Changes and Continuities in
the Role of Women
600 C.E. - 1450
Yours Truly,
Blanket Girl
(Bridget Zeiger)
What’s Happening?
• During this time period,
• Islam is spreading
• Christianity and Buddhism are opened to new
regions
• New empires are developed, based on wealth and
acquisition of property
• Revitalization of neo-Confucianism
• These features impacted women’s role in
each society.
In general,
• Restrictions on women’s freedoms depended on which caste or
class they belonged to.
• In some regions, women at the highest levels could overcome
their status and assume leadership roles if a male heir was not
capable.
• Generally, however, as societies became more urban and wealthy,
women (especially in the elite and upper class) had their
freedoms further restricted, even if their status arose.
i.e.
» Increased veiling in Islamic world
» Foot-binding in neo-Confucian China
» Young marriage in South Asia
Some Benefits?
• Access to more education, especially
in China and Japan.
• However, overall, women were usually
far less powerful than their male
counterparts and had many
restrictions.
Five Major Regions…
• Considering the APWH exam is going to be asking on a broad
spectrum, here are the five major regions one could focus on…
Europe
Islam
Africa
India
China
Europe
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There were strict patriarchal and social divisions.
Women could inherit land.
Women could bring a court case but could not participate in the sentence.
Women usually worked in textiles; they were divided in labor.
Christian Monogamy (1 partner) increased.
Education is limited to the upper class males.
Veiling of upper class is present.
Islam
• There is equality in religion but separate in mosque.
• Women received half inheritance of male children. So, if father
dies, women receives half of what son would have gotten.
• Women’s testimonies had less influence than that of a male.
• Concubines and seclusion in harems were present.
• Women were exposed to education; literate society.
• Veiling is public.
Africa
• As trade and new religions increased and arrived,
role of women did not change because nomads of
African societies were egalitarian.
• As sedentary lifestyles developed, societies were
matriarchal, where women were dominant in
household.
– Women demanded a bride-price.
– “Mother of the King” was a political office where women
held office and participated in religious rituals controlled
by women.
India
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There was a strict patriarchal caste system.
Women (and men, too!) married at a very young age.
Practice of ‘sati’ for widows was present.
Marriage is limited to caste members (one cannot marry outside
his/her class).
• Education is limited.
• ‘Purdah’: veiling and seclusion was popular during the time.
China
• Confucianism, the dominant religion, held strict
guidelines for virtuous behavior.
• Women have access to dowries and owned businesses.
• Widow must remain with the son and could not own
property if they remarried.
• The main occupation of women was silk-weaving.
• Concubines and seclusion in harems were current
during the time.
• State education is limited to men; however, women
were still literate.
• Foot-binding was customary.