Chapter 6: Social Hierarchies

Eurasian Social Hierarchies is the title for chapter six in Ways of the World. The chapter describes how China, India, and Rome established hierarchies within their civilizations. To begin, I will describe how China developed their hierarchy. They first created an examination for the civilians to take so that they would be able to find a job. If one did not take the examination, they would be considered low class. Within this examination, hierarchies were already created. By providing jobs for the one’s who passed the exam, meant that they have the opportunity to be wealthy and own their own slave. The majority of China was not able to take the exam causing the lower class to be the majority of the society. Another hierarchy is represented in this civilization. It is the duty of the landlords. Landlords were able to sell land and profit of off it. They were the elite of China, known as “ scholar-gentry.” China was not the only civilization that created hierarchies, but it is one that I found most interesting.