AP WORLD

What is the main idea of Chapter 5?

Classical civilizations all had social hierarchies and patriarchy, but inequality was organized differently in different societies.

How was inequality mainly organized in China?

Through class, government officials, landownership, and the scholar-gentry.

How was inequality mainly organized in India?

Through the caste system.

How was inequality especially important in Rome?

Through large-scale slavery.

What is patriarchy?

A social system in which men generally hold more power and authority than women.

Who had the highest social position in China?

Government officials.

Why did Chinese government officials have high status?

They had education, political power, prestige, and social privileges.

What did Emperor Wu Di create in 124 B.C.E.?

An imperial academy for future government officials.

What did students at Wu Di's imperial academy study?

The Confucian Classics and other subjects needed for government service.

What was the purpose of China's civil service exams?

To select men for government service.

Who could technically take the civil service exams?

Men from different social backgrounds.

Why did wealthy men have an advantage on the civil service exams?

They had more money, education, and time to study.

Did China have any social mobility?

Yes, some men could rise through education and government service.

What benefits came with becoming a government official?

Prestige, family honor, special clothing, carriages, and social privileges.

What is the connection between education and status in China?

Education could lead to government office, which brought prestige and power.

Why was land important in China?

Land was a major source of wealth.

How did large landowners gain power during the Han Dynasty?

They bought land from struggling peasants and built large estates.

What pressures caused peasants to lose land?

Population growth, taxes, debt, floods, crop failure, and other hardships.

What could powerful landlords sometimes do?

Avoid taxes, raise private armies, and challenge the state.

Who was Wang Mang?

A Chinese ruler who tried to reduce the power of wealthy landowners.

What years did Wang Mang rule?

8–23 C.E.

What reforms did Wang Mang attempt?

Nationalizing land, redistributing land, and limiting the size of landholdings.

Why did Wang Mang's reforms fail?

Wealthy elites strongly opposed him, and his rule collapsed.

What is the easiest way to remember Wang Mang?

Land reform and an attempt to weaken wealthy landlords.

What was the scholar-gentry?

A wealthy, educated Chinese elite combining landownership with government service.

What two things gave the scholar-gentry power?

Land gave them wealth, while education and government office gave them prestige.

Why did wealthy landowners dominate government service?

They could afford to educate their sons for the civil service exams.

What is an easy definition of scholar-gentry?

Educated government officials who were also wealthy landowners.

Who made up most of China's population?

Peasants.

What problems did Chinese peasants face?

Rent, taxes, military service, forced labor, floods, crop failures, and famine.

How much rent could some Han tenant farmers pay?

As much as two-thirds of their crops.

What could happen to peasants during hard times?

They could become beggars, bandits, or move to cities.

What was the Yellow Turban Rebellion?

A major peasant rebellion against the Han government.

When did the Yellow Turban Rebellion happen?

184 C.E.

About how many armed followers did the Yellow Turban movement have?

About 360,000.

What religious ideas influenced the Yellow Turbans?

Daoist ideas and rituals.

What did the Yellow Turbans hope for?

An age of equality and peace.

What happened to the Yellow Turban Rebellion?

The Han government crushed it.

Why was the Yellow Turban Rebellion still important even though it failed?

It weakened the Han state and contributed to the dynasty's decline.

What is the easiest way to remember the Yellow Turbans?

184 C.E. + peasants + Daoism + weakened Han.

How were peasants viewed in Chinese society?

Poor but morally respected because they produced food.

How were merchants viewed in Chinese society?

They could be wealthy but had low social status.

Why were merchants looked down on?

They were seen as dishonest, unproductive, and making money from other people's work.

How did the Chinese government restrict merchants?

It excluded them from government service and controlled some economic activities.

How could some wealthy merchants improve their family's status?

By educating their sons and moving toward elite society.

What is the key peasants vs. merchants comparison?

Peasants were poor but respected; merchants could be rich but looked down on.

What are the two most important parts of India's caste system?

Varna and jati.

What is varna?

The broad social categories of Indian society.

What is jati?

A smaller hereditary occupational and social group.

By about when was caste deeply established in India?

By about 500 B.C.E.

What are the four varnas from highest to lowest?

Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, Sudras.

Who were the Brahmins?

Priests and religious specialists.

Who were the Kshatriyas?

Warriors and rulers.

Who were the Vaisyas?

Commoners.

Who were the Sudras?

Laborers and servants.

Who were the Untouchables?

People outside the four-varna system who often performed work considered unclean or polluted.

What does "twice-born" mean in the caste system?

The top three varnas were considered twice-born.

Which three varnas were twice-born?

Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaisyas.

Which varna included kings?

Kshatriyas.

Why could Brahmins and Kshatriyas sometimes come into conflict?

Brahmins had religious authority while Kshatriyas had political and military authority.

How were jatis organized?

They were hereditary groups usually connected to occupations and local communities.

How many jatis eventually existed?

Hundreds and then thousands.

What social rules were connected to jati?

People usually married, ate, and worked within their jati.

What is the easiest way to compare varna and jati?

Varna = broad caste category; jati = smaller occupational/social group.

What does purity and pollution mean in the caste system?

Higher castes tried to avoid contact with work and people considered impure.

What jobs were considered especially polluting?

Handling corpses, cleaning latrines, and working with meat.

Did higher castes have special privileges?

Yes, they received privileges denied to lower-status groups.

What is karma?

The idea that past actions help determine a person's status and future rebirth.

What is dharma?

The duties a person is expected to fulfill based on their social position.

How did karma and dharma support caste?

They gave caste inequality a religious explanation and encouraged people to fulfill their assigned duties.

What positive functions did jatis provide?

Identity, community, social support, economic security, and help for vulnerable members.

How did jatis affect politics in India?

They handled many local needs, reducing dependence on a powerful central state.

How did caste help absorb new groups into Indian society?

New groups could be incorporated as new jatis.

What negative effects did caste have?

It reinforced inequality, justified exploitation, divided lower groups, and made large-scale resistance harder.

What is an important overall effect of caste?

It provided support while also maintaining social inequality.

How was China's social system different from India's?

China had more mobility through education and state service, while India's caste system was more hereditary and rigid.

What is the easiest China vs. India comparison?

China = class + state; India = caste + religion.

What are some possible origins of slavery mentioned in the chapter?

Warfare, social hierarchy, and patriarchy.

How did slavery change as civilizations and empires expanded?

It often became more important.

What does "social death" mean?

Slaves were treated as outsiders with few or no rights and were controlled by owners.

Was slavery equally important in China, India, and Rome?

No, it was much more important in Greece and Rome.

Where was slavery especially widespread?

The Mediterranean world, especially Greece and Rome.

How important was slavery in Roman society?

It was a major part of society and the economy.

About what percentage of the Italian Peninsula was enslaved?

About 33–40%.