Peasantry (noun)

1. The class of people who are rural laborers, especially farm laborers.
2. The people living and working in the countryside.

Origin:

Late middle english: from old french paisantrie, from paisant 'peasant', from latin paganus 'rustic, pagan', from pagus 'rural district'. the original sense was 'people of the countryside', later 'peasants as a social class'.

Examples:

1. The peasantry of the region is hard-working and resourceful.
2. Despite centuries of oppression, the peasantry has survived and prospered.
3. The peasantry forms the backbone of the agricultural economy.
4. The government is implementing programs to uplift the standard of living of the peasantry.
5. The powerful landowner dominated the local peasantry.