CH. 5: Social Life

Ch. 5 (Ways of the World): What changes in the patterns of social life in second-wave civilizations can you identify? What accounts for these changes?

    In 124 b.c.e., Emperor Wu Di established an imperial academy where potential officials were trained as scholars with an emphasis on Confucian teachings.  As for Chinese peasants, most were farmers.  The officials, they came from wealthy families which in China wealth meant land.  By the first century B.C.E., population continued to grow exponentially, taxes were being issued, and many owed debts to those higher class that owned large land as many peasants found it necessary to sell their lands.  

    Many peasants rallied and a movement creating the "Yellow Turbans", which became a large and well armed group of many followers by 184 C.E.  They consisted of leaders who unified the people using the ideology of a form of Daoism which were said to have supernatural healings, powers like trances, and public confessions of sin looking forward to a “Great Peace” which they believed in a golden age of equality, social harmony, and common ownership of property.

    Like the Yellow Turbans, another famous rebellion came from the historical story of Spartacus.  He was a famous gladiator who was forced to fight in arenas for the pleasure of viewers as entertainment but were also slaves of the Roman Empire.  The revolt around 73 B.C.E. shook the Roman society but they needed to retaliate to take back control which they did.  Yet, these acts of uprisings from "lower" class came together at arms to face such high order.  The Yellow Turbans and Spartacus's army were examples of a quest for freedom can be inspired to be resistance to oppression.