Compare and contrast societies of medieval China, Arabic Caliphate, and Christendom (Western Europe) - Essay Example

The discussion of class structure shall encompass status symbols and interactions between members of different social classes. Utilizing such literature as “Po Hsing-chien,” “Su Shih,” “Ssu-ma Kwang,” “Marco Polo,” “The Hunchback” and “The Man who Never Laughed Again” from 1001 Nights, the Qu’ran, “Al-Farabi,” the Black Death reading, Matthew, Acts, Romans, The Life of Charlemagne, Chaucer’s Prologue to The Canterbury Tales, and the Magna Carta, conclusions can be drawn that will aid in the comparison of these three societies.. First to be compared among the previously stated societies is religion.

One determining factor of any religion is the belief in the metaphysical or supernatural, such as a God or Gods. In medieval China, common was the belief in a multitude of spirits with different powers. For example, Miss Li and her lover in Po Hsing-Chieng visited the spirit of the Bamboo Grove in order to receive assistance in conceiving a child. (Po Hsing-Chieng, 303). Arabic Caliphate embraces a belief in one God, known as Allah. (Qu’ran). According to the Biblical book of Acts, Christendom encompassed a belief in a holy trinity, which included the Holy Spirit, God the Father and God the Son.

(Acts, 2). Both Arabic Caliphate and Christendom were considered monotheistic religions, meaning they believed in one God, while medieval China seemed to embrace a belief in many spirits. It is also practical to examine each society’s members’ relationships to their God(s). Evidence from literature provides that people in medieval China thought they were consistently being watched and judged by the gods in terms of honor and morale. In “Po Hsing-Chien,” Miss Li tells her mother that they need to help the young man because the spirits would not be on their side for the bad things they had already done to him.

(Po Hsing-Chien, 305). In Arabic Caliphate trust was placed in the will of