Ancient Bureaucracy

students competed in imperial examinations receive position in bureaucracy of ancient china.

although term bureaucracy not coined until mid 18th century, organized , consistent administrative systems older. development of writing (ca. 3500 bc) , use of documents critical administration of system, , first definitive emergence of bureaucracy in ancient sumer, emergent class of scribes used clay tablets administer harvest , allocate spoils. ancient egypt had hereditary class of scribes administered civil service bureaucracy.

the roman empire administered hierarchy of regional proconsuls , deputies. reforms of diocletian doubled number of administrative districts , led large-scale expansion of roman bureaucracy. christian author lactantius claimed diocletian s reforms led widespread economic stagnation, since provinces divided minute portions, , many presidents , multitude of inferior officers lay heavy on each territory. after empire split, byzantine empire developed notoriously complicated administrative hierarchy, , in time term byzantine came refer complex bureaucratic structure.

in ancient china, han dynasty established complicated bureaucracy based on teachings of confucius, emphasized importance of ritual in family, relationships, , politics. each subsequent dynasty, bureaucracy evolved. during song dynasty, bureaucracy became meritocratic. following song reforms, competitive exams held determine qualified hold given position. imperial examination system lasted until 1905, 6 years before collapse of qing dynasty, marking end of china s traditional bureaucratic system.