WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The largest social group was the farmers, who were also considered peasants.

Detailed explanation-2: -Shang society, like most early farming areas, was divided into different classes of people. Rulers (kings) and the wealthy had the most status, followed by the military and bureaucrats. Next came artisans and skilled workers such as craftspeople and finally the peasants, who were usually farmers.

Detailed explanation-3: -The majority of the people who lived under the Shang Dynasty were farmers. They grew millet, wheat and barley but not so much rice, which was farmed further south. A large irrigation scheme was constructed to bring the water from the Yellow River to the crops. They also kept sheep, pigs and oxen.

Detailed explanation-4: -The typical farmer lived in a small village of around 100 families. They worked small family farms. Although they had plows and sometimes used animals like dogs and oxen to do the work, most of the work was done by hand.

Detailed explanation-5: -Like many other ancient cultures, the Shang created a social pyramid, with the king at the top, followed by the military nobility, priests, merchants, and farmers. Burials were one way in which the social classes were distinguished.