中国农民，作为一个阶级集团来说，恐怕自古以来就是全世界最大的。中国人口，近代号称四亿，其中农民大约占有百分之八十以上，总有三亿数千万人，占中国人口中的绝对多数。人多力量大，作用也就大，如此众多的中国农民就成为关系到中国历史命运的重要力量。他们是社会生存物资的主要生产者。当他们得以解决吃饭问题时，就可以从事正常生产，就会出现太平盛世；当他们无以为生时，社会动荡，生产破坏，他们就要起来造反，其 Chinese peasants, as a class group, are probably the largest in the world since ancient times. China’s population, known as 400 million in modern times, of which about 80% of peasants occupy a total of 300 million and tens of millions of people, accounting for an absolute majority of the Chinese population. The multitude of people is powerful and the role is great. So many Chinese peasants have become important forces that are related to the fate of China’s history. They are the major producers of social subsistence. When they can solve the problem of eating, they can engage in normal production and there will be peace and prosperity. When they have no means of living, social instability and production will be destroyed, they will rebel against it.