organisation of society

1. Chapter Five
OrganisationOrganisation of Societyof Society
Chapter 5 Slide 1

2. Learning Objectives
1. What is a social system?
2. How were the social systems in
ancient India, China and Southeast
Asia different/similar?
3. What were the strengths and/or
weaknesses of each social system?
Chapter 5 Slide 2

3. THE CLASS
COMMITTEE

4. THINK PAIR SHARETHINK PAIR SHARE
 Why do you think a class committee isWhy do you think a class committee is
necessary?necessary?
 What would happen if everyone in classWhat would happen if everyone in class
was a monitor?was a monitor?

5. Chapter 5 Slide 3
What do you see
in the picture?
Can you identify
different groups
of people in the
picture?
What do they
share in
common?

6. What Is a Society?
A group of people ruled by
the same government,
sharing common needs
forms a society
Chapter 5 Slide 4

7. What Is a Social System?
The way in which members of
a society organise themselves
into groups and specialise in
different jobs
Chapter 5 Slide 5

8. What Is a Hierarchy?
It is the system by which people
are ranked according to their
wealth and power. It takes the
form of a pyramid.
People who share similar
occupations within this pyramid
are known as a social class.
Chapter 5 Slide 6

9. Society in India
 Social classes were introduced by
Aryans in c. 1500 B.C.E
 4 varnas (classes):
kshatriyas
brahmins
vaishyas
shudras
Chapter 5 Slide 7

10.  Shudras considered impure because
they did not speak the pure Sanskrit
used by the higher classes
 Brahmins replaced kshatriyas as the
most highly ranked class
 Varnas later divided in jatis 500 B.C.E
— creation of the caste system
Chapter 5 Slide 8

11. Strict division of ancient Indian
society into classes based on
specific occupations
What Is the Caste
System?
Chapter 5 Slide 9
A brahmin advising a
kshatriya on how to rule
A vaishya selling
his wares

12.  Members of a specific caste had a
specific occupation
 Members were born into a caste and
could not take up an occupation not
assigned to their caste
 Members had to marry within their
caste
 Caste was hereditary
The Caste System
Chapter 5 Slide 10

13.  By 1000 CE, there were about 3 000
castes
 Another group of people introduced,
known as the pariahs (untouchables)
 These people did not have proper
jobs — primitive jungle people
Chapter 5 Slide 11

14. The Caste Pyramid
pariah (outcastes)pariah (outcastes)
kshatriyaskshatriyas warriors, rulers
vaishyasvaishyas merchants, farmers
craftsmen, labourers
Chapter 5 Slide 12
brahminsbrahmins priests, scholars, teachers
shudrasshudras

15. You Be the Judge!!
Plus, Minus and Interesting Points of the
Caste System
1. Brought order to society
2. Everyone knew his or her role
3. Gave members a sense of belonging
4. Did not allow people to change their caste,
even if they were capable or talented
Chapter 5 Slide 13

16. Chinese Society During
the Shang Dynasty
(1523–1027 BCE)
Chapter 5 Slide 14
The ruling class
(King, priests,
feudal shi)
The working class
(farmers, soldiers, craftsmen)

17. Chinese Society During
the Zhou Dynasty
(1027–221 BCE)
working
class
Ruling class
scholars
farmers
craftsmen
traders
Chapter 5 Slide 15
kings, priests,
feudal shis

18. Evolution of the Shi
Class
Chapter 5 Slide 16

19. Shang Dynasty
(1523–1027 BCE)
 Shi given land in return for supporting
the king
 Land passed down from father to son
 A shi estate can be large — included
armies and farmers
Chapter 5 Slide 17

20. Qin Dynasty
(221–210 BCE)
 Qin Shihuang took away the armies
and land (estates) of the shi class
 Shi became appointed officials whose
job was to look after the provinces for
the Emperor
 They did not own the land they
looked after
Chapter 5 Slide 18

21. Han Dynasty
(202 BCE–220 CE)
 Becoming a shi now depended on
one’s performance in the Imperial Civil
Service Examinations set by the
government
 Origins of system of meritocracy — a
system whereby people are given
positions and rewards based on their
ability
Chapter 5 Slide 19

22. What Is Social Mobility?
In China, meritocracy
allowed people to move
from one class to another.
The ability to move from
one class to another is
known as social mobility.
Chapter 5 Slide 20

23. You Be the Judge!!
Plus, Minus and Interesting Points of the Social
System in China
1. Brought order to society
2. Everyone knew his or her role
3. Gave members a sense of belonging
4. Allowed people who passed the civil service
examinations to achieve social mobility
5. Women were not allowed to take the examinations
Chapter 5 Slide 21

24. Society in Southeast Asia
A Tribal Society
 A tribe is a group of people who
1. trace their roots to a common
ancestor
2. have a common language and
culture
 Led by chiefs, lived in villages
Chapter 5 Slide 22

25. Tribal Village to Port City
ruling class
(king, his famiily
and nobles)
trading and priestly
class
(traders and priests)
working class
(farmers, craftsmen, fishermen)
The Melaka Sultanate (1411–1503 CE)
Chapter 5 Slide 23

26. In the Khmer kingdom, there were
slaves who farmed and built temples
The class system in Southeast Asia
was flexible
Chapter 5 Slide 24

27. Learning OutcomesLearning Outcomes
Chapter 5 Slide 25
1. A social system is …
2. Ancient India was organised into…
Ancient China was organised into…
Ancient Southeast Asia was
organised into…
3. The strengths and/or weaknesses
of each system are…