Ancient China

Life in Ancient China:

Main Idea: Chinese society had three main social classes: landowning aristocrats, farmers, and merchants.

A social class includes individuals who share a similar position in society. Early Chinese society had three main social classes:

• landowning aristocrats

• peasant farmers

• merchants

Classes in Chinese Society China’s aristocratic families owned large estates in early China. They lived in large houses with tile roofs, courtyards, and gardens. Fine furniture and silk hangings filled their rooms, and walls surrounded their houses to keep out bandits.

The aristocratic families did not own large estates for long. Each aristocrat divided his land among his sons. As a result, sons and grandsons owned much less property than their fathers and grandfathers had owned.

Aristocrats relied on farmers to grow the crops that made them rich. About nine out of ten Chinese were farmers. They lived in simple houses inside village walls. The aristocrats owned the fields outside the village walls. In these fields, farmers in northern China grew wheat and a grain called millet. In the south, where the climate was warmer and wetter, they were able to grow rice. To pay for land use, the farmers gave part of their crops to the landowners.

Most farmers also owned a small piece of land where they grew food for their families. A typical family ate fish, turnips, beans, wheat or rice, and millet. The farmers had to pay taxes and work one month each year building roads and helping on other big government projects. In wartime, the farmers also served as soldiers.

In Chinese society, farmers ranked above merchants. The merchant social class included shopkeepers, traders, and bankers. The merchants lived in towns and provided goods and services to the landowners.

Many merchants became immensely wealthy, but landowners and farmers still looked down on them. Chinese leaders believed that government officials should not be concerned with money. As a result, merchants were not allowed to have government jobs.

What Was Life Like in a Chinese Family? The family was the basic building block of Chinese society. Because farming in ancient China required many workers, people had large families to help produce more goods and become wealthier. Even the young children of a family worked in the fields. Older sons raised their own crops and provided food for their parents. Chinese families also took care of people in need—the aged, the young, and the sick.

Chinese families practiced filial piety (FIH • lee • uhl PY • uh • tee). This meant that children had to respect their parents and older relatives. Family members placed the needs and desires of the head of the family before their own. The head of the family was the oldest male, usually the father. However, a son could take on this role, and then even his mother had to obey him.

Men and women had very different roles in early China. Men were respected because they grew crops. They went to school, ran the government, and fought wars. The Chinese considered these jobs more important than the work that women did.

Chinese women could not hold government posts. However, women in the royal court could influence government decisions. Wives of rulers or women in the royal family often convinced men in power to see things their way. Although their role was limited, women also had an important influence in the home. Most women raised children and saw to their education. Many women also managed the family finances.