Meritocracy

Meritocracy, or simply Merit is an ideology based on the talent and effort on individuals instead of the individual's wealth and placement in the social class. The way of advancing in this system is by performance and achievement.

History
Meritocracy was first used in China in the 6th century BCE, when it was supported by Confucius. The Qin and Han dynasties used this system for power over their empires, it helped them keep their complex system of Chinese officials.

In the 13th century, the Mongol Empire was reliant on Meritocracy, where soldiers promote to a higher rank based on their merits. After the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Aristocracy later replaced the current systems in the Yuan Dynasty and Ilkhanate. The other remainder Mongol states Golden Horde and Chagatai Khanate kept this system.

The term Meritocracy was coined by Michael Young in 1958 in the novel The Rise of Meritocracy.