Shang Social Classes
- The Shang social classes were made up of six social classes: the royal family and king, nobles, artisans, traders, farmers, and slaves.
- Shang nobles supplied the armies with foot soldiers, weapons, and chariots.
- The king was unlikely to take away their positions.
- Artisans were a small social class made up of potters, stonemasons, and workers who made items out of jade.
- Traders were also known as "shang ren", the Chinese word for merchant.
- They used cowrie shells as a form of money to trade.
- Farmers made up the largest social class. They didn't own land because it was controlled by kings or nobles.
- They farmed, cattle, fruits, and vegetables.
- Slaves were the lowest social class and were often sacrificed to continue to serve their masters in the afterlife.