Wang Mang
Drawing of Wang Mang
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Wang Mang was a high court official of the Han dynasty who ursurped the the emperor’s throne and launched a series of reforms. He believed in re-creating the golden era of China by making small-scale peasent farmers the backbone of the society. He also gave out estates to the landless which eventually led to his assassination.
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China’s scholar-gentry class
Yellow Turban Rebellion
Caste as varna and jati
Brahmins were priests that were highly respected and valued
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The system of varna was divided into four classes - Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors/rulers), Vaisya (commoners), and Sudras (servants). Jatis were occupational groups that bended with the varna system.
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Ritual purity in Indian social practice
This shows how ritual purity was classified
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Originating from the Portuguese word casta, it means race or purity of blood which translates into the caste system in India in that twice born groups have much more purity than others.
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Greek and Roman slavery
Slaves serving their masters
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In both Greece and Rome, slavery played a huge role in everyone’s lives to such an extent that they could be described as slave societies. It was normal for almost every family of free people to have at least 1 or 2 slaves. These slaves could own their own land and their masters had to thouroghly protect them.
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Spartacus
The “Three Obediences”
Empress Wu
Aspasia and Pericles
Busts of Aspasia and Pericles
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Aspasia was a lady from Anatolia that found her way to Athens and attracted the attention of Pericles who was the leading political figure at that time. After Pericles’s death, Aspasia quickly adapted and moved through the Athenian community with more freedom than most other women but was cosidered something similar to a Japanese geisha.
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