chapter 5 (Social & Inequality)

Social inequality started taking place in the Neolithic Era. In China wealthy families had land. Peasants were forced to give their land to the wealthy. Landlords were able to escape taxes leaving the peasants to make up for it. Most people were actually peasants and a lot of them could barely survive. Peasants were the backbone for society because they worked so hard. Merchants were seen as unproductive and greedy.

In India they had a caste system. The caste system was made up of priest, warriors, merchants, peasants and outcasts

In Rome a third of the population were barbarians or slaves. It started with people enslaving animals for agriculture and then that lead to human slaves. Slaves were so miserable they would commit suicide.

It is interesting to look at how social inequality has developed over time
In the Paleolithic era there was no real social hierarchy because everyone was moving all the time. In the Neolithic era people had property after they learned how to obtain agriculture. That lead to status and wealth. In the Ancient era we saw slavery, government, conscripted labor, and military service.
In the Classical Era we saw caste systems and patriarchy, where men were above women.