Ongxiwankulu

Ongxiwankulu yisigaba somphakathi, esilingana nesigaba esiphezulu kanye nesigaba esimaphakathi somphakathi. Bahlukaniswa, ngokuphambene, nesigaba sabasebenzi ngobunjinga babo, kanye nempahla abanayo ngokwesiko nangokwemali. Babuye bahlukaniswe ngezigaba, esincane  (petite), esiphakathi (moyenne), esikhulu (grande), esiphezulu (haute), nesanguna (ancienne) futhi zizonke zibizwa ngokuthi "ongxiwankulu".

Ongxiwankulu ngomqondo wendabuko yabo, bahlobene eduze nokuba khona kwezidlavela (cities), eziqashelwa imithetho yasemanxulumeni (e.g., imithetho yemikhandlusidlidli, amalungelo esidlidli, nomthetho wesidlidli waseJalimani), ngakho babengekho ongxiwankulu ngaphandle kwezakhamuzi zasesidlaveleni.

Kunjulalwazi ka-Marx, ongxiwankulu bayisigaba somphakathi esaba ngabanikazi bezinsiza zokukhiqiza ngesikhathi kuvela izimboni zesimanje futhi bayisigaba iminako yabo yomphakathi kuyinani lempahla nokulondolozwa kwentshahla (capital) ukuze baqinisekise ukungapheli kobukhulu babo kwezomnotho emphakathini.

Umlando

Indabuko nokuvuka

uMkhwezi waseJakimani wangekhulu le-16 uJakob Fugger nomdandanisi wakhe omqoka uM. Schwarz, bebhala isifako kwisiqophaminano. Ngemuva kuboniswe ithala lamahele elikhomba izidlavela zaseYurophu abahweba kuzo, ngowe-(1517).

Ongxiwankulu bavela njengesimongotho somlando nezombangazwe ekhulwini leshumi nanye lapho imizi yaseYurophu ephakathi neseNtshona ziguqula izidlavela zohwebo nobuchule. Lokhu kwandiswa kwezidlavela kwabanga ukuqoqana endaweni eyodwa kwezomnotho ngenxa yokuvela kwezinhlangano ezizimele zeziphepha. Iziphepha zaqhamuka lapho osomhwebo (abasebenzs ngensimbi, ukhuni nabathilazi) bexabana nabaPhathimhlaba ababefuna imali yomqasho, bethi isizokhuphuka imali yokuqasha.

Ongxiwankulu yibona, eminyakeni ephakathi ababehlohla esabo futhi kwezombangazwe ababexhasa ababusi ngokumelene nesiyaluyalu esingokomthetho nangokwezimali esasibangwa abaphathimhlaba abangamagovu. Ekhulwini le-16 ongxiwankulu baseNgilabdi nakwelamaDashi baphenduka iziphoqi ngokwezimali – nangokombangazwe – baba yiziphoqi ezaketula uhlelo lobuphathimhlaba; futhi amandla wezomnotho anqoba amandla wezempi kwezombangazwe.