“The most successful Meccans of the seventh century were more than just traders: they were a class of busy merchants and investors—protocapitalists who knew how to exploit the opportunities geography and access to ready finance afforded them. But below them sat a disgruntled underclass, cut off from the profits of business and investment, who were increasingly conscious of a deepening gulf between rich and poor.” – Powers and Thrones (Dan Jones) https://bookshop.org/ebooks/quotes/09110e18-226c-4d6f-a3d1-4dcb9b4f4a07

Foreshadowing? I dunno (yet), but it seems to me that societies with “deepening gulfs” don’t do too well.