Educational and Examination Reforms under the Minh Mang Reign: The Foundation for Constructing an Intellectual Mandarinate

This article examines the system of educational and examination reforms during the reign of Emperor Minh Mang (1820-1840), a period marking the pinnacle of administrative consolidation in the Nguyen Dynasty. The author focuses on analyzing key policies, such as the standardization of Confucian curricula and the refinement of the Huong (Provincial), Hoi (National), and Dinh (Court) examination regulations to recruit talent. Diverging from the earlier period, which relied heavily on military meritocrats, Emperor Minh Mang advocated for a transition toward a bureaucracy professionally trained in Confucian classics. These reforms not only facilitated the development of a highly educated mandarinate proficient in administrative management but also contributed to strengthening royal authority and national unity from the central to local levels. The paper further evaluates the role of this "intellectual mandarinate" in implementing national modernization policies, thereby deriving historical lessons for civil servant training and recruitment in contemporary state governance.