ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Landed gentry in China

Okay kiddo, so let's imagine that China is a big house, and everyone who lives in it is like a family. Now, some families are really rich and have a lot of things, like fancy clothes, big houses, and lots of money. These families are called the landed gentry.

The landed gentry in China were a small group of really wealthy families who owned large pieces of land and had a lot of power in society. They were mostly made up of officials and wealthy merchants who had made a lot of money. This group of people had a lot of influence because they controlled a lot of the land and resources in China.

Because they were so rich and powerful, they were able to live in big, fancy houses and have servants and workers to do everything for them. They could also afford to hire guards to protect their property and families.

However, not everyone was happy with the landed gentry. Many people thought that they were using their power and wealth to keep themselves rich and keep others poor. This created a lot of tension in society, and eventually, many people began to revolt against them.

So, while being a member of the landed gentry in China meant having a lot of money and power, it also meant that you were not well-liked by everyone and that there was a risk of your power being taken away if people revolted against you.