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- Known as the son of heaven
- Was the most important person in the land
- The Chinese believed the emperor had the right to rule. This is because of his Mandate of heaven
- Enjoyed life of great luxury and lived in a grand palace complex
- Had many wives, ate lavish meals and enjoyed many entertainments
- Wore elaborate silk robes
- Seated on the Dragon Throne and known as the "Lord of 10000 Years"
- Emperor extremely powerful
- His word was literally law and was announced through proclamations called edicts
- Commanded vast armies
- Performed ceremonies to ensure plentiful harvests
- Visitors in his presence had to bow down and touch their foreheads to the ground three times to show respect
- If an emperor was overthrown it was said that he lost his Mandate of Heaven
- This is how new dynasties were formed
- Natural disasters were believed to be a sign to that a ruler's Mandate of Heaven might be under threat
- The next most influential people, besides the emperor's relatives, were scholars, officials and nobles
- Scholars and officials were educated men who had studied the important teachings of China's great philosophers
- Nobles were people of established wealthy families who owned a large amount of land
- Most officials and scholars came from noble families
- People from these privileged classes were called shensi, which means 'noble official'
- They were elite of Chinese society and were much respected
- Nobles lived either in towns and employed supervisors to check over their lands in the countryside
- They could also live in splendid mansions on their estates
- Like the emperor, nobles and officials wore furs and luxurious silk robes
- There was a colour system for their clothes to indicate what rank officials held
- It was fashionable for scholars and nobles to grow their fingernails quite long to show they did not manual work
- Daoist and Buddhist monks and priests performed important religious ceremonies and were also well respected in Chinese society.
- Beneath the ruling classes were the peasants or common farmers
- Peasants made up 80% of the population
- Poor
- Provided food for everyone in Chinese society
- Lived hard lives and worked long hours
- Most common crop was rice which was grown in the south
- Wheat was grown in the north
- Able bodied men worked on construction or other projects for the emperor
- Common people built roads, monuments and canals for free labor
- Sometimes peasants were even drafted into armies in times of the war
- Peasants paid heavy taxes
- Peasants lived in simple houses made from mud brick
- They often worked barefoot and wore simple trousers, shirts and other items made from natural fibers such as a straw hat
• Workers and tradesmen worked in towns
• Earned a stable income and more than farmers
• Were well respected in China
• Were hard working, contributed useful skills and crafts to society
• Made furniture, clothing, built houses, implements such as weapons, cooking utensils, tools and valuables
They had to make a variety of things at different times of the year for example metal workers became very important during the Han period
- Soldiers were the least respected along with Merchants and Slaves
- Second last on the social hierarchy
- They weren’t respected because they killed for a living
- Slaves were captured by soldiers from war and employed by some emperors
- Women had very hard lives
- Seen as far inferior to men
- Were often mistreated
- Boys were seen more useful than girls and could help with farm work
- Had to be virtual slave to her mother in law and husband
- If a women gave birth to a son her status would improve
- Girls where so looked upon that when they were born they would be left to die
- Known as first and second sister as they didn't have names
- Most men would have more than one wife if they would afford it
- Second wives were called concubines