Kin Networks and Exam Degree Attainment in 19th Century China: An Analysis Based on Tongnianchilu

We examine the role of kin networks in success on examinations in 19th century China, focusing on provincial (Juren), national (Jinshi) and tribute (Gongsheng) examination degree holders. This is one of only a few studies of elite social mobility in China before the 20th century to move beyond associations with father’s and grandfather’s status to look at the broader kin network. We make use of a new database constructed from Tongnianchilu and Mingjingtongpu records of degree holders that will be of broad interest and which we introduce in detail. It contains information for 950,927 relatives of 34,313 degree holders, including their names, degrees, and official positions held. Kin include patrilineal fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers considered in previous studies of elite mobility in China as well as mothers, wives, uncles, cousins, sons and daughters, and nephews. We present descriptives on the numbers, types, and characteristics of recorded kin for different types of degree holders. We show that many degree-holders who appeared to be 'new' in the sense that neither their father, grandfather, or great-grandfather had a degree or held office, still had other senior kin with a degree. We also show that status was highly correlated within kin networks.