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Han Dynasty Imperial Academy (Taixue)

Type Object Region China Time c. -124–220

The Han dynasty Taixue was the first central government-run university in Chinese history, established by the state to train officials and classical …

Timeline

  1. c. -124–-87Chang'an · ShaanxiEmperor Wu of Han adopted Dong Zhongshu's proposal to 'establish the Taixue and appoint doctoral students,' setting up the Taixue in Chang'an with Erudites of the Five Classics teaching; students who passed examinations could be appointed as clerks, and Confucianism thereby became the core of state learning.
  2. c. 1–150Luoyang · HenanBy the late Western Han, Taixue students numbered over three thousand; after the Eastern Han moved the capital to Luoyang, the Taixue was rebuilt with lecture halls and dormitories, and students often exceeded ten thousand, making the Taixue one of the most important avenues to officialdom besides the recommendation system.
  3. c. 166–220Luoyang · HenanIn the mid-to-late Eastern Han, the Taixue became a venue for pure criticism and struggles against the eunuchs; the partisan prohibitions severely damaged the Taixue's reputation and operations. In the chaos of the late Han, the Taixue fell into disuse; from the Cao Wei onward, the Guozixue was established instead, ending the Han dynasty Taixue system.

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