> the Chinese invented the concept of the civil service and examinations, as we think of them today. That's a bit of overstatement I think, regarding the civil

> the Chinese invented the concept of the civil service and examinations, as we think of them today. That's a bit of overstatement I think, regarding the civil service I mean. Civil service was known in Babylon, in Egypt and in Roman Empire. From some point Roman Empire also introduced requirements for public servants' education. Not a formalized meritocratic system like in Han China, but we don't have a formalized examination of public servants today either.