india and china
... land had to offer that enabled them to expand their economy. Later both areas enforced taxes to uphold the lands and to keep the economy efficient. In addition, India and China both established a society that relied on the river as a source of life; however, expansion increased in different ways for both the societies. India and China explored ways to organize their society into social classes and systems that would suit the society and allow those with power to rule as the government. India created the system known as the Caste; this arrangement was hereditary so that it enabled the higher members of society to uphold their position through generations. The order of the Caste is as follows: at the top were the Brahman priests, then the warriors and administrators of the government, next the farmers and workers, and finally the sudras or the slaves. The outcasts of the society held no position in the Caste. The Aryans occupied the first three sections of this system. The Caste developed due to the Indian beliefs about religion, one example of Caste placing dealt with the amount of karma one soul holds; if there existed much karma the lower on the Caste they were placed. The Caste had disadvantages within Indian society because it kept the area and people disunited because of the placement within the Caste, which could be viewed as unequal. Meanwhile, China developed a system of social status as well. As where the priest existed as the high member of society in India, China did not evolve a group of priests instead the head of the family acted as prayer leader. The rulers of China organized themselves into dynasties. The first three ancient dynasties of China were: Hsia (2205-1766 B.C.E.), Shang (1766-1050 B.C.E), and the Chou (1050-256 B.C.E.) (pg. 22). Within these dynasties the king held all power and was considered the aristocracy; however, they were not considered divine but were said to be the high priest of the state. In addition, the military was considered a part of the aristocracy also. The Shang was one of the most famous dynasties in Chinese history. “ The three most notable features of Shang China were writing, bronzes, and the appearances of social classes,” (pg. 23). The Chou was a dynasty yet was not as profound as the Shang. The people of Chou were said to be less civilized and more violently warlike than those of the Shang. The Chou brought the Mandate of Heaven into recognition, this meant heaven must “O.K.” the ruler of the dynasty. Furthermore, as in Indian society the Aryans held the high standing, the Chinese felt that the human race was the only one that existed a difference in skin color or other features did not matter. In addition, India based social standards on ancestry like China. However, India did not rule through dynastic means, rather they faithfully followed the system of the Caste. The Caste based society on religious status while China was led by those with the highest rank of power. Both societies developed systems for ruling their own civilization and they each made power hereditary to keep strength within the powerful members of society. The role of the family was of importance in each society, but especially within the region of China. In India, the Caste held the importance as the family did in China. Like the Caste of the Indians, the family of the Chinese had to be eminently respected. If a member of the family did not ask advice from the ancestors the result would be disastrous for the family. The most powerful member of the family was the older male and he was to be the most honored. The family followed philosophers like Confucius for guidance. As for moral teachings, the Chinese put trust in the government. The Indian family was once more integrated into society through means of the Caste. Family members could possibly hold different standings, and this sometimes disunited the institution of family. Family was not as much respected throughout the Indian sector of the world. However, like in China if a family was considered aristocracy, each member of the family held a principal position to others in the culture. The role of women in each culture is interesting to the normal American way of life where the women have a definite stand in culture and have gained equality throughout the years. In ancient India and China the role of women had differing aspects compared to the American treatment of women. Both of these countries displayed clearly defined roles for both the men and women of India and China. As stated earlier, the Chinese believed the family to be the foundation of everything therefore the women acted as mother, caretaker, and domestic doer. In the world of ancient India, the subordination of wives to husbands was expected. At one point in Indian history, women were even ranked low in the Caste just because of their gender. Indian women were to be covered in public, unlike in China. During the period of Confucianism, women were not depicted as biologically inferior; however, a woman could increase her place in the family hierarchy if she bore a male offspring. Throughout both of these cultures, women were not treated nearly as reputable as the men. Today, these areas of the world may remain true to some ...