Peasantry refers to the social class of small-scale agricultural producers who typically own or rent a small plot of land for subsistence farming. They form the bulk of the rural population in many pre-industrial societies and play a crucial role in the agrarian economy and social structure.
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Peasants typically lived in small villages or hamlets, practicing a mixed economy of subsistence farming, animal husbandry, and limited trade or barter.
The relationship between peasants and the landed gentry or nobility was often characterized by a system of reciprocal obligations, known as the manorial system.
Peasants played a vital role in the pre-industrial economy by providing a reliable source of food and raw materials, as well as labor for the landed elite.
The transition from a predominantly peasant-based agrarian economy to an urban, industrial economy is a key aspect of the process of urbanization.
The decline of the peasantry and the rise of a proletariat class of industrial workers was a significant social transformation that accompanied the Industrial Revolution.
Review Questions
Describe the key features of the peasantry in pre-industrial societies.
The peasantry in pre-industrial societies typically consisted of small-scale agricultural producers who owned or rented a small plot of land for subsistence farming. They formed the bulk of the rural population and were engaged in a mixed economy of crop cultivation, animal husbandry, and limited trade or barter. The relationship between peasants and the landed gentry or nobility was often characterized by a system of reciprocal obligations, known as the manorial system, where peasants provided labor and agricultural products in exchange for protection and access to land.
Explain the role of the peasantry in the agrarian economy and social structure of pre-industrial societies.
The peasantry played a vital role in the pre-industrial, agrarian economy by providing a reliable source of food and raw materials, as well as labor for the landed elite. They were the backbone of the rural economy, producing the majority of the agricultural output that sustained the broader population. Additionally, the peasantry formed the foundation of the social structure in many pre-industrial societies, with their labor and agricultural production underpinning the power and wealth of the landed gentry and nobility.
Analyze the relationship between the decline of the peasantry and the process of urbanization in pre-industrial to industrial societies.
The transition from a predominantly peasant-based agrarian economy to an urban, industrial economy was a key aspect of the process of urbanization. As industrialization and the rise of cities disrupted traditional agricultural practices, the decline of the peasantry and the emergence of a proletariat class of industrial workers became a significant social transformation. This shift away from a rural, peasant-based society to an urban, industrial one was a crucial component of the broader modernization and economic development that characterized the transition from pre-industrial to industrial societies.
A mode of agricultural production where farmers grow crops or raise livestock primarily for their own consumption rather than for commercial sale.
Feudalism: A social and political system prevalent in medieval Europe where land was divided into manors, with peasants working the land in exchange for protection from the lord.
Agrarian Society: A society in which the economy and social structure are primarily based on agricultural production and the rural peasant population.