As slave-owing societies further matured and productivity increased, self-contained estates become economically viable. In these landowners' estates, peasants - who had some freedom and incentive - worked for the landowners. Because of productivity increases, these peasants could provide for themselves, their families and for the landowners. It was no-longer necessary for the owning class to work the laborers to death as they did with slaves.

This created a decentralized production sector within the economy. The growth of this sector created the conditions for a change of society. Previously, when slave-based empires collapsed, after a period of anarchy they had been replaced by another slave-based empire. But, once there were sufficiently many self-contained estates, a slave-based empire's collapse would accelerate the growth and spread of these estates. These estates thrived in the anarchy and formed self-governing areas that laid the basis for Land-duty. Land-duty replaced Slavery when landownership formed the basis of state power as well as economic power. The economy's decentralization continued as Land-duty became more established.