Yeren (Zhou dynasty)

The yeren (Chinese: 野人; pinyin: Yé Rén; lit. 'field/rural people') were peasants and commoners under the ancient Zhou dynasty China (11th-3rd centuries BC). Living mostly in underdeveloped rural areas, they were considered uncivil people by the upper class guoren ([國人] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |l= (help)), who regarded themselves as cultured citizens living within the walls of larger urban settlements.

Zilu, one of Confucius's favorite disciples, was considered to be one and the Analects includes a passage giving the yeren primacy over the Zhou in having undergone the influence of "ritual and music".^[a][2]

• Hua–Yi distinction

• Eno, Robert (2003), "The Background of the Kong Family of Lu and the Origins of Ruism" (PDF), Early China, vol. 28, pp. 1–41.