The Nine rank system reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
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Nine rank system

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The Nine rank system (ch 九品中正制 or 九品官人法), or much less commonly, Nine grade controller system was a civil service nomination system during the Three Kingdoms and the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Chen Qun, a court official of the Kingdom of Wei standardized its details. It was eventually superseded by the civil service examination system in Tang Dynasty.