--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Until the late modern era, more than 90…" description: "\"“Until the late modern era, more than 90 per cent of humans were peasants who rose each morning to till the land by the sweat of their brows. The extra..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae6/yuval-noah-harari-100_history-books_until-the-late-modern-era-more-than-90-p_1606646.jpg" --- # Until the late modern era, more than 90 per cent of humans… ![“Until the late modern era, more than 90 per cent of humans were peasants who rose each morning to till the land by the sweat of their brows. The extra they produced fed the tiny minority of elites – kings, government officials, soldiers, priests, artists and thinkers – who fill the history books.” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae6/yuval-noah-harari-100_history-books_until-the-late-modern-era-more-than-90-p_1606646.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae6/yuval-noah-harari-100_history-books_until-the-late-modern-era-more-than-90-p_1606646.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae6/yuval-noah-harari-100_history-books_until-the-late-modern-era-more-than-90-p_1606646.jpg) > ““Until the late modern era, more than 90 per cent of humans were peasants who rose each morning to till the land by the sweat of their brows. The extra they produced fed the tiny minority of elites – kings, government officials, soldiers, priests, artists and thinkers – who fill the history books.”” [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Historically, most humans were peasants whose labor sustained a small elite, shaping societal structures and historical narratives. **In simple terms:** Peasants fed elites. Key Takeaway Recognize labor foundations. Themes history social hierarchy labor Mood analytical thoughtful Type historical philosophical When to use this quote - education reform - wealth inequality - labor rights Key Concepts anthropology economics Questions to Reflect On - How does this perspective change your view of history? - What can be done to honor labor contributions? A Different Perspective Elite narratives often overlook peasant contributions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [History books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-books/) [Modern era](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-era/) [Peasants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peasants/) ## Related quotes > [“The stress of farming had far-reaching consequences. It was the foundation of large-scale political and social systems. 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