The peasant is one of the representatives of the main class of the Russian population in Medieval Russia, whose main occupation was agriculture. In view of the fact that for a long time in Russia most of the inhabitants were these hard workers, this period in the history of our country is of particular interest. The formation of the peasantry falls on the fourteenth-fifteenth century. Already in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries mass enslavement was implemented. A peasant is, first of all, a person who lacked civil and property rights.
What was the serf class
Starting from the eleventh century, the era of serfdom began to dominate. The serf, who was dependent on the landowner, worked first of all for the master, and then for himself. Being in such a position, for any violation of the peasant, bound by mutual responsibility, could legally be subjected to corporal punishment. The owner's allotment was not allowed to be pledged, sold or donated, as it was the property of the landowner. By the middle of the seventeenth century, about half of the country's population was already in serfdom. It is their workat that time created the basis for the further development of the state.
State peasants
The remaining non-enslaved population engaged in agriculture in the second half of the eighteenth century was formalized by state peasants. They lived on government land and worked out duties in favor of the authorities, and also paid taxes to the treasury. At the same time, a state peasant was considered personally free.
As a result of the confiscation of church property, the government increased the number of state peasants. In addition, their number was replenished due to the flight of serfs from the villages, as well as due to visitors from other countries.
The difference between state peasants and serfs
It is believed that the crown peasants from Sweden served as an example for determining the legal rights of state peasants. First of all, they had personal freedom. Unlike serfs, state peasants were allowed to take part in trials. They were given the right to make deals and own property. A state peasant is a "free rural inhabitant" who could organize both retail and wholesale trade, as well as open a factory or plant. The serfs did not have such a right, since their personal freedom belonged entirely to the landowner. The state peasant is a temporary user of government holdings. Despite this, there are known cases of their transactions as the owner of the land.
Problems anddifficulties of serfdom
Peasants were dissatisfied with the unequal position in society. The immoderate exploitation by the landowners provoked riots and uprisings. The largest peasant uprising was the war, led by Stepan Razin, which lasted from 1670 to 1671. The uprising of the peasants led by E. I. Pugachev, which lasted from 1773 to 1775.
Only by the end of the eighteenth century, the Russian authorities thought about the problem of the existence of serfdom. The legal and property status did not suit the most numerous class of the country.
1861 became a decisive year: Alexander II carried out a serf reform, as a result of which serfdom was abolished, and over twenty million people finally received freedom. However, full release was obtained after two years, during which the temporarily obliged peasants worked out their duties.
