Social Hierarchies Class 11 – Concept, MCQs & Notes PDF

Topic covered: Social Hierarchies class 11 notes and MCQs questions: An Empire Across Three Continents (All single detail notes are exam-oriented).

We have discussed in-depth and exam-oriented pointers that can be asked in the board exam of class 11th about “Social Hierarchies“ from the NCERT history notes for class 11th chapter 2 “An Empire Across Three Continents”.

Download the NCERT History for Class 11th Chapter 2 An Empire Across Three Continents Notes PDF

NCERT History Class 11 Chapter 2 notes are prepared to help students study more effectively and revise faster. This chapter, An Empire Across Three Continents, introduces to the rise and expansion of a powerful empire that spread across Asia, Europe, and Africa, shaping political, cultural, and administrative systems. This chapter plays an important role in building a strong foundation in Class 11 History.

At E-book NCERT, the Class 11 History Chapter 2 notes are created to support focused and exam-oriented study. Students can download the NCERT History notes PDF anytime for quick revision and better understanding. This chapter explores the growth of a vast empire, its administration, economy, military organisation, and cultural integration across three continents. It also discusses important archaeological and literary sources that help us understand how such empires functioned and influenced the ancient world.

Social Hierarchies

1. Tacitus’ Social Classification:

• Tacitus listed five key social groups: senators, equites, respectable dependents of great houses, the lower plebs addicted to circuses and theatres, and slaves.

2. Composition of the Senatorial Class:

• Early third century: Senate had about 1,000 members.
• Roughly half of all senators still came from Italian families.

3. Transformation by the Late Empire:

• Under Constantine I (early fourth century), senators and equites merged into one large aristocracy.
• At least half of these aristocratic families were of African or eastern origin.

4. Wealth and Power of the Late Aristocracy:

• The late Roman aristocracy was extremely wealthy.
• Despite wealth, they were weaker than the rising military elites, who mostly came from non-aristocratic backgrounds.

5. Nature of the Middle Class:

• The middle class included officials in the bureaucracy, soldiers, prosperous merchants, and farmers (especially in the East).
• Tacitus earlier saw them as clients of senatorial families, but later they relied more on government service and state support.

6. Lower Classes (Humiliores):

• The humiliores formed a vast lower population.
• Included: rural labourers on large estates, industrial and mining workers, migrant harvest labourers, building workers, self-employed artisans, casual urban labourers, and many slaves (especially in the West).
• Artisans were said to be better fed than wage labourers.

7. Extreme Wealth of Roman Aristocrats:

• Olympiodorus reported Roman aristocrats earning up to 4,000 lbs of gold annually from estates, excluding produce consumed directly.

8. Shift in the Monetary System:

• Silver-based currency collapsed due to exhausted Spanish silver mines.
• Constantine introduced a gold-based monetary system.
• Huge quantities of gold circulated in late antiquity.

9. Affluence and Corruption in the Bureaucracy:

• Higher and middle-level officials were affluent as salaries were paid mostly in gold.
• They invested heavily in land.
• Corruption was widespread, especially in courts and military supply administration.
• Extortion by high officials and greedy provincial governors became infamous.

10. Government Response to Corruption:

• Repeated laws attempted to curb corruption.
• Knowledge of corruption survives largely because of these laws and criticism by historians and intellectuals.

11. Tradition of Criticism:

• Criticism of state behaviour was a notable feature of classical society.
• Roman state was authoritarian and often responded violently to protest, especially in eastern cities.

12. Role of Roman Law:

• By the fourth century, Roman law became strong enough to restrain emperors.
• Law was used to safeguard civil rights.
• Powerful bishops like Ambrose could challenge emperors when they acted harshly against civilians.

Incomes of the Roman Aristocracy, Early Fifth Century

1. Scale of Aristocratic Households:

• Each major Roman aristocratic house functioned like a medium-sized city.
• These estates included structures such as a hippodrome, fora, temples, fountains and multiple kinds of baths.

2. Annual Income of Top Roman Aristocrats:

• Many elite Roman households earned 4,000 pounds of gold per year from their properties.
• This income calculation excluded grain, wine and other produce consumed directly.

3. Value of Produce if Sold:

• Grain, wine and other produce would have added one-third more to the gold income if sold.

4. Income of Second-Rank Aristocrats:

• Households of the second rank earned 1,000 to 1,500 pounds of gold per year.

Next & Previous Topics of NCERT/CBSE History Class 11 Chapter 2: An Empire Across Three Continents

MCQs on NCERT History Class 11 Chapter 2 Topic – Social Hierarchies Class 11

Here are the top exam-oriented MCQ-type questions on “Social Hierarchies Class 11” that you should prepare for your CBSE or state board exams:

Question 1. According to Tacitus, which group stood at the top of Roman society in the early empire?

a) Slaves
b) Plebs sordida
c) Senators
d) Artisans

Answer: c

Question 2. The term patres used by Tacitus refers to:

a) Priests
b) Senators
c) Army officers
d) Slaves

Answer: b

Question 3. Which social group did Tacitus describe as being addicted to the circus and theatrical shows?

a) Equites
b) Senators
c) Plebs sordida
d) Humiliores

Answer: c

Question 4. In the early third century, approximately how many senators were there in Rome?

