The Wenz Academy - 4.7 Changing Social Hierarchies from 1450 to 1750

Casta Painting, 18th

With the arrival of the Europeans to your region, the social order is thrown all out of whack. So, there are bound to be changes to who is in charge. Now, I know this is supposed to be “Maritime Empires” time. But, this section also includes the social hierarchies of the Land Empires (Mughal Akbar’s Toleration and the Manchus treatment of the Han in China, and the treatment of the Jews in the Ottoman Empire). The most visually obvious social hierarchy here are the Castas of Latin America. But, it’s not just the organization: There are entirely new groups of elites that emerge. Needless to say, the order of society is changing everywhere in this period (1450-1750).

4.7 AMSCO Chapter

4.7 CED (AP's Required Content)

4.7 Long Read: The Casta System

Objective:
M. Explain how social categories, roles, and practices have been maintained or have changed over time.

Themes:
M. SIO (Social Interactions and Organization )

Skills:

Casta paintings used labels and visual details such as different skin tones, dress, occupations, and settings to distinguish ethnicity and to signal economic and class divisions.

A boyar was a member of the highest social rank in Russian empire. They occupied the highest military posts and bureaucratic offices.

M. SIO
Explain how social categories, roles, and practices have been maintained or have changed over time.

Historical Development
Many states, such as the Mughal and Ottoman empires, adopted practices to accommodate the ethnic and religious diversity of their subjects or to utilize the economic, political, and military contributions of different ethnic or religious groups. In other cases, states suppressed diversity or limited certain groups’. Examples of groups who received differential treatment in society, politics, or the economy include the expulsion of Jews from Spain and Portugal starting in 1492y; yet, they were accepted in the Ottoman Empire. In addition, there was restrictive policies against Han Chinese in Qing China. There was also varied status of different classes of women within the Ottoman Empire.

Due to the 'commercial revolution' and various European colonial conquests vast new wealth was generated and instigated the formation of new 'elite' political and economic class; including both in China with the transition to the Qing Dynasty, and in the Americas with the rise of the Casta system. This new elite class would challenge the existing the political and social systems. Examples of these new elites include; Ottoman's Timar system, Russian boyar, and the European nobility.