Life during the Middle Ages in China

1. Life in
China
during
the
Middle
Ages

2. Lesson Objective:
Students should be able to identify the social
features of Chinese society during Middle Ages and
be able to draw comparison with other societies

3. Imperial China
Imperial China dates back
to the 3rd century BCE
when the first emperor Qin
ruled over China. He is
famous for beginning the
construction of the Great
Wall of China and the
burying of the terracotta
warriors in and around his
tomb. Imperial China
lasted from this time up
until the beginning of the
20th century.

7. China as a
Middle Kingdom
Ancient Chinese
believed they were in
the middle of the
world, surrounded by
natural barriers on all
sides, the Chinese
thought of
themselves as
"Zhong Guo" — the
Middle Kingdom.

8. Social Hierarchy
of Chinese
Society
Ancient China was
divided into social
classes and standard
of life varied in the
society based on the
social status of people.
Social classes - Ancient
China - LibGuides at
Mount Clear College

9. Chinese Society Vs Egyptian Society

10. Chinese Society Vs Egyptian Society

11. Golden Age of
China under
Song Dynasty
Ruled between 960 and 1279 CE
Economically the developments
during the era were significant in
the areas of printing, agriculture
and metal work. The Song Dynasty
was also the first to utilize
gunpowder in conflict. A range of
innovations demonstrate that this
was an advanced society during
the Middle Ages

12. Golden Age of
China under
Song Dynasty
Some of these
advancements
included improvements
in agriculture,
development of
moveable type, uses
for gunpowder,
invention of a
mechanical clock,
superior shipbuilding,
the use of paper
money, compass
navigation, and
porcelain production.

13. Confucianism
The Chinese society is very much cultivated with
Confucius ideology.

14. Women in the Society
Women’s role and status was inferior
to that of men’s in the society.
One of the traditions established
during the Song Dynasty was foot
binding for women.
Foot binding was a painful process
that involved tightly wrapping the feet
of young girls to prevent them from
growing normally.
This practice led to disability and
restricted movement for women who
underwent foot binding. However, it
was considered as a symbol of wealth
and status.