a) 500
b) 800
c) 1,000
d) 1,500

Answer: c

Question 5. In the early third century, about half of the senators came from:

a) African families
b) Eastern provinces
c) Italian families
d) Military backgrounds

Answer: c

Question 6. The late empire is generally considered to begin with the reign of:

a) Augustus
b) Nero
c) Constantine I
d) Trajan

Answer: c

Question 7. In the late empire, which two groups merged to form a unified aristocracy?

a) Senators and slaves
b) Senators and equites
c) Equites and plebs
d) Merchants and soldiers

Answer: b

Question 8. By the late empire, at least half of the aristocratic families were of:

a) Italian origin
b) Germanic origin
c) African or eastern origin
d) Greek origin

Answer: c

Question 9. The late Roman aristocracy was:

a) Poor but powerful
b) Wealthy but less powerful than military elites
c) Dependent on trade
d) Mainly rural

Answer: b

Question 10. The military elites of the late empire mainly came from:

a) Senatorial families
b) Aristocratic backgrounds
c) Non-aristocratic backgrounds
d) Italian nobility

Answer: c

Question 11. The ‘middle’ class in the late empire mainly consisted of:

a) Peasants and slaves
b) Senators and equites
c) Bureaucrats, soldiers, merchants, and farmers
d) Only traders

Answer: c

Question 12. Tacitus described the respectable middle class as:

a) Independent landowners
b) Clients of great senatorial houses
c) Military commanders
d) Religious officials

Answer: b

Question 13. In the late empire, the middle class was mainly sustained by:

a) Agriculture alone
b) Trade networks
c) Government service and dependence on the state
d) Religious institutions

Answer: c

Question 14. The lower classes were collectively known as:

a) Plebs urbana
b) Equites
c) Humiliores
d) Patres

Answer: c

Question 15. Which of the following was NOT part of the humiliores?

a) Rural labourers
b) Industrial workers
c) Senators
d) Casual labourers

Answer: c

Question 16. Migrant workers in the Roman Empire mainly supplied labour for:

a) Military service
b) Bureaucratic work
c) Harvests and building industry
d) Judicial administration

Answer: c

Question 17. According to the passage, self-employed artisans were said to be:

a) Poorer than slaves
b) Better fed than wage labourers
c) Wealthier than senators
d) Dependent on the state

Answer: b

Question 18. Slaves in large numbers were found especially in:

a) The eastern empire
b) The western empire
c) Italy alone
d) African provinces only

Answer: b

Question 19. Olympiodorus was:

a) A Roman emperor
b) A military commander
c) A historian and ambassador
d) A bishop

Answer: c

Question 20. According to Olympiodorus, some Roman aristocrats earned annually up to:

a) 1,000 lbs of gold
b) 2,000 lbs of gold
c) 3,000 lbs of gold
d) 4,000 lbs of gold

Answer: d

Question 21. The late Roman monetary system shifted from silver to gold because:

a) Gold was cheaper
b) Trade increased
c) Spanish silver mines were exhausted
d) Inflation declined

Answer: c

Question 22. Who founded the gold-based monetary system of the late empire?

a) Augustus
b) Trajan
c) Constantine
d) Diocletian

Answer: c

Question 23. The late Roman bureaucracy was relatively affluent because:

a) It owned mines
b) It received salaries mainly in gold
c) It avoided taxation
d) It controlled trade

Answer: b

Question 24. Bureaucrats invested much of their wealth mainly in:

a) Temples
b) Gold coins
c) Land
d) Ships

Answer: c

Question 25. Corruption was especially common in:

a) Education
b) Religious institutions
c) Judiciary and military supply administration
d) Trade guilds

Answer: c

Question 26. Government efforts to curb corruption are known mainly because of:

a) Archaeological remains
b) Foreign accounts
c) Laws and historical criticism
d) Oral traditions

Answer: c

Question 27. The Roman Empire is described as an authoritarian regime because:

a) Elections were frequent
b) Dissent was rarely tolerated
c) Power was decentralised
d) Slavery was absent

Answer: b

Question 28. Protests in Roman cities were often met with:

a) Negotiation
b) Reforms
c) Violence
d) Referendums

Answer: c

Question 29. By the fourth century, Roman law acted as:

a) A source of corruption
b) A brake on imperial power
c) A military tool
d) A religious code

Answer: b

Question 30. Roman law was actively used to protect:

a) Slaves only
b) Senators only
c) Civil rights
d) Military privileges

Answer: c

Question 31. Which bishop confronted emperors for harsh treatment of civilians?

a) Augustine
b) Jerome
c) Ambrose
d) Gregory

Answer: c

Question 32. The ability of bishops to challenge emperors in the late fourth century shows:

a) Weakness of the Church
b) Decline of Roman law
c) Strength of legal traditions
d) End of authoritarian rule

Answer: c

Question 33. Large Roman houses contained facilities similar to:

a) Military camps
b) Villages
c) Medium-sized cities
d) Temples only

Answer: c

Question 34. Apart from gold income, aristocratic estates also produced:

a) Weapons
b) Grain and wine
c) Slaves
d) Textiles

Answer: b

Question 35. The income of second-rank Roman households was approximately:

a) 200–300 lbs of gold
b) 500 lbs of gold
c) 1,000–1,500 lbs of gold
d) 4,000 lbs of gold

Answer: c