Identifier: historyofartinan01perruoft Title: A history of art in ancient Egypt Year: 1883 (1880s) Authors: Perrot, Georges, 1832-1914 Chipiez, Charles, 1835-1901 Armstrong, Walter, Sir, 1850-1918 Subjects: Art -- Egypt History Egypt -- Antiquities Publisher: London : Chapman and Hall Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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Text Appearing Before Image: in. The agriculturists were mere serfs attachedto the soil. They cultivated, for a payment in kind, the landsbelonging to the privileged classes. They changed masterswith the lands upon which they lived, which they were notallowed to quit without the permission of the local authorities. 32 A History of Art in Ancient Egypt. Their position did not greatly differ from that of the modernfellahs, who cultivate the Egyptian soil for the benefit of theeffendis, beys, and pachas or for that of the sovereign, who is stillthe greatest landowner in the country. The shepherds, the fishermen and boatmen of the Nile, theartisans and shopkeepers of the cities were in a similar condition.They lived upon their gains in the same way as the peasant uponthe share of the harvest which custom reserved for his use. As anatural consequence of their life in a city and of the character oftheir occupations, small traders and artisans enjoyed more libertyand independence, more power of coming and going than the

Text Appearing After Image: Fig. 22.—Boatmen. Tomb of Ra-ka-pou, 5th dyna^y. (Boulak, 16 inches high. Drawn by Bourgoin.) agriculturists, although legal rights were the same in both cases.The burden of forced labour must have pressed less heavily uponthe latter class, and they must have had better opportunities ofescaping from it altogether. In consequence of a mistaken interpretation of historic evidence,it was long believed that the Egyptians had castes, like theHindoos. This notion has been dispelled by more careful studyof their remains. The vigorous separation of classes according totheir social functions, the enforced heredity of professions, andthe prohibition of intermarriage between the different groups,never obtained a footing in Egypt. We often find, in Egyptian The Constitution of Egyttian Society. 33 writings, two members of a single family attached one to the civilservice and the other to the army, or the daughter of a general

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