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Compare and Contrast: Ancient China and Ancient India Essay

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Ancient China and ancient India are both important and interesting ancient civilizations. They are alike and unlike in many ways. Some significant ways in which ancient India and China are similar and different are religion, art, economics, politics, and social structure. Ancient China and ancient India both consider religion to be very important. The main religions of China were Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism. The central religions in India were Hinduism and Buddhism. Both Ancient China and India had religious teachers that invented these prevalent religions. Confucius invented Confucianism, Lao Tzu invented Taoism, and Hsün Tzu invented Legalism in China. In India, Hinduism had its roots in the religious beliefs of the Aryan people …show more content…

China was ruled by different dynasties, which means they were ruled by different families, depending on the dynasty. India was mainly ruled by empires, which means the rulers were not always of the same blood line. Raja’s ruled in India. Rajas were princes or tribal chieftains. Meanwhile, China was ruled by emperors. Furthermore, the economy in both civilizations was important to their survival. India and China’s populations were made up of mainly farmers. Their main cash crops were millet and rice. India and China traded via the Silk Road. Because of the geography and different weather patterns of each ancient society, China grew crops that required little moisture while India was not as restricted. India grew wheat and barley in addition to the millet and rice mentioned above. Ancient India and China imported and exported goods differently, too. India traded by camel caravans and by sea. China mainly traded via the Silk Road. Ancient China and India both had social structures that basically dictated their ways of life, too. They both had patriarchal societies. This meant that their societies were dominated by men. Family was extremely important in both cultures. In addition, China and India each had their own caste system. In India, at the top of the cast system were the priests. Then came warriors, commoners, the Sudras, and the Untouchables. The caste system in

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