Sumer SOCIAL CLASSES
Sumerian society was famous in its social class for being organized in groups. The groups were based welth, ownership, work, land and position of hirachy. The groups of social classes where four different also called the "four levels of class", the different types of classes were: nobles, commoners, clients and slaves.
Nobles
The nobles were the elite if social class they were often included in area of ruling an empire or having family members attend. The nobles were often people with jobs like rulers, priests, warriors and families who owned large areas of land and were usually very wealthy.
Commoners
Commoners were the second classes of the system, them were most likely to be wealthy but not "rich". Commoners were usually people that owned smaller amounts of land and mostly worked in jobs like, Fishermen, craftsmen and merchants.
Clients
This class made up a large part of Sumerian society. Within the client class, there were three sub-classes:
• Senior administrators, scribes
• Temple personnel
• The dependants of the nobility
Slaves
As with many early civilisations, slavery was a part of Sumerian life. People could become slaves in two ways. They were either taken in battle by neighbouring city states or they sold themselves or their children as payment if they were unable to repay their debts.
Nobles
The nobles were the elite if social class they were often included in area of ruling an empire or having family members attend. The nobles were often people with jobs like rulers, priests, warriors and families who owned large areas of land and were usually very wealthy.
Commoners
Commoners were the second classes of the system, them were most likely to be wealthy but not "rich". Commoners were usually people that owned smaller amounts of land and mostly worked in jobs like, Fishermen, craftsmen and merchants.
Clients
This class made up a large part of Sumerian society. Within the client class, there were three sub-classes:
• Senior administrators, scribes
• Temple personnel
• The dependants of the nobility
Slaves
As with many early civilisations, slavery was a part of Sumerian life. People could become slaves in two ways. They were either taken in battle by neighbouring city states or they sold themselves or their children as payment if they were unable to repay their debts.
Babylonian social classes
As also Sumer contains, Babylon has a social class organization? The king was at the top most position in the social hierarchy and the slaves were at the lower end. After the king, there were aristocrats, the free citizens and the service men in armed and public services. Although the class arrangement was unyielding, there were few possibilities of movementfrom one level to the other in social structure was existing.
Awilu
The Awilu was the top most class in the social hierarchy of ancient Babylonia. The main structure of the Awilu class people were considered precious in Hammurabi’s Code and they were richer than the other two majorclasses in the society. An Awilu was a free person who belonged to the affluent and wealthy upper class and enjoyed grants and benefits.
Mushkenu
The Mushkenu came after the Awilu in the social class structure of Babylonia. Although a Mushkenu was a free man, he did not enjoy the same rights that of an Awilu. Basically the Mushkenu were free people of low esteem and they could be abridged to slavery as a punishment for some crime committed by them. The parents might even trade their children as slaves in time of need.
Wardu
The Wardu or slaves were at the bottom end of the social hierarchy structure of Babylonia. Most of the people from this class were convicts of war, while some were recruited from the innate Babylonians as well. Among the Mushkenu, a man could sell his family members as slaves in order to pay back his debts.
Awilu
The Awilu was the top most class in the social hierarchy of ancient Babylonia. The main structure of the Awilu class people were considered precious in Hammurabi’s Code and they were richer than the other two majorclasses in the society. An Awilu was a free person who belonged to the affluent and wealthy upper class and enjoyed grants and benefits.
Mushkenu
The Mushkenu came after the Awilu in the social class structure of Babylonia. Although a Mushkenu was a free man, he did not enjoy the same rights that of an Awilu. Basically the Mushkenu were free people of low esteem and they could be abridged to slavery as a punishment for some crime committed by them. The parents might even trade their children as slaves in time of need.
Wardu
The Wardu or slaves were at the bottom end of the social hierarchy structure of Babylonia. Most of the people from this class were convicts of war, while some were recruited from the innate Babylonians as well. Among the Mushkenu, a man could sell his family members as slaves in order to pay back his debts.
sumerian job SPECIALIZATION
The Sumerian job specialization was very clearly strutured in one direction of work. The most common jobs in Sumerian folk was: craftsman specialization including stone cutters, metal smiths, fisherman, weavers, sailors, bricklayers, farmers, shepherds and leather-workers. They invented the wheel to make their chariots and carts more mobile and to expand their ability to make pottery. They started to smelt iron and they used seals for the purpose of stamping clay with a carved insignia. The Sumerians were basically specialized in jobs of hard work and effort, were hands were needed and power.
Babylonian job specialization
Much the same as in any other ancient civilisation: brickmaker, bricklayer, brick-stamper, silversmith, jeweller, baker, gardener, wine-maker, cook (especially for the royal kitchens), wheelwright, furniture-maker, boatman, boatbuilder, carpenter, horse-trainer, architect, engineer, exorcist (often doubling as doctor), charioteer, cavalryman, musician, servant, priest, bitumen-carter (bitumen was used as mortar), rope-maker, farmer (in the hinterland rather than the city), scribe, tax collector, overseer, herder (again in the countryside), weaver, and merchant.
Connection-
I think these two categories match together because the job depends on which social ranking class you are in. For instance if you have the job priest, you would be in the highest ranking of both, Babylon and Sumer. It matters on your job specialization to figure out the social ranking of the person.
I think these two categories match together because the job depends on which social ranking class you are in. For instance if you have the job priest, you would be in the highest ranking of both, Babylon and Sumer. It matters on your job specialization to figure out the social ranking of the person.