Tossup

“Presented” members of this profession were once designated with the title jìnshì (“JEEN-shurr”). A class centered on this profession was the dominant participant of an “eight-legged” process carried out in a cell. A campaign by Qín Shǐ Huáng (“cheen shurr hwong”) to bury members of this profession (10[1])ended a historical (10[1])period named after (10[1])a hundred groups of them. A member of this profession chronicled events in his home state in the Spring and Autumn Annals. Under the Suí (“sway”) dynasty, (10[1])a class of officials of this profession (-5[1])were first administered imperial (-5[1])exams to become (-5[1])civil (0[1])servants. (-5[2])For 10 points, name this profession of Confucius and his followers. ■END■ (10[3]0[1])

ANSWER: scholars [accept scholar-officials or literati or philosophers; accept civil servants until “bury” is read; after “bury” is read, prompt on civil servants until read; prompt on public servants or bureaucrats; prompt on officials until read]
<Editors, Other History>
= Average correct buzz position

Back to tossups