Euroasian Social Hierarchies600 BCE-600 CE

Classical China

Early on, Chinese rulers searched to find administrators loyal to the central state rather than to certain regions. Chosen based on merit.

The Han Dynasty (est. 200 BCE) required each province to send men of promise to be chosen for official positions.

This system evolved into the world’s first professional service = bureaucracy

Chinese Society

124 BCE, Wu Di established the first imperial academy where candidates were trained as scholars.

By the end of Han, it enrolled over 30,000 students who were subjected to a series of written examinations = civil service examinations

Continued into the 20th century…How did wealth play a part in their

selection?

When the Qin dynasty unified China (210 BCE) most land was held by small scale peasants and farmers.

Wang Mang, official of the Han, attempted to launch major reforms to re-create the Golden Age in which peasant farmers could once again be the backbone of Chinese society.

Proved impossible!

The privileged class – lived a lavish lifestyle. Benefited from the wealth of their estates, expensive education and their membership in the official elite.

Multistoried houses, finest silk, carriages, etc…

Scholar-Gentry

In the eyes of the SG, peasants were the backbone of the country.

Most vulnerable classSubject to nature’s wrathState officials required payment of taxes,

conscription of young men.Tenant farmersConditions provoked periodic rebellions

throughout the past 2000 years.

Peasants

Massive peasant uprising-360,000!Wandering bands of peasants joined together

as floods along the Yellow river caused havoc.Unifying ideology of DaoismLooked forward to the Great Peace – an age

of equality, harmony, and common ownership.

Yellow Turban Rebellion 184CE

Did not enjoy the same esteem of the SG.Viewed as unproductive and making shameful

profits off the backs of others.Han movements to suppress merchants – no

silk, ride horses, carry armsCould not sit for the civil service exams.Despite discrimination they continued to be

quite wealthy

Merchants

Differences with China Separate, distinct and hierarchically ranked

social groupsSimilarities with China

Birth determined statusLittle social mobilityReligious traditions defined inequalities as

natural/eternal

Indian Society

Casta – “race” or “purity of blood”Brought by the Aryans from the north.By 500 BCE society was divided into 4 ranked

classes known as varna.You were born into your cast – for life.

Caste System

Top 3 classes = pure Aryan/ Sudras = native peoples in subordinate

positions. Not allowed to hear or repeat the Vedas or take part in Aryan rituals.

New category emerged - untouchables

Over time, the different social distinctions regarding occupation arose and blended with the varna system to create India’s classical caste based society– this was known as jati.

Basically this created “sub-castes”.

ChinaElevated political officials to elite positionsCategories of society – SG, landlords, peasants,

and merchantsIndia

Gave priority to religious status and ritual purity

Caste system – far more rigid

India vs. China

Class inequalities of early civilizations made possible the idea of people owning people.

Slavery defined:Ownership by masterPossibility of being soldWork without payStatus of outsiderBottom of hierarchy

Slavery in the Classical Age= Social Death

Slavery in ChinaMinor1% of populationConvicted criminals (Han)Sell childrenNever widespread and not significant to

history

Slavery in Euroasia

Slavery in IndiaCriminalsDebtorsPrisoners of warReligious laws protected slaves – couldn’t be

abandoned in old ageCould own property in spare time

RomeLarger scale than Greece2-3 million slaves (33-40% pop)

GreeceSlave societyAthens = 60,000 slaves (1/3 pop)Never became citizens or own landTaxed

Slavery in Western World

Greatest division in human society is that of men and women.

Used to determine roles and positions in society.Since first civilizations, patriarchal systems

developed.Men regarded as superior to women and sons

preferred over daughters.Men = property rightsFrequently men could marry more than one wife.However, different in urban (classical) settings

rather than in rural (agricultural) settings.

Patriarchies of the Classical Era

Patriarchy in China

During the Han Dynasty, views became more explicitly patriarchal, more clearly defined.

Yang = masculine, heavenly, strengthYin = feminine, earth, weakness, emotionWomen

“3 obediences”Subordination to fatherSubordination to husbandSubordination to son

Patriarchy in China

Much changed in China after the fall of the Han in 200 CE. Centralized gov’t vanished amid political

fragmentation and conflict.Nomadic people from the north invaded China

and ruled a number of the small states.Confucianism was discredited, while Daoism

and Buddhism flourished.

THESE NEW CONDITIONS RESULTED IN LOOSENING THE PATRIARCHY SYSTEM FOR A WHILE.

Patriarchy was weakened in a variety of ways:In the Tang dynasty 618-907 CE writers and

artists depicted women as more powerful.Empress Wu – only woman to ever wuled China

with the title of Emperor. Some actions seemed designed to deliberately elevate the position of women.

Popularity of Daoism

Patriarchy did not end however…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWb7Rvvtblc

&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

Please pay close attention to pages 255-259