Short synthesis by Marius-Alexandru Dan, provided in 2020 in the frame of the project Housing, social mobilisations and urban governance in Central and Eastern Europe, financed by The Swedish Research Council FORMAS [Grant 2016-00258], to serve The Common Front for Housing Rights.   The socio-political context on the eve of 1864 land reform According to the 1859-1860 census, the population of the United Principalities[1] numbered 3.9 million people, with around 90% living in rural settlements and only 10% in cities. By occupation, 71% of them were farmers, 10% were craftsmen and workshops workers, 6.5% merchants, moneylenders and other freelancers, 5%…