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Interdependence Among Social Classes - Coggle Diagram
Interdependence Among Social Classes
The Feudal System
was a very organized political and social system common in medieval Europe.
Under feudalism, all land in the country belonged to the king.
The King gives out parcels of land to the lords and nobles who fought for him. These gifts of land were called
fiefs
.
Organization
The
Lord
would then execute his estate like a small town.
Serfs and peasants
worked the land and harvested the crops. Peasants could not own land or hope to rise to a better social standing.
Taxes
were not paid in money, but
in percentages of crops
paid to the Lord
who paid his taxes to the king.
It was the responsibility of the
king and the lords to protect the villages in times of war
.
Each group within the feudal system was dependent on the other, but
there was no movement between classes.
The Caste System
Today, the term
“caste”
is used to
describe stratified societies based on hereditary groups
.
Spiritual leaders and teachers
were called
Brahmins.
Brahmin
s were considered
the embodiment of purity
. Physical contact between the Brahmin & the fifth class was absolutely prohibited.
Warriors and nobility
were called
Kshatriyas
.
Merchants and producers
were called
Vaishyas
.
Laborers
were called
Sudras
.
The fifth class in Hinduism
did all the dirty work
. They were referred to as
“untouchables”
.
Organizing Society
Societies have always organized themselves into some sort of classes.
Sometimes, these classes are well-defined with known privileges and responsibilities that come along with membership in the class.
Sometimes, it isn’t so well-defined.
Egypt’s Social Pyramid
Ancient Egyptian society can be envisioned like a giant social pyramid.
At the
top of the pyramid were the gods.
Ruling (governing) class
Pharoah
, the highest leader, was considered to be a
god in human form
.
They
directed the nation politically and religiously
.
Soldiers
Scribes
, responsible for
keeping government records
.
Craftsmen and merchants
made up a sort of
middle class
. They made and sold jewelry, pottery and other goods in the market.
Farmers tended the fields, maintained the canals and worked in the quarries.
They
paid
up to
60% of their harvest in taxes
to Pharoah.
The
slaves
were largely
captured in war and were made to serve the Pharoah
by building monuments or whatever work the government decided it needed.