Socio-Economic Conditions for the Development of Forms of Outdoor Activities in the East in the Middle Ages

Abstract

Relevance. A comprehensive analysis of the scientific and scientific-methodical literature of domestic and foreign authors gives reason to argue that the problems of physical recreation and improving physical fitness were the subject of a significant amount of research. It was determined that physical recreation is part of the physical culture of society, can be considered as a separate area of physical education and at the same time as a component of the physical education system of various population groups. Physical recreation has specific functions, goals, objectives, main features, development factors, means and organizational forms. At the same time, studies of the problems of the historical development of physical recreation, in particular, determining the prerequisites for its occurrence and patterns of development as a segment of a person’s active leisure in various socio- economic formations (including feudal ones), there are practically no such studies. The goal is to determine and disclose factors of influence on the development of recreational forms of physical culture in the countries of the East in the Middle Ages (mid-V-mid-XVII century). Research Methods. In the research process, the following methods were used: analysis and synthesis of data from the scientific and methodological literature; system analysis method; chronological method, historical-logical method, descriptive method; comparative method. The Results of the Study. Recreational forms of physical culture in the era of feudalism developed under the influence of religious, political, socio-economic factors. Among the most developed peoples of medieval Asia (India, China, Japan), elements of feudal society arose earlier than in Europe and had certain differences. Unlike Christianity, the religions that dominated these regions did not deny the importance of physical culture and even actively influenced its practical health systems (Buddhism contributed to the development of hatha yoga). The historical significance of the forms of active leisure in Asia lies in the fact that their rational nature played the role of social self-regulation, which distinguished them from the European physical culture of a recreational direction. Conclusions. Various social needs of this period, conditions, local traditions contributed to the diversity of forms of leisure and culture, which are differentiated by social characteristics.