- [ ] Farming --- - subsistence_strategy - foundation_of_civilization --- # Agrarianism **Agrarianism** is a subsistence strategy and social system centered on the cultivation of crops and the permanent settlement of land. It is the foundation upon which modern civilization was built. ### Core Characteristics * **Primary Focus:** Fixed wealth in the form of **cultivated land and crops** (e.g., wheat, rice, maize, potatoes). * **Lifestyle:** **Sedentary.** Leads to the establishment of permanent villages, towns, and cities. * **Subsistence:** Relies on cultivated plants for food, fiber, and trade. The ability to produce a **surplus** is its most critical feature. * **Social Structure:** **[[Hierarchical]] and class-based.** Leads to defined social roles ([[Landowners]], peasants, artisans, rulers) and the concentration of power and wealth (land ownership). * **Relationship with Land:** Uses land **intensively.** Land is a bounded, owned asset to be improved, fertilized, and defended. ### Historical Context & Timeline * **c. 12,000 - 10,000 BCE:** The **[[Neolithic]] Revolution** began. This was the critical transition from hunting-gathering to [[Farming]], first occurring in the Fertile Crescent and independently in other centers like [[China]] and Mesoamerica. This period saw the development of both Agrarianism and [[Pastoralism]]. * **c. 4000 - 3000 BCE:** The **Urban Revolution.** Agrarian surpluses enabled the rise of the first cities, [[Writing]] systems, governments, and empires (e.g., in Mesopotamia and Egypt). * **c. 500 BCE - 1800 CE:** The **"Agrarian Era"** dominated world [[History]], with land ownership being the primary source of wealth and power for all major empires. * **Present Day:** Modern industrial [[Agriculture]] is the direct descendant of ancient agrarian practices. ### Interaction with Pastoral Societies The relationship between agrarian and pastoral societies was a key driver of history: 1. **Trade & [[Symbiosis]]:** [[Pastoralism|Pastoral societies]] were essential trading partners, providing animal products and materials that were scarce in settled communities. 2. **Conflict & Defense:** The wealth and fixed nature of agrarian societies made them targets for raids by mobile [[Pastoralism|Pastoralist groups]]. This led to the construction of defensive structures (e.g., the Great Wall of China) and the development of professional armies. --- `Concepts:` `Knowledge Base:` https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/planet-critical/id1545009586?i=1000687029888