China and India Essay

Classical China and India had differences and similarities in religion, society, and technology/ inventions. In China, there were 3 major religions while in India there were only two. China had three social groups in which the people were placed. India had the Caste system that included five levels. The people of Classical China invented some important items while in India, major advances in astronomy, medicine, and math were being made. China’s religious and philosophical views were different from India’s because they had distinct faiths. China’s major religions/ philosophies were Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism which focused on peace with the world and worship of ancestors. India’s major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism emphasized reincarnation. Although different religions, both Chinese and Indian lives were the same in that religion formed a big part of their day, whether Confucianism, Legalism, Daoism, Hinduism, or Buddhism, a lot of time was devoted to worshiping their faith. India and China both used a system of grouping people socially. Even though different methods, the people lived according to their group. Most of the religions like Hinduism, Confucianism, and Legalism accepted these social groups. India’s Caste system consisted of five levels. Moving up in a social class was nearly impossible in both China and India. In the Caste system, the people were arranged in hierarchical and patriarchal levels. On the other hand, the three social classes of China were: the landowners, the peasants, and at the bottom were the mean people. When it comes to advances in intellectuality and inventions that influenced our world today, China and India were very different. China and India were different in intellectual advances because they gradually made a move forward, but in different fields. China invented paper, a major item still used today. To help make the production of crops easier, the Chinese invented the water powered mill. Another grand advance of classical China was an accurate calendar still used in China today. While in India, they were making life changing discoveries. In astronomy, they determined the length of our solar year, they identified the seven planets, and they calculated the circumference of our planet earth. Because of infections and diseases, they developed vaccines to immunize and protect their population. Classical India also learned to sterilize wounds. India and China had different levels of thinking, but both made important discoveries that impacted the world. In conclusion, China and India were very different, yet alike in many aspects. They were different in religion, society, technology, and inventions. These differences and similarities made up the classical civilizations of India and China.