A caste is a fixed social group into which an individual is born within a particular system of social stratification:a caste system. Within such a system,individuals are expected to:marry exclusively within the same caste (endogamy),follow lifestyles often linked to a particular occupation,hold a ritual status observed within a hierarchy,and interact with others based on cultural notions of exclusion,with certain castes considered as either more pure or more polluted than others. Its paradigmatic ethnographic example is the division of India's Hindu society into rigid social groups. Its roots lie in South Asia's ancient history and it still exists. However,the economic significance of the caste system in India has been declining as a result of urbanisation and affirmative action programs. A subject of much scholarship by sociologists and anthropologists,the Hindu caste system is sometimes used as an analogical basis for the study of caste-like social divisions existing outside Hinduism and India. The term "caste" is also applied to morphological groupings in eusocial insects such as ants,bees,and termites.
Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945,it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel,now known as the Korean Demilitarized Zone. In 1948,two states declared independence,both claiming sovereignty over all of Korea:South Korea comprising its southern half and North Korea comprising its northern half. The region consists of the Korean Peninsula,Jeju Island,and minor islands near the peninsula. The peninsula is bordered by China to the north and Russia to the northeast,across the Amnok and Duman rivers. It is separated from Japan to the southeast by the Korea Strait.
Slavery is the ownership of a person as property,especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavement is the placement of a person into slavery,and the person is called a slave or an enslaved person.
Joseon,officially Great Joseon State,was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that lasted just over 500 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom was founded following the aftermath of the overthrow of Goryeo in what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on,Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul. The kingdom's northernmost borders were expanded to the natural boundaries at the rivers of Amnok and Tuman through the subjugation of the Jurchens.
The Merina people are the largest ethnic group in Madagascar. They are the "highlander" Malagasy ethnic group of the African island and one of the country's eighteen official ethnic groups. Their origins are mixed,predominantly with Austronesians arriving before the 5th century AD,then many centuries later with mostly Bantu Africans,but also some other ethnic groups. They speak the Merina dialect of the official Malagasy language of Madagascar.
Slavery in medieval Europe was widespread. Europe and North Africa were part of a highly interconnected trade network across the Mediterranean Sea,and this included slave trading. During the medieval period (500–1500),wartime captives were commonly forced into slavery. As European kingdoms transitioned to feudal societies,a different legal category of unfree persons -- serfdom—began to replace slavery as the main economic and agricultural engine. Throughout medieval Europe,the perspectives and societal roles of enslaved peoples differed greatly,from some being restricted to agricultural labor to others being positioned as trusted political advisors.
Cheonmin,or "vulgar commoners",were the lowest caste of commoners in dynastical Korea. They abounded during the Goryeo (918–1392) and Joseon (1392–1897) periods of Korea's agrarian bureaucracy.
The Sakalava are an ethnic group of Madagascar. They are found on the western and northwest region of the island,in a band along the coast. The Sakalava are one of the smallest ethnic groups,constituting about 6.2 percent of the total population,that is about 2,079,000 in 2018. Their name means "people of the long valleys." They occupy the western edge of the island from Toliara in the south to the Sambirano River in the north.
The baekjeong were an untouchable caste in Korea,originating from some minority,nomadic groups of disputed ethnicity. In the early part of the Goryeo period (918–1392),these minorities were largely settled in fixed communities. However,the Mongol invasion left Korea in disarray and anomie and these groups became nomadic. Subgroups of the baekjeong included the chaein and the hwachae (禾尺) or suchae (水尺),who were primarily butchers. The baekjeong occupied specific professions like butchery,tanning,basket weaving and performing executions. During the Goryeo period,"baekjeong" was used as a neutral term to refer to the common people. From the time of the Joseon dynasty,it became an insulting title used to refer to the lowest class of society. In addition,since the Joseon dynasty,"baekjeong" has been also used to denigrate a person. In contemporary South Korea,the term is mainly associated with the meaning of a butcher and even used in the restaurants' names.
