The serfdom and the whole complex of relations related to it were in the territory of the country for centuries. On the formation of serfdom, as phenomena, the influence was provided by several dozen fundamental factors - territorial features of lands, lifestyle and mentality, state device, etc.
Serfdom - the essence of terminology
The serfdom is (briefly) the form of the dependence of the peasants at which they are attached to the Earth and are subject to the administrative and judicial authority of the landowner (hereinafter referred to as the text of the QC - a serf peasant).
What is a serfdom, the definition of the extended - a set of legal norms inherent in feudal states in which the peasant estate is in full and indisputable dependence, including the following signs corresponding to the concept of serfdom:
- KK is forbidden to leave "his" put on.
- Violation of the first point entails a lifelong cheer.
- Children, grandchildren, nephews and other descendants and relatives of the CC receive the same status according to the rules of continuity.
- The impossibility of acquiring real estate or put on the QC.
- In rare cases, feudals were allowed to acquire people without land.
When did the serfdom in Russia begins?
There is no single opinion about when serfs appeared in Russia, among historians and researchers there are still no. Some believe that this system of legal relations began to be laid since the formation of an ancient Russian state (XI century), others argue that the beginning of serfdom in Russia was laid only after the elevation of Moscow, which occurred in the XV century.
Stages of folding of serfdom
The first few centuries of the existence of Russia, indeed, can be called a period when prerequisites for the development of serfdom are laid. First, there were lack of work hands - men died in wars, whole villages died from infections, and hunger and poverty became only additional factors that led to the emptying of land.
Secondly, higher classs were to give part of their income in favor of the treasury, if workers lacked, it means that the income fell. All this required the attraction of new residents, and they were not.
Many peasants ran into the freest of the edges, for example, south or to Siberia, reducing the number of workers who were so few. Gradually, the binding of simple people to one or another territory became a paramount task, because the Hop, tied to the land of the earth, could not leave him, bringing profit to the death itself.
So, briefly looks history.
We will analyze the stages of folding serfdom in Russia in more detail.
Documentary consolidation occurred in several stages:
- The lawsuit Prince 1497. According to this document, Yuriev was introduced in Russia - November 26. If KK wishes to leave the landlord and go to another, you can do it only once a year. In the same document, the size of the grade, which KK was obliged to pay Barina, the elderly - peculiar "whipped" when caring from the owner, and the Barechina (remuneration for work on the owner);
- 1581, the establishment of "protected years" or the decree of the king Fyodor Johnovich on the cancellation of the right to exit. This stage of consolidation of serfdom in Russia causes the largest number of disputes. Opponents argue that the text of the document was not found, and the QC themselves had already turned into almost the slaves by this time. Supporters of the opposite theory are more loyal, believing that before the cancellation of the right of transition, a certain fluidity was observed among the simple people, it can be traced on records in monastery books. As soon as the decree was introduced, the transitions were no longer observed;
- November 24, 1597. Every Mr. received the right to search for his CC for five years after the last escape;
- March 9, 1607. There is a mandatory fifteen-year-old CC cheer;
- Cathedral code of 1649. The closest to the truth is the answer to the question: who introduced the serfdom? - Can be considered - King Alexey Mikhailovich. It was he who approved the document, according to which QC completely lost the right to leave his owner, attached to the ground, and belonging to a particular landowner was inherited.
What is the fortress right different from slavery?
Despite the fact that the QC has practically lost any rights, their role in the life of the state was very significant (111 chapters of the Cathedral Casting of 1649 were devoted to the peasants).
The landowners were to be responsible for their QCs in all cases, except for the subordinate tool, murders and other atrocities. In these cases, they were judged according to the current legislation.
In addition, from the highest permission to the KK owner, they could have families, marry / get married, make children.
A distinctive feature of serfdom is the lack of legislative rights to the Life of the QC (right and next to it). In addition, if the landowner acquired the CC, he was obliged to give him a plot of land and the items that he could cultivate it.
Slaves opened only a person who bought them. The slave for the owner was identical to things.
Another difference between serfdom from slavery - In the hungry years, the landowner had to feed his CC, so they did not die, and killing the peasants was strictly prohibited by law.
Serfdom as a historical phenomenon
Despite the fact that the phenomenon, the affected millions of people, had many historical prerequisites, most of the specialists leaning towards the fact that the landowners survived the rich in the slave labor of a simple Luda, who practically did not have any rights. The CC was killed, judged without the investigation, forced to starve, beat, etc. and most of these lawlessness remained unpunished.
More loyal to serfdom, as a historical phenomenon, scientists argue that such a way was the only possible, and systematic reinforcement occurred in order to save not only the state, but also the peasants themselves as class.
In conclusion, we give some interesting facts about the serfdom:
- an unequivocal answer to the question: who introduced the serfdom in Russia? - does not exist;
- researchers, including foreign, argue that the Russian peasant of the XVII-XVIII century lived much better and wealthy than simple people in France, Germany, Poland and other European countries of the same period;
- despite the popular view that all the country's peasants were serfs, it was far from the wrong. For example, in 1796, only 53% of the peasant class were serfs, and in 1857 - only 23%;
- until 1767, KK could complain about the landowner directly to the king (due to the huge flow of letters, Catherine the second canceled this right, confusting the analysis of the petitions to his nobles).
After the reform was performed in 1861, canceling the serfdom, each former QC received almost five tents per capita per capita, or 14.4 tits on the yard (one decrease was approximately 1.1 hectares). We will specify that the subsistence minimum, allowing to survive one family, for that period was ten-eleven tents.
Thus, serfdom, the beginning and ending in Russia in Russia is documented from 1649 and 1861, respectively, existed as a phenomenon assigned to paper, more than two centuries. The real duration of the serious burden of the people was longer.