Was there a “literate class” outside the Shi in Zhou-dynasty China?

History

Did the Zhou Dynasty have social classes?

The Zhou Dynasty used a feudal system known as “fengjian,” which translates as “establishment,” to create a power hierarchy. Below the king were nobles, then a gentry upper-class, and merchants. Laborers and peasants were the largest population and made up the bottom of the social order.
 

What were the three classes of Zhou society?

During Zhou rule, the kings set up a social structure with three classes—the king and his family, noble families, and peasant families.
 

What was life like during the Zhou Dynasty?

Like other river valley civilizations of the time, the people under the Zhou Dynasty followed patriarchal roles. Men chose which children would be educated and whom their daughters were married. The household usually consisted of the head male, his wife, his sons and unmarried daughters.

How was Zhou society different from Shang society?

While the Shang dynasty encouraged the arts and humanities, the Zhou family promoted science and mathematics. The Shang clan ruled with a system of central government, while the Zhou established independent feudal states, allowing power to local rulers instead.

Who was the lowest social class in China?

The lowest social group in Ancient China was slaves. Split into two groups, privately-owned or government-owned slaves, they led a powerless existence.

Who was the lowest class in Ancient China?

The lowest class, according to ancient Chinese society, was merchants and traders. Merchants and traders, because of their occupation, could sometimes make far more money than either farmers or artisans, but were considered lower than the other two as they did not produce anything of worth.
 

What were the 2 social classes in Ancient China?

From the Qin dynasty to the late Qing dynasty (221 B.C.E.- C.E. 1840), the Chinese government divided Chinese people into four classes: landlord, peasant, craftsmen, and merchant. Landlords and peasants constituted the two major classes, while merchants and craftsmen were collected into the two minor.

What was the highest ranked class in Zhou society?

The king and his family were placed on the top most level of the ancient Chinese social pyramid. These people were the most respected, owned the largest amount of land and the people in the entire kingdom. The Shi were the gentry scholars in the time of ancient Zhou and Shang dynasties.
 

What are the four classes in China?

Beginning about the fourth century B.C., ancient texts describe Chinese society as divided into four classes: the scholar elite, the landowners and farmers, the craftsmen and artisans, and the merchants and tradesmen.



What kind of political and social system did the Zhou have?

The government of the Zhou was based on the feudal system. The emperor divided the land into fiefs that were usually ruled by his relatives. The nobles who ruled the fiefs basically owned the farmers who worked their lands.

What was the highest ranked class in Zhou society?

The king and his family were placed on the top most level of the ancient Chinese social pyramid. These people were the most respected, owned the largest amount of land and the people in the entire kingdom. The Shi were the gentry scholars in the time of ancient Zhou and Shang dynasties.
 

Which dynasty created social class in Ancient China?

As early as the Zhou Dynasty (c. 1046 to 256 BC), all of the people in China were assigned to one of four social groups, also known as social ‘classes’.

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