Question

You are an imperial scholar-official. Your job is to report to the emperor about changes taking place. Which technological, economic, or cultural development do you think the emperor should know about? Write a short report that describes an important development. Support your ideas with at least two reasons.

Answer 1

This question refers to the role of scholar-official that existed in imperial China. These people were politicians, bureaucrats and officials that were appointed by the emperor to perform various political duties. They were generally men who possessed academic degrees.

An example of a technological development that an emperor should know about would be the invention of gunpowder during the Tang dynasty. The report would look something like this:

"Emperor:

I am writing to inform you of a recent development that might prove useful to the future of your dynasty. We have received information from alchemists who have discovered a type of material that is highly explosive. They discovered such potential weapon accidentally, but were eager to report their findings for two main reasons: first, this material can most likely be used as a weapon in order to defeat our enemies, and second, we might be able to use it in other industries if we learn to control it. There is a possibility of even using it in medicine. I urge you to pay attention to such development, as it might prove to be very important."