As the second wave of civilizations inhabited our world, s did the growth of inequalities in Eurasia and North Africa. Chapter five in our text book, provides details of inequalities that further evolved in China, India, Greece, and Rome. Interestingly enough, each of these counties developed their own structure of society which simultaneously took on massive inequalities.
In China, society was structured around the wealthy males. Political power and state officials came with a prestige social status. Primarily the wealthy males were trained as a potential officer,and those who passed the test could be selected as an official. “After passing the examination, which shows something of fame and fortune that awaited an accomplished student as well as the continuing loyalty to family and home that ideally marked those who succeeded” (Strayer 22). Clearly at this time in China, the teachings of Confucius were highly influential; as society was structured around educating officials yet maintaing the value of one’s family, two thing the Confucius strongly emphasized in his teachings. The vast majority of the population was not these wealthy officials, but peasants. Peasants are not slaves but people who were extremely poor owning little to no land. Because the peasant population was so immense, rebellions often broke out. The Yellow Turban Rebellion was the strongest and most massive rebellion, which sought for great peace or equality. Although they did not get exactly what they were looking for, they did manage to weaken the economy and overall states in China. What I found most interesting was the the peasants were actually honored and celebrated in the official ideology of the sate. The peasants were considered the backbone of the country, while peasants were viewed as scum. Merchants did not starts rebellions, but were regarded as selfish , luxury-loving, and materialistic. Merchant were thought to unfairly gain their wealth, while impoverishing others.
Similarly to China, in India birth determined social status; however, the caste system was unique and original to India. I know that the cast system started with racial encounters between the light-skinned Aryan invaders and the dark-hued native people. These beginnings have evolved into a much more complex caste system, which I honestly find a bit confusing. From my understanding, at birth you are placed into one of the four caste system which you are pretty much stuck in for the remainder of you life. Hindu aspects definitely influence these Indian societies, as the particular caste you are born in reflects the good or bad deed of your previous life. Unlike China, Indian rebellions did not break out because the lower classes or peasants on the caste systems were divided. This made it difficult for the poor and oppressed to gain enough strength to begin a rebellion, depicting another aspect of that favored the wealthy or elite.
In the Roman Empire slavery was highly prevalent, as one third of the population were slaves. Even the poor throughout the Roman Empire had two to three slaves, which I found astonishing. Some slaves did have limited rights, some had no rights, and some were lucky enough to receive freedom from their masters. Due to the vast number of slaves, no role was off limits. THe slaves obtained countless roles that their master wished of them. When the slaves realized that they were a vast portion of the empire, they began a rebellion, The Rebellion of Spartacus. that lasted for two years. After the rebellion gained much success, but when its time came to an end, 6,000 rebel slaves were crucified. Thus reclaiming the elite as the ultimate rule over the empire.
The dynamic differences between the cities of Sparta and Athens is quite intriguing, in regards to their sense of structure and their opposing priorities. Athen and Sparta were both cities in Greece, yet had very different understands of a woman’s role in society. In Athens woman functioned to manage domestic affairs. They had little economic power and laws prohibited them to buy or sell land. Athens was a political centered city, giving woman “traditional” roles to assume. Sparta on the other hand was a military based city, meaning that men were often away in battles or training for war. This meant woman accumulated much more power. Woman were given the right to buy or sale land. As girls they were even encouraged to play sport, to strengthen their bodies for childbearing. Overall woman were offered greater freedom and were not segregated because they were an essential part of the Spartan life. Although the Spartan society emits gender egalitarianism, Sparta was clearly a patriarchy. However, I don’t find anything wrong with Sparta’s patriarchal system. As a woman I am not offended that the Spartan man use their woman for breeding machines, to create great warriors. In fact, if I had to live in any of the places mentioned in chapter five, it would most definitely be Sparta. There city worked in harmony to create a lifestyle that the people cherished, and most importantly both man and woman assumed vital roles within their society.
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