“Confucianism” is a Western term used to describe the Chinese literati tradition, known by various terms, such as “rujia” (meaning “school of the scholars”) in Chinese.
Confucianism thus describes the tradition of social values and ritual practices that had been embodied in the imperial system for many centuries.
In this system, those who sought positions in the state bureaucracy had to undergo training and pass exams that effectively enforced adherence to the Confucian tradition.
This system of imperial bureaucracy was exported to other countries of East Asia in ancient times.
The imperial exam system was abolished in 1905, as China was attempting to reform its sociopolitical system in line with modernization.