Agrarian Society

Definition

An agrarian society is a social and economic system in which agriculture is the primary source of wealth, income, and employment. In such societies, land ownership and the cultivation of crops are central to the economy and social structure.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Agrarian societies were characterized by a hierarchical social structure, with a small elite class of landowners and a large peasant class of farmers and laborers.
2. Land ownership was the primary source of wealth and power in agrarian societies, and land was often passed down through families or controlled by the ruling class.
3. Subsistence farming was the predominant mode of agricultural production in agrarian societies, with farmers growing crops and raising livestock primarily for their own consumption.
4. Agrarian societies often relied on the labor of serfs, slaves, or other forms of bound labor to work the land and produce crops for the ruling class.
5. The development of transportation and trade networks in agrarian societies allowed for the exchange of agricultural goods, leading to the emergence of regional and global markets.

Review Questions

• Describe the social and economic structure of a typical agrarian society.
  • Agrarian societies were characterized by a hierarchical social structure, with a small elite class of landowners and a large peasant class of farmers and laborers. Land ownership was the primary source of wealth and power, and land was often passed down through families or controlled by the ruling class. The economy was centered around subsistence farming, with farmers growing crops and raising livestock primarily for their own consumption. Agrarian societies often relied on the labor of serfs, slaves, or other forms of bound labor to work the land and produce crops for the ruling class.
• Explain how the development of transportation and trade networks impacted agrarian societies.
  • The development of transportation and trade networks in agrarian societies allowed for the exchange of agricultural goods, leading to the emergence of regional and global markets. This increased the ability of landowners and farmers to sell their surplus crops and generate income, which in turn led to greater economic diversification and the growth of a merchant class. However, the reliance on trade also made agrarian societies more vulnerable to fluctuations in global markets and the disruption of trade routes, which could have significant impacts on the local economy and social structure.
• Analyze the role of land ownership and labor in the development of the plantation economy in the American South during the 19th century.
  • The plantation economy that emerged in the American South during the 19th century was a prime example of an agrarian society. Large landowners, often wealthy elites, controlled vast tracts of land and relied on the labor of enslaved or indentured workers to cultivate cash crops such as cotton, tobacco, and sugar cane for export. This system of land ownership and labor exploitation was central to the economic and social structure of the antebellum South, with the plantation owners wielding significant political and economic power. The plantation economy's reliance on slave labor and its resistance to industrialization were key factors that contributed to the tensions and conflicts that led to the American Civil War.

Related terms

Subsistence Farming: A mode of farming where farmers grow crops or raise animals solely for their own consumption, with little or no surplus for trade.

Feudalism: A political and social system in which land is owned by the nobility and worked by serfs or peasants, who are bound to the land and required to provide labor and a portion of their crops to the landowner.

Plantation Economy: An agricultural system in which a large landowner, or a corporation, grows cash crops such as cotton, tobacco, or sugar cane for export using the labor of enslaved or indentured workers.