Society and Inequality in Eurasia/North Africa, 500 B.C.E.

Chapter 5 Summative Quiz

Question

1. Wang Mang’s reform program following his seizure of the Chinese throne in 8 C.E. included

the creation and promotion of large private estates.

official recognition for the practice of private slavery.

oversight of government officials by local landlords.

government loans to peasant families.

Question

2. China was unique in the ancient world in the extent to which

slaveholding defined the society.

its social organization was shaped by the actions of the state.

the caste system defined its social structure.

women were allowed a role in public life.

Question

3. India and China during the classical era were similar in that in both societies

birth had no place in determining the social status of most people.

social prestige was primarily attained through service to the state.

it was easy for people to improve their social status through hard work.

sharp distinctions and great inequalities characterized the social order.

Question

4. Membership in a jati was based on a person’s

race.

age.

birthplace.

occupation.

Question

5. The inequalities of the caste system received support from

Hindu notions of karma, dharma, and rebirth.

Buddhist notions of nirvana and enlightenment.

Confucian notions of propriety and ritual.

Daoist notions of the supernatural and immortality.

Question

6. Once the system of jatis in India was established,

individual jatis were locked into an unchanging hierarchy in relation to other jatis.

an individual within a jati could switch to another jati by paying a fee.

an individual jati could slowly raise its standing in relation to other jatis in the local hierarchy by acquiring land or wealth.

marriage within jatis became taboo.

Question

7. In what way was the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Han China and the Spartacus Rebellion in the Roman Empire similar?

Both were large-scale, violent reactions to oppressive conditions.

Both featured supernatural healings and collective trances.

Both succeeded in persuading the government to implement reforms.

Women assumed leadership roles in both movements.

Question

8. During the classical era, slaves comprised more than one-third of the total population in

India.

China.

the Persian Empire.

the Roman Empire.

Question

9. The growth of democracy in classical Athens was accompanied by

the simultaneous growth of slavery on a massive scale.

the abolition of slavery.

harsh criticism from Greek intellectuals like Aristotle.

the association of slave status with race.

Question

10. How did the centuries of political fragmentation and conflict following the fall of the Han Empire affect the lives of Chinese women?

Women found themselves restricted to a greater degree than ever before because of the cultural influence of the nomadic peoples who conquered much of northern China.

Women were removed from positions as priests, nuns and reclusive mediators in Daoist movements.

Buddhism and Daoism grew in popularity, resulting in some loosening of the strict patriarchy supported by Confucianism.

Writings such as those by Ban Zhou encouraged women to be more assertive in their relationships to men.

Question

11. In general, patriarchal systems that restricted women’s lives were weakest

during long periods of peace and stability.

in the early years of a civilization’s development.

when states adopted ideologies that linked female inferiority to the workings of the universe.

in urban-based civilizations at the height of their power.

Question

12. Although the practice of patriarchy varied in the classical civilizations, they all

prohibited women of all classes from entering public spaces.

challenged the assumption that female inferiority was natural.

conceptualized women’s essential nature in terms of ritual purity.

defined women’s roles in reproductive terms.