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Peasants During The Han Dynasty

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Past- Peasants were the lowest class of the Han dynasty. About 90% (160 million) of people were peasants. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, peasants didn't own their lands. Throughout the Han Dynasty, most peasants owned a small area of land and gave a portion of their crops to the government to pay as tax. The peasants' survival depended on the quality of the crops while they also faced floods, earthquakes, and famine. During the first half of the Han dynasty, there were 20 periods of droughts, floods, and famines. Peasants faced extreme danger to cope with the natural disasters and ensure the survival of their children. During famine, parents had to kill their babies that they couldn't feed. They sometimes sold their children into slavery

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