Why were artisans and merchants considered to be lower in social rank than peasants in Shang society?

Why were artisans and merchants considered to be lower in social rank than peasants in Shang society?

Artisans, merchants and workers Despite the workers’ lower status, they often earned more than peasants. Artisans and workers often worked directly for the state or gentry. Merchants were ranked lower because they were seen as unproductive leeches by the Confucians.

What did artisans and merchants do in ancient China?

Traders and merchants exchanged China’s silk for goods such as gold and glassware from such faraway places as Rome and Syria. Other skilled artisans worked with lacquer. Lacquer was a substance made from the natural sap of a tree. It was used as a protective coating and decoration on a variety of everyday items.

What did merchants and artisans do?

They dealt with merchants and traders on a daily basis, both to obtain the raw materials of their craft and to sell their finished products. Their goods brought riches to the cities, playing an important role in the economy of ancient Mesopotamia.

Why were merchants considered the lowest class even though the Song Dynasty grew wealthy through trade?

Why were merchants regarded as belonging to one of the lowest social classes even though they might be wealthy? Though they could achieve significant wealth, they were held in low esteem because they did not produce anything, but rather transported and traded goods made by others.

Why were merchants important in ancient China?

Artisans too were subject to conscription, but not as readily as peasants and merchants, since there were fewer of them than of the former and the services they provided were beneficial and often essential to the rest of the community.

What did artisans do in the Shang Dynasty?

Shang Dynasty artisans created sophisticated bronze works, ceramics and trinkets made from jade. Unlike their Bronze Age counterparts, artisans during the Shang Dynasty used piece-mold casting as opposed to the lost-wax method.

Why were the artisans bronze workers among some of the most respected from that social class?

Bronze workers were especially valued. They made the weapons used by Shang warriors. They also made and decorated containers for the king and nobles to use in religious ceremonies or simply as symbols of their wealth.

Why were artisans and farmers respected members of Zhou China’s society while merchants were not?

Confucius valued mental work more than physical labor, therefore, scholars were highly respected, Artisans were valued for their skill and hard work. Farmers were also highly respected because they produced good for survival. Merchants were at the lowest level of the social because they did not produce anything.