Part 3 Eurasian Social Hierarchies

Unit 2

Part 3 Eurasian Social Hierarchies

Use the text and the following questions to prepare a 20 minute presentation on the assigned sections.Presentations should include an interactive component and a visual

China

1. Which group has represented the cultural and social elite in China for more than 2,000 years? Describe the lifestyle and benefits/perks of being a Chinese elite.

2. Owning what meant wealth in classical China? Why then did peasants have to sell their land to large landowners in China?

3. How did wealthy landowners challenge Chinese state authority?

4. What are the major components of Wang Mang’s reforms in China? Why did the reforms fail?

5. Rank the following groups, from top of the social hierarchy to bottom. For each, provide evidence to support why you have ranked them in this order:

merchants, landlords, government bureaucrats, peasant farmers

6. What was the cause and effect of the Yellow Although the Yellow Turban Rebellion?

India

1. Where does the word “caste” come from and what does it mean?

2. Describe the class system (varna), from top to bottom, explaining who was in each class and why, According to legend, how were the varnas formed?

3. Discuss the emergence of the untouchables and describe their continued plight.

3. Describe the stages of life, the duties within each stage and and example of a samkara ?

4. Assess the level of social mobility that existed in classical India. To what extent did people have the opportunity to move up or down in the social hierarchy? Include a explanation of how the rise of jatis (sub–castes ) effected social mobility.

6. Discuss the functions of caste in India

Slavery

1. Discuss the development and meaning of slavery?

2. Describe slavery in early China and India.

3. Assess the attitude and practice of slavery in Greek society

4.Discuss slavery in the Roman society

5. Compare Greco-Roman slavery from slavery in the New World?

6. List some ways in which slaves in the Roman Empire resisted their enslavement. Include a discussion of the slave rebellion led by Spartacus

Patriarchy

1. List and describe some common elements of patriarchal societies.

2. Use the following T chart to explain patriarchy in China

3. What were some the exceptions to the patriarchal system before the collapse of the Han?

4. Compare the patriarchies in Athens and Sparta

5. Explain the various reasons why Spartan women had more rights/freedoms than Athenian women.

6. Use two of the primary source documents to further the discussion on patriarchy in the Classical Era