Man has always been interested in the issue of the emergence of inequality and nobility in society. He occupied the minds of thinkers, great philosophers pondered over him. Everyone knows from history that the first human communities did not know inequality. What caused its origin? Without archaeological research, scientists would not be able to get an answer to this question. So, what is the story of the emergence of inequality and nobility, what kind of reasons led to the separation of the classes of rich and poor?
Background
It is known that any event is preceded by certain prerequisites. What are the causes of inequality? Initially, the breakdown of society was facilitated by the following:
- Improving the tools with which it was possible to cultivate more land and make it better.
- The use of cattle in the performance of heavy work, which facilitated the task of farmers and allowed to produce products in excess. It also led to inequality and aristocracy.
- The need to cultivate the land by a community method has disappeared. Each family, having metal tools, could already work independently on their site, while receiving food in an amount sufficient to feed themselves, their children, and even get an excess.
The food surplus of the family gave its members new opportunities. At the same time, the surplus could be disposed of at one’s own discretion: exchange for more advanced tools, gold or silver jewelry, clothes, dishes made by artisans — you will find out who they are a little later.
Thus, an excess of manufactured products has become the main favorable condition for the division of society into rich and poor. Surplus became the starting point for the accumulation of values in individual families and the cause of impoverishment of others.
Inequality Mechanism
Each family gradually accumulated their own property. It could be tools, cattle, dishes, decorations. They passed them by inheritance, which led to the enrichment of subsequent generations. Thus, some became more and more property, while others - less. If under the communal-tribal system everything that was mined and produced in the family was considered common, then the appearance of excesses allowed each cell to increase its own reserves.
However, it is also interesting that the process of property stratification originated in the communities, when the harvest and production were divided equally. Already in those days there existed a tribal elite, which included elders, leaders who headed the clan, and the military. It is clear that when sharing the harvest or military trophies they got only the best.
Families with wealth enjoyed great respect, so often when choosing the leader of the community those who had more land, livestock and property came to power. During military campaigns, the captured trophies began to be divided not evenly, as before, but a large proportion went to the nobility, which further exacerbated the inequality. In order to justify themselves to the rest of the community, they attributed this to their own exclusiveness, noble position.
The collapse of the clan community
The first metal tools man began to make about nine thousand years ago. Their application raised the communal clan society to a new stage of development, and made it possible to build relations between its members at a completely different level. Gradually, there was a transition from a clan community to a neighborhood. Collective labor was replaced by family labor, in which each individual family worked exclusively for itself. This circumstance led to the appearance of inequality and nobility, the reason for which were different conditions.
For example, illness or death of a breadwinner, lean years prevented the accumulation of surplus. Accordingly, there was simply nothing to exchange for tools or livestock. Getting the product in excess allowed increasing the volume of the next sowing and making profitable acquisitions.
Neighborhood Community
Gradually, a community consisting of related families, that is, people of the same kind, became a neighbor. A different order of relations evolved between them; it was not required to exert common efforts for cultivating the land. Families grew, family ties were lost. Each appeared its own cattle, its allotments of land, tools. It was at this time, when kinship as an indispensable attribute of a community-tribal society lost its significance, the emergence of inequality and nobility.
Each family was already for itself. The emergence of nobility and inequality contributed to various factors. Depending on the efforts made, the number of family members, the fertility of land allotments and the amount of excess received, each family was enriched differently. In addition, common efforts were required in the development of new land, in the case of protection from enemies, military campaigns. Community ties were preserved here, since it was impossible for one family to survive in harsh conditions.
The invention of the plow and the domestication of pets
Tillage is one of the most difficult types of work on earth. Before the invention of the plow, the soil could be cultivated exclusively by the community, since it was completely impossible to do it yourself without any effective adaptations. The use of this tool allowed at times to increase labor productivity and reduce costs. However, the use of the plow did not facilitate the work of individual plowmen, it was not possible for one person to drag it. The first plows were huge logs with thick pointed branches, with which they plowed the ground.
Only the domestication of animals allowed a person to improve the process of farming. In addition, using additional draft force, a person could already plow many times more land and, of course, collect a larger crop.
Craft development
Man's needs were not only in food, he had a need to purchase tools, clothes, utensils. In order to produce a certain type of product, the skills and abilities that have been developed over the years were necessary. The potter should not have been engaged in agriculture, like a furrier, weaver or blacksmith. For his work, he took a certain subsistence fee in the form of grain or other agricultural products.
What are artisans? Gradually, people who were engaged exclusively in crafts began to leave the ranks of farmers. Moreover, it often became a family affair, the experience and knowledge passed on to descendants.
Metal processing
The appearance of metal tools led to a real revolution in life and human relations. Initially, man began to melt and make products from copper , a low - melting metal. Tools and weapons made from it were much better than stone ones, therefore their use allowed to increase labor productivity.
After copper, man learned to smelter more durable tin, but acquaintance with iron and its use led to a real revolution. Tools, weapons made of this metal were more reliable and durable than the previous ones.
First cities
Defending itself from enemies, the community had to take certain measures. To avoid a sudden enemy attack, it was necessary to fence off the settlement with a fence or wall. Shafts were erected, entire fortresses were built, surrounded by moats with water.
So, small settlements gradually grew, the territory in front of the fortresses began to be inhabited by farmers and artisans. These settlements were also enclosed by walls, ramparts, ditches and gradually took on the form of cities. They appeared about five thousand years ago, which became a sign of the final collapse of the communities and the birth of the state.
In this period, inequality was considered the norm. The noble estates, to which the power belonged, stood out, an army was formed. By the way, the military were people who did not plow the land and were not artisans. Their main duty was to protect the city from enemies, participate in military campaigns and capture prey - trophies and slaves.