Slavery has historically been widespread in Africa. Systems of servitude and slavery were common in parts of Africa in ancient times,as they were in much of the rest of the ancient world. When the trans-Saharan slave trade,Red Sea slave trade,Indian Ocean slave trade and Atlantic slave trade began,many of the pre-existing local African slave systems began supplying captives for slave markets outside Africa. Slavery in contemporary Africa is still practised despite it being illegal.
The jungin or chungin were the upper middle class of the Joseon Dynasty in medieval and early modern Korean society. The name "jungin" directly means "middle people". This privileged class of commoners consisted of a small group of petty bureaucrats and other highly educated skilled workers whose technical and administrative skills enabled the yangban and the royal family to rule the lower classes. Jungin were the lifeblood of the Korean Confucian agrarian bureaucracy,on whom the upper classes depended on to maintain their vice-like hold on the people. Their traditions and habits are the forerunners of the modern Korean administrative systems in both North and South Korea.
The Korean nobi system,which is commonly associated with slavery and social hierarchy in premodern Korea,existed in various forms and degrees from its origins in antiquity,over 2,000 years ago,to its gradual abolition in the late Joseon period,beginning in the 18th century and culminating in 1894. The nature of the nobi system is widely debated,with scholars agreeing that it constituted slavery until at least the Goryeo period but disagreeing whether it constituted slavery,serfdom,or both during the Joseon period. The Joseon dynasty was a stratified society dominated by the yangban,in which wealth was measured by ownership of land and nobi. During this period,the nobi of the majority "non-resident" group owned land,and some even owned nobi.
Yeonguijeong was a title created in 1400,during the Joseon and Korean Empire periods (1392–1910),and given to the Chief State Councillor as the highest government position of "Uijeongbu". Existing for over 500 years,the function was handed over in 1895 during the Gabo Reform to the newly formed position of the Prime Minister of Korea. Only one official at a time was appointed to the position and though was generally called Yeongsang,was also referred to as Sangsang,Sugyu or Wonbo. Although the title of Yeonguijeong was legally defined as the highest post in charge of all state affairs,its practical functions changed drastically depending on the particular King and whether that King's power was strong or weak.
Afro-Iranians are Iranian people of African Zanj heritage. Most Afro-Iranians are concentrated in the coastal provinces of Persian Gulf such as Hormozagan,Sistan and Baluchestan,Bushehr,and Khuzestan.
While slavery has not been widespread on the territory of what is now Russia since the introduction of Christianity in the tenth century,serfdom in Russia,which was in many ways similar to contemporary slavery around the world,only ended in February 19th,1861 when Russian Emperor Alexander II issued The Emancipation of the serfs in 1861. Emancipation of state-owned serfs occurred in 1866.
An overview of Asian slavery shows it has existed in all regions of Asia throughout its history. Although slavery is now illegal in every Asian country,some forms of it still exist today.
Society in the Joseon dynasty was built upon Neo-Confucianist ideals,namely the three fundamental principles and five moral disciplines. There were four classes:the yangban nobility,the "middle class" jungin,sangmin,or the commoners,and the cheonmin,the outcasts at the very bottom. Society was ruled by the yangban,who constituted 10% of the population and had several privileges. Slaves were of the lowest standing.
Slavery in China has taken various forms throughout history. Slavery was nominally abolished in 1910,although the practice continued until at least 1949. The Chinese term for slave (nuli) can also be roughly translated into 'debtor','dependent',or 'subject'. Despite a few attempts to ban it,slavery existed continuously throughout pre-modern China,sometimes serving a key role in politics,economics,and historical events. However slaves in China were a very small part of the population due to a large peasant population that mitigated the need for large scale slave labor. The slave population included war prisoners and kidnapped victims or people who had been sold.
The Indian Ocean slave trade,sometimes known as the East African slave trade or Arab slave trade,was multi-directional slave trade and has changed over time. Captured in raids primarily south of the Sahara,predominately black Africans were traded as slaves to the Middle East,Indian Ocean islands,Indian subcontinent,and Java. Beginning in the 16th century,they were traded to the Americas,including Caribbean colonies.
Throughout the 19th century,during the late Joseon dynasty period,Korea suffered from various social problems including economic inequality,high taxes,and corruption. These problems sparked several peasant rebellions throughout the entire Korean peninsula.
