Russia in the nineteenth century had to solve two important key issues. They have been on the agenda since the beginning of the century and concerned serfdom and autocracy.
Decisions of the Russian Tsar
Alexander the First made a number of attempts to somehow resolve the peasant issue that had become urgent. This, of course, concerned primarily the decrees of 1801 and 1803. The first one made it possible for Russian peasants, along with other estates, to buy land as property, thereby destroying the existing monopoly of the nobility on the ownership of this property. The second, which went down in history as the "Decree on Free Plowmen", was intended to determine the procedure for the emancipation or release of peasants along with the land. The latter, at the same time, were obliged to pay the ransom to the landlords in installments, thereby also receiving a land allotment as their property.
In fairness, it should be noted that only a few were able to use this decree. At the same time, this measure did not affect the current system of serfdom in any way.
During the years of the reign of Alexander the First, many options were proposed to solve this rather complicated, but urgent issue. Projects for the liberation of the peasants were proposed by Mordvinov and Arakcheev, Guryev and Kankrin.
The Peasant Question
Despite the fact that since 1801 the burghers, merchants and state peasants were allowed to buy or sell uninhabited lands, the current situation in Russia was quite explosive. She got worse every year. At the same time, serfdom became less and less effective. In addition, such a state of the peasants caused grumbling not only among themselves. Representatives of other classes were also dissatisfied. However, the tsarist government nevertheless did not dare to abolish serfdom: the nobility, being a privileged estate, considered the main support of the emperor, categorically did not agree with such cardinal changes. Therefore, the king had to compromise, maneuvering between the desire of the elite and the needs of the economy.
Year 1803: "Decree on free cultivators"
He had a very important ideological significance for Russia. Indeed, for the first time in history, it approved the possibility of freeing the peasants along with the land in retaliation for the ransom. It is this positionand became the main component of the subsequent reform of 1861. Adopted on February 20, 1803, the "Decree on Free Plowmen" provided for the peasants the opportunity to be released both individually and in entire villages, and with an obligatory land allotment. For their will, they had to pay a ransom or perform duties. If the obligations were not fulfilled by the peasants, then they were returned to the landowner. The class that received the will in this way was called free. However, they went down in history as free cultivators. Since 1848, they began to be called state peasants. And it was they who became the main driving force in the development of the expanses and resources of Siberia.
Implementation of the decree
By the middle of the nineteenth century, almost one hundred and fifty thousand male peasants were freed under this law. At the same time, historians believe that the results of the “Decree on Free Ploughmen”, which was in force in Russia for more than half a century, were very small.
Passed into a special class, "free cultivators" now received and could dispose of their own land. They could bear duties exclusively in favor of the Russian state. However, according to statistics, during the entire reign of Alexander, less than half a percent of the total number of serfs passed into their category.
For example, from 1804 to 1805 in the Ostsee region, although peasant householders were granted personal freedom, they still had to bear duties for the allotments of landowners' land placed at their disposal: andcorvee, and quitrent. Moreover, free farmers were not exempt from recruitment.
Background
In addition to the above reasons, another very specific event for the issuance of the "Decree on Free Ploughmen" was. Count Sergei Rumyantsev, known for his radical views, expressed a desire to free some of his serfs along with the land. At the same time, he put forward a condition: the peasants had to pay for their own plots. It was with this request that Count Rumyantsev turned to the emperor to allow him to legalize the deal.
This incident became the prerequisite for Alexander to issue the notorious decree, after which free cultivators appeared in Russia.
Items of the Decree
Ten points were introduced into the law, according to which:
- The landowner could set free his peasants along with the land. At the same time, he had to personally negotiate with his serf about the terms of the ransom and his alleged obligations.
- Obligations, around which the parties agreed, were inherited.
- If the peasant did not fulfill them, then he, with his family and land, had to return to dependence on the landowner.
- Freed serfs should have been called free.
- Free plowmen had the right to move to another class: to become artisans or merchants, etc.
- Both released and state peasants were obliged to pay taxes to the state. At the same time, they had to perform recruiting duties.
- The farmer was to be judged in the same institution as the state peasant.
- The released serfs, who fulfilled their obligations to the landowners, could freely dispose of their land allotment. They could also move to live in other provinces, notifying the Treasury in advance.
- Free plowmen received state rights.
- If the land of a peasant or he himself was mortgaged, then at the request of the former owner, he himself took over this debt with the permission of the creditor.
I must say that the landowner could not use the right he received, so the decree was exclusively advisory in nature, and not mandatory.
