00:00Why did clerks in the Ming Dynasty of China hate their jobs?
00:03In the Ming Dynasty, there was a huge emphasis on education.
00:07The more educated you were, the higher up you could climb in the government.
00:11And to be a clerk, you needed to know how to read and write.
00:14But that wasn't enough.
00:15You also had to be good at math and have knowledge of poetry and history.
00:19To become a clerk, you had to pass a series of exams.
00:22And if you failed, you would be put to death.
00:25The pay was terrible.
00:26You worked long hours.
00:27And if you made a mistake, your boss could chop off your fingers.
00:31There was a saying in the Ming Dynasty,
00:33the jack of all trades is a master of none.
00:36And this was especially true for the clerks.
00:39Because they were so overworked and underpaid,
00:41they couldn't really focus on one thing and become good at it.
00:44The Ming Dynasty lasted for 185 years.
00:48And during this time, there was a lot of innovation and advancement in China.
00:52But it's hard to imagine how any of this would have been possible
00:54if you weren't a member of the elite class.
00:56If you want to learn more about the Ming Dynasty,
00:59stay tuned for more videos.
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