Development history
The ruling people of Zhou Dynasty lived in the state (city) and the suburbs of the state. The upper class is the emperor, princes, officials and scholars, and the lower class is the common people. Most of the common people lived in the suburbs, cultivated the land given by the nobility, and enjoyed the political and military rights given by the nobility. Such as participating in the National People's Congress and the National People's League, participating in military activities, acting as an apprentice and so on. But they also tend to take on heavy responsibilities. If common people fight as soldiers, they need to bear military equipment and pay military taxes. In addition, the young and strong common people have to bear certain labor. Under certain conditions, the common people may be transformed into members of the noble class, such as being promoted to literati and bureaucrats by military achievements; people of other grades or classes can also be transformed into common people.
After the Qin Dynasty, in addition to slaves, those who had no official position, nobility or rank were generally called common people. In the historical records, the officials who robbed the officials and the clansmen who cut the records were exempt from being "common people". During the period of Wei, Jin, southern and Northern Dynasties, aristocratic families rose. They not only discriminated against the nobility, but also belittled some humble petty officials or officials who were not in a prominent position as "cold common people" and "cold elements", and sometimes said that "the common people are separated from the common people". But at that time, there was no provision to strictly distinguish the rights and obligations between the scholars and the common people. For example, the law of Shi Wu Xiang Zuo could not be avoided. After the Tang Dynasty, the word "common people" was used less and less, and gradually replaced by "people", "common people", "Li Shu", "common people".
