The emergence of agrarian societies marked the first instance of social inequality due solely to differences in land ownership among individuals, rather than the influence of technological advancements or population growth.

Agrarian societies, which began to develop when people started farming, created a new kind of social structure based on land ownership. In these societies, some individuals owned large areas of land while others worked on it, leading to differences in wealth and power. This inequality was different from earlier societies, where people were more equal because they shared resources and lived in small groups. For example, a farmer who owned a lot of land could produce more food and trade it for goods, becoming richer than those who only had a small plot to farm. Thus, the way land was owned and controlled became a key factor in creating social classes and inequality in these early communities.