For a long time, society was strongly hierarchical and unequal, primarily composed of peasants. The most backward, impoverished segment of the population, they were crushed by the weight of taxes, wars, and famines.
在过去一个相当长的时期里，社会都是等级制度森严并且极度不公的，做为社会阶级中最大一部分的贫农常常被赋税，战争，饥荒压得喘不过气来，痛苦不堪。