Deck 5: E: Society and Inequality in Eurasia

Question 1

Personal Reflection: Which classical empire's social hierarchy do you think would be the most stable? Why?

Answer 1

A strong answer should address the cultural and political underpinnings of a social hierarchy and the problem of rebellion or revolt in each society.
A particularly strong essay might consider why even those in the lower classes might support the social hierarchy,as with India's caste system,where one's jati might not have been at the top of the social hierarchy but at the same time was securely above other jatis.

Question 2

Comparative Analysis: In what ways did the social structures of classical civilizations change from those of the First Civilizations?

Answer 2

•The classical era brought no dramatic changes in the social structures of societies.Rather,it further strengthened cultural traditions and institutions that reinforced social inequality and patriarchy.
•Strong states like those of China and Rome served to strengthen social inequality and patriarchy.
•Also underpinning these changes was the development of classical belief systems such as the caste system in India,Confucian and Legalist philosophies in China,and Greek rationalism in the Mediterranean region.

Question 3

Comparative Analysis: In what ways were the contrasting political cultures of China and India reflected in their social hierarchies?

Answer 3

•India's fragmented political structure was mirrored in the local orientation of the jatis.The jatis,which were rooted in particular regions or villages,weakened the appeal or authority of larger all-Indian states.
•The importance of the powerful centralized imperial state in China is reflected in the relative importance of government officials in the social hierarchy.
•The relative importance of the priestly class in India compared to China is also reflected in their contrasting political cultures.In India,warriors and political rulers (the Kshatriya class)often competed with priests (the Brahmins)at the top of the social hierarchy.In China,no such priestly class existed.
A particularly strong answer might also contrast the belief systems that underpinned the states of both regions.Thus,it might note that Confucianism played a significant role both as a political ideology and as a force underpinning the social hierarchy in a manner similar to that of Hindu beliefs in India.

Question 4

Comparative Analysis: In what ways did the religions and philosophies of the classical period support the social structures of classical societies? In what ways did the religions and philosophies undermine those social structures?