Firstly, lets start with a few Questions and Answers!
1) What is a society?
A society is a group of people who live under the same government and share the same common needs.
2) What is a hierarchy?
A hierarchy is the ranking of classes in a social system.
3) What is a caste system?
A caste system is the strict division of Indian society into classes based on one and more specific occupations.
4) What is a social class?
A social class is a level in a social system consisting of a group of people who share similar occupations.
5)What is a social system?
It is the way in which members of a society organise themselves into groups and specialise in different jobs in order to produce what they need.
6) What is social mobility?
Social Mobility is a term to describe the ease with which people can move out of the social classes they are born in.
7) What is meritocracy?
Meritocracy is the system in which people are given positions and rewards based on their abilities.
8) What is a tribe?
A tribe is small and closely related groups staying together in a small area, such as a village.
- Aryans came up with a system of grouping people.
- At that time, the system was flexible. There were three classes.
- The highest ranked class was the kshatriyas (warriors and rulers).
- Followed by the brahmins (priests, scholars and teachers).
- The lowest ranked class was the vaishyas (traders, farmers and landowners)
- Soon, the kshatriyas were replaced with brahmins as the highest ranked class.
- This was so as the brahmins were the only ones who could read holy books as well as conduct religious ceremonies.
During c. 500 BCE, varnas were divided into smaller groups which are called castes. Soon, a new group called the 'untouchables' were formed. They were highly discriminated and were the lowest - ranked class. This was because, they had occupations such as skinning animals and carrying dead bodies.
The social system in ancient India after 500BCE
Key Features Of Ancient India's Social System
- Varna system in ancient India
- Kshatriyas - warriors and rulers
- Brahmins - priests, scholars and teachers
- Vaishyas - traders, farmers and landowners
- Shudras - 'impure' non-Aryans
- Caste System (c.500 BCE - 1000 BCE)
- Brahmin varna replaces kshatriya varna at top of hierarchy
- Shudra varna was reserved for labourers and craftsmen
- division of varnas into several thousands of castes (jatis), each following a specific occupation (e.g. carpenter)
- addition of class of "untouchables" - slaves and performers of impure work
Strengths of the caste system
- brought order to society by giving everybody a distinct role.
- gave members of each caste a sense of belonging to a 'little community' .
Limitations of the caste system
- prevented social mobility by members of lower caste even if they were talented.
- maintained idea of 'impurity' of lower castes
China
There were 2 classes during the Shang Dynasty:
- Ruling class - king, priests, feudal shi
- Shi were given land and authority in exchange for loyalty and tributes.
- Land contained extended families and thousands of soldiers, farmers, priests, traders, craftsmen and scholars.
- Working class (commoners) - farmers, soldiers, craftsmen
There were 5 classes during the Zhou Dynasty:
- Ruling class
- The population explosion led to an expansion of the working class into 4 smaller classes:
- Scholars - well respected for their knowledge
- Farmers
- Craftsmen
- Traders - did not produce anything, living off others' hard work
Change and continuity in ancient China during the Shang dynasty (1523-1027 BCE) and Zhou dynasty (1523-221 BCE)
During the Qin Dynasty, the power of the shi was removed:
- land divided into imperial provinces
- ruling powers removed, replaced by officials who did not own the land
- armies taken away
During the Han Dynasty, the Imperial Civil Service Examinations was introduced, and becoming a shi no longer depended on family connections but on intelligence and ability. This allowed capable men from lower castes to become scholar-officials and advance in society.
- Strengths of examination-based entry into scholar class
- promoted meritocracy (social mobility according to ability)
- usually only sons of wealthy families could prepare for the examinations
- women were not eligible to sit for the examinations
- Key Features of Ancient China's Social System
Shang Dynasty (1523-1027 BCE)
2 broad social classes:
- Ruling class (king, priests and feudal shi)
- Working class
- Zhou Dynasty (1027-221 BCE)
Working classes divided into 4 distinct and ranked sub-classes:
- Scholars
- Farmers
- Craftsmen
- Traders
- Han Dynasty (202 BCE-220 CE)
Entry into shi class depended on success in Imperial Civil Service Examinations
Southeast Asia
In heavily forested Southeast Asia, the tribe became the basic social grouping, led by the tribal chief.
- Each tribe was made of closely related people who had a common ancestor.
- They were mostly hunters, rice farmers and sailors, and had a strong sense of belonging to a common culture.
By 200 CE, the tribal villagers had become port cities, and a new social system based on 3 classes was devised to organise the new jobs that were created :
- The ruling class - royal family and nobles
- In the Melaka Sultanate, they participated in trade and were also members of the trading class.
- The trading and priestly class
- Local business-owners
- Foreign traders from India and China
* Special officials were appointed to take care of this class.
- The working class
- It was possible for these commoners to set up their own
businesses and join the trading class, and many local legends contain such
accounts. - Mainland kingdoms (e.g. Khmer) sometimes had an additional class of slaves, who were captured during wars with other kingdoms.
Strengths of the ancient Southeast Asian social system :
- high social mobility
- occupational flexibility (e.g. kings and nobles could also be traders)
- equality of women with men
Limitations of the ancient Southeast Asian social system :
- slavery in some mainland kingdoms
Early Villages
- Tribes headed by chiefs
Later Kingdoms
3 or 4 broad social classes :
- Ruling class
- Trading class
- Working class
- Slave class (in the Khmer Kingdom)
References
- The Living Past Textbook
- Companions Guide To The Living Past
Lastly, we would like to thank Mrs Prem & 1R2 for their guidance and support.
Thank You Very Much!
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