and Jin are credited with starting the golden age of Diao philosophy, neither took credit for writing any of the classics—they claimed to have found them or translated older works into modern language. However, at least two of the classics were written after the deaths of both Mu and Jin, and three after the death of Jin. All participants with any hope of succeeding on the exam must have read the five simpler classics, and those who wish to score especially well will have an understanding of them all and be able to interpret and summarize their theses and nuances.

### Modern Examination

The Kuan all but eliminated the examination system when they took control of the Diao Empire, preferring to place important Kuan tribal leaders in positions in the bureaucracy and use the remainder either as political favors or as goods to be sold to the highest bidder. Occasionally, Kuan stags raid libraries and burn copies of the classics or other important works to de-emphasize their importance in Kuan society. However, many local governments still host first-round examinations to fill lower-level positions.

## Exams in Ju

Ju imported the Diao conception of the examination around 900 PS, almost 1000 years after they first emerged in Diao. The Ju king at the time, King Rin, accepted the Diao emphasis on the classics, but over the years, new works have been added the classical canon, initially ones written in the Diao character system and, more recently, ones written in the Ju script. Thus, over time, the focus of the examinations has shifted from Diao to Ju philosophy and scholarship.

Currently, the Ju exams include a section dedicated to calligraphy and one for foreign affairs, focused especially on neighboring Kuan and the Spiral Empire. Historically, the exams in Ju also included sections on the Forest, mathematics, and meteorology.

In Ju, only members of the aristocracy sit for the exams, men, women, and wifere since their inception. Rarely, kings may open up examinations to lower-ranking or non-aristocratic participants, generally only for a single year. As a result, the Ju government sees far less turnover and, at times, has included a caste system that determined social mobility, role, and eligible marriage partners.

## Exams in the Makkada Sultanate

The three islands that would become the Makkada Sultanate imported the exams in 850 PS, a little after they arrived in Ju. Traders brought word of the successes of meritocracy in Diao and local leaders implemented exams haphazardly across their territories. Bari edj-Makkar created the first unified examination system as part of the reforms in the early years of his reign and they have grown in popularity and importance ever since.

Sultan Bari removed almost all Diao influence from the sections, replacing the section on the classics with one for religion. Makkadi participants are expected to memorize and understand vast passages from their holy text and be able to juggle and put into conversation competing interpretations of the same quotation. Over time, the exams have shifted to include more economics, logistics, and administration, and the top scorers each year can place as high as deputy to a vizier, if they are lucky.

### Wiferization of Government

As the exams became more focused on Makkadi religion and culture, they also became more attractive to Makkadi wifere. Although wifere make up only 10% of the total population, they hold a slight majority in government, and represent almost 40% of those who sit for the exams. This has created a reinforcing cycle: as wifere gain ground in government, more wifere sit for the examinations, and yet more wiferes join the bureaucracy. The slow increase in wiferes in administration is called the *wiferization of government* and represents a uniquely Makkadi trend.

### Provinces

Each of the ten Makkadi provinces hosts its own exam every two years. To sit for an exam, a participant must prove residence in the province for at least five years or have a special exception. These are generally reserved for merchants or diplomats, who may not have a single residency for as long as five years. The national government has a required quota for each province, so each will be represented in government, regardless of comparative test scores. During times of high competition, test-takers may relocate to easier provinces, which means talent is distributed somewhat equally through the sultanate.

In some provinces, local governments host their own examinations. In others, the highest scorers who do not make it to the national government or who choose to defer service join the local government. Promotions within the bureaucracy vary from highly meritocratic to highly self-serving and corrupt, depending on the focus of the current sultan