The seven commandments in "Animal Farm" were a set of rules that the animals on the farm created and agreed upon to live by after the revolution. The commandments were an attempt to create a fair and just society that would protect the animals from the oppression that they had previously experienced under humans. The commandments are as follows:

1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are equal.

These commandments were created to prevent any form of exploitation and to ensure that all animals had an equal share of the farms resources. However, as the story progresses, the commandments are gradually altered and manipulated by the pigs who become the ruling class. The original seven commandments are eventually replaced by a single commandment: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." This change reflects the pigs growing power and their willingness to use the commandments to justify their actions.