Higharcy Tang and Shang Dynasty
· Tang Dynasty
o The tang Dynasty is preceded is by the Sui dynasty
o It was founded by the Li family who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Dynasty
o The Tang dynasty which had at one time the most popular city in the world is regarded as a high point in Chinese civilization
o The tang dynasty is a monarchy
o The 7th and half of the 8th century is considered the Zenith era of the Tang dynasty
o Emperor Xuanzong brought the middle kingdom to its golden age while the silk road thrived
· Shang Dynasty
o It was founded around 1600 BC by Cheng Teng
o It was a monarchy governed by a series of kings
o Thirty kings total over 600 years
o The king was served by officials who help specialized positions of authority
o Officials belonged to the hereditary class of aristocrats
o The king had supreme power over everything
o He was the political and religion leader
o The king directed life and work to peasants and serfs
o The most powerful to least powerful are king, nobles, warrior, and peasants
· Shang Women
o The women were to be gentle calm and respectful
o Their main purpose was to obey and serve their husbands fathers and even their sons
o Women were lower than men in social standings
o They tended to children and the needs of their husbands
o Men married multiple women
o Women were often used as concubines
o They didn’t have many rights
o They were treated with less respect than the average person in the empire
o A concubine is a woman who live with a man but has lower status than his wife or wives
· Tang Women
o They were expected to get married and raise a family
o Spinning and weaving were some activities the women did
o Peasant women would care for the livestock and tend to the fields
o Upper class women could get powerful positions as a wife or concubine of a powerful man
o Upper Class women could enjoy riding horses
o They could play the games such as polo and even hunting
o If you were a lower class wife then you could not partake in these activities and had to do housework
· Comparing Tang and Shang
o Both were monarchic governments
o Women’s social status was considered less than men
o Motherhood was primary role of women
o King is supreme ruler
o Strong social status pyramids king on top, peasants on bottom
o Dependent on trade
· Contrast
o Tang
§ King was more involved with economy
§ Tang women generally had more freedom than Shan women
§ If they could afford to pay someone else to do housework they would spend more time with recreational activities larger civilization than Shang
o Shang
§ King had group of Advisors that helped him rule
§ King was military governmental and religious leader
§ Polygamy was more common
§ Women were at bottom of social ranking
795,800
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