I think I'd read somewhere before that Khanzumer's were definitely a species or class, but it's just as likely that was unofficial. What I'm wondering now is--if Khanzumers may be the "ultimate evil" behind industrialisation on oddworld--OI might not just be blindsiding us with talk of a khanzumer race. Since in real world events it's probably impossible to find one truly evil (or unknowable) group or person, it seems as if OI could speak of the "Khanzumers" and mean instead the system or set of values that has led oddworld down the industrial path.
The fuedal type system Mac refers to seems like another definite possibility. Oddworld is vast, and this could leave many places in a kind of cultural limbo. Close enough to the true cities to obtain some industrial goods, but far enough away to ignore social innovations, like the middle class. Not that I consider the concept of a middle class as an innovation. More of a stopgap.
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