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Classical Social Hierarchies and Buddhism
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Classical Social Hierarchies and Buddhism
APWH C1S2
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1
Question
What historical assumption determined career, power, and social privileges in most societies before modern Western norms?
Answer
Lawful social hierarchy based on family position
2
Question
Which caste system was the most rigid and complex in allotting occupations, resources, and status?
Answer
Indian caste system
3
Question
Were classical civilizations' social hierarchies fluid or fixed?
Answer
Fixed hierarchies with limited mobility
4
Question
In China, could a person of low origins rise to great status?
Answer
Yes, but mobility was limited; rags-to-riches were rare
5
Question
What distinction did Chinese thinkers emphasize between social groups?
Answer
Scholar-gentry elite vs. common people
6
Question
Which Greek city attempted to extend equality to all citizens, though most people were not citizens?
Answer
Athens
7
Question
Who were often enslaved or in servitude in classical Greek society?
Answer
Non-citizens; slaves
8
Question
Who had political participation and full talents usage in many classical city-states?
Answer
Free males of the city-states
9
Question
How were these social hierarchies commonly upheld across societies?
Answer
By creation myths and religious beliefs claiming divine origins
10
Question
What were rulers obligated to defend according to these hierarchies?
Answer
The established social order
11
Question
What happened to those who challenged the social system?
Answer
Outcast, exile, punishment, or death
12
Question
What did individuals owe to their allotted place in the hierarchy?
Answer
Duties and obligations; no focus on rights or personal desires
13
Question
What did males and females have to subordinate to?
Answer
Family, clan, community, or social superiors
14
Question
What was the reciprocal benefit for accepting one's place in the hierarchy?
Answer
Material sustenance and a social slot
15
Question
Which religious system developed in Classical India and opposed the caste system?
Answer
Buddhism
16
Question
What did Buddhists object to in Indian society?
Answer
The caste system and priestly rituals
17
Question
What did Buddhism emphasize as a path to spiritual advancement?
Answer
Meditation and spirituality
18
Question
What was Buddhism's view on Hindu ritual emphasis?
Answer
Rejection of caste and ritual emphasis
19
Question
What happened to Buddhism in India over time?
Answer
Later favored Hinduism; Buddhism declined in subcontinent
20
Question
Where did Buddhism gain new audiences outside India?
Answer
Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and Japan
21
Question
How did classical India's religious focus affect political structures?
Answer
Downplayed political structures; many small states and loose empires
22
Question
What was a key difference between India and other classical civilizations in terms of political organization?
Answer
No large Indian political system; fragmentation continued until 1947
23
Question
Which term in the text refers to a scholarly Chinese aristocracy formed by marital linkage?
Answer
scholar-gentry
24
Question
Which major world religion in India emphasized spirituality over caste and ritual?
Answer
Buddhism
25
Question
What is the central focus of Buddhism as described here?
Answer
Spiritual advancement through meditation and reincarnation goals
26
Question
Why did Indian rulers eventually favor Hinduism over Buddhism?
Answer
To consolidate political authority and align with majority beliefs
27
Question
What is the relationship between caste and social status in classical India according to the text?
Answer
Caste determined occupation, resources, and status
28
Question
What role did “divine origins” play in enforcing social hierarchies?
Answer
They justified and protected the social order
29
Question
How did the classical civilizations view the rights of common people, slaves, and non-elites?
Answer
Limited rights; participation and opportunity were restricted
30
Question
What happened to those who did not accept their allotted place?
Answer
Social exclusion or harsher penalties