Ancient Russia, although it was distant from the civilized countries of that time and was considered a barbarian land, went through exactly the same stages of state formation as all other powers. Feudalism was no exception, into which the original primitive relations began to transform already in the 10th century. What testifies to the origin of feudal relations? Many factors have become decisive in Russia - from the growing economy of the state to a wide class division. The increasingly complex state system could no longer fit into the former framework of pre-feudal relations and began to transform. What are the stages of these changes?
Economy growth
The economy of Ancient Russia was built on three pillars: servicing trade on the great road "from the Varangians to the Greeks", farming and hunting, or rather, the extraction of furs. At the same time, agriculturefor quite a long time it was primitive and extremely uncommon among the majority of the population. The inhabitants cultivated the land on which they lived. When it was depleted, people simply moved to neighboring plots and began to cultivate them. As soon as the growth of cities, and with them the settled population, led to the fact that there was nowhere to move, a kind of agricultural evolution took place. The peasants began to fertilize the land, began to figure out which type of soil is more suitable for growing a particular crop. Finally, all this led to an increase in productivity. So agricultural products are firmly established in the basis of the state economy.
What is the relationship, and what testifies to the origin of feudal relations in Ancient Russia in these facts? The growth in productivity allowed the then state to exploit the fertile lands and their population by levying taxes or tribute. The same was done with income from trade, crafts and crafts. Any activity was subject to an analogue of modern taxation.
Economics or industries were essentially interested in increasing productivity in order to be able to give the lion's share to the feudal lord and not be left with nothing after paying the corvée. Therefore, the answer to the question, which indicates the emergence of feudal relations, is the growth of the economy.
Complication of the political structure
For the proper collection of part of the crop or products of production and crafts in favor of the treasury, state people were needed, a certain ruling class. In Europe they were called feudal lords. In ancient Russiathis elite included local princes, metropolitan warriors and boyars, granted lands for services to the state. Their duty was not only to keep part of the harvest to the treasury, but also to ensure order on the lands entrusted to them, in other words, estates. It was at this time that such a specific class stratum as bureaucracy was born, which indicates the emergence of feudal relations in Russia.
Land relations
As already mentioned, the prince of Kyiv generously granted his subjects land holdings. The feudal lords received the so-called estates, large allotments of land with the right to inherit. This right was even enshrined at the legal level under Yaroslav the Wise, which indicates the emergence of feudal relations quite officially.
The law stood for the protection of landed property. Later, the church also became a major landowner. The peasants were no longer and could not be full-fledged owners of the land on which they worked all their lives. They became dependent on the masters and were forced to pay for the right to cultivate their land and even for working equipment and livestock.
Class division
One of the determining factors, which indicates the emergence of feudal relations, is the emergence of new classes. At the same time, there is necessarily a ruling class and an oppressed one. In Russia, these were boyars with princes and serfs with serfs.
An ordinary peasant, who until recently freely cultivated his land, very quickly turned intoenslaved and disenfranchised. As soon as the territory with peasant farms passed into the possession of the feudal lord, the farmer automatically had to pay an analogue of the modern land tax. For most people, this was all means of subsistence, often an unbearable price. If it was impossible to contribute the entire size of the assigned corvée, the peasant had to additionally work on the improvement of the feudal estate: build roads, crossings and bridges, as well as fortress walls, towers, etc. When trying to disobey or flee, a person turned into a master's serf, that is, in fact, a slave feudal lord.
Division of labor
The origin of feudal relations is also evidenced by the fact that there was a need for a clear division of labor. In the conditions of the early primitive system, each family actually completely provided for its needs on its own. Men themselves made for themselves tools of labor and hunting, dishes and furniture. Women made their own clothes and utensils for cooking, household items, etc.
Feudalism is characterized by the fact that in its early stages, society begins to separate agriculture and handicrafts. Within the craft class, craftsmen are also divided into narrower speci alties. Many craftsmen go into feudal dependence. The outflow of the population unemployed in agriculture begins to move to large cities, where there are more opportunities for earning.
City growth
Cities quickly became craft centers. In large settlements near the localfeudal lords, whole craft settlements grew: blacksmithing, weapons, jewelry and many others. Here, in the cities, trade began to flourish. The active development of foreign trade relations is what testifies to the emergence of feudal relations. And if in small towns in the markets you could see mainly local products, then in Kyiv, Novgorod, Chernigov there were many stalls where foreign merchants traded with might and main and you could buy everything your heart desires.
What testifies to the emergence of feudal relations in the history of Russia, and what, after only a hundred years, became evidence of their collapse? Sometimes the same factors. For example, the consolidation and growth of independence of significant cities of Ancient Russia gradually called into question the authority of Kyiv as the capital of the ancient state. The settlements were poorly connected, both literally and economically. Each large city was on its own, had its own fortifications, its own squad and was able to provide for itself. This, coupled with the ladder principle of inheritance, when representatives of the same clan ruled in different estates, ultimately led to feudal fragmentation.
