A good example of such Confucian indoctrination was the Ming civil bureaucracy, which was selected through a rigorous process of competitive district, provincial, metropolitan, and palace examinations. According to this author, "Confucianism formed the core substantive content of the examinations, it became, for the ruling elite, not only the dominant ideology but also frequently an internalized norm and occasionally a religious conviction" (Tong 166). This reliance on an official state religion worked both to the advantage and ultimately the disadvantage of the Ming rulers. According to Lupher, "Even though the emperor occupied first place in the Confucian sociopolitical hierarchy, Ming rulers were themselves increasingly subject to the Confucian worldview [This was] compulsorily institutionalizing benevolent despotism" (25). During the period from 1470 to approximately 1644, then, Confucian doctrine and ritual served to constrain the authority of Ming rulers in "pervasive and irresistible ways" (Lupher 25).
Conclusion.
The research showed that the Ming dynasty lasted from approximately 1470 to approximately...
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