What’s the Significance?
China’s scholar-gentry class, 220–21
Wang Mang, 221
Ge Hong, 222–23
Yellow Turban Rebellion, 223–24
caste as varna and jati, 225–28
“ritual purity” in Indian social practice, 228
Greek and Roman slavery, 229–33
Spartacus, 233
the “three obediences,” 234–35
patriarchy, 234–40
Empress Wu, 236
Aspasia and Pericles, 238
Helots, 238–39
Big Picture Questions
Next Steps: For Further Study
Jeannine Auboyer, Daily Life in Ancient India (2002). A social history of ancient India, with a focus on caste, ritual, religion, and art.
Sue Blundell, Women in Ancient Greece (1999). A well-written academic study, with occasional humorous stories and anecdotes.
Keith Bradley, Slavery and Society at Rome (1994). A scholarly but very readable account of slavery in the Roman Empire.
Michael Lowe, Everyday Life in Early Imperial China (1968). A vivid description of social life during the Han dynasty.
Merry Weisner-Hanks, Gender in History (2001). A thoughtful overview by a leading scholar in both women’s history and world history.
“Women in World History,” http://chnm.gmu.edu/wwh/index.html. Documents, reviews, and lesson plans for learning and teaching about women’s history in a global context.