At the beginning of the 19th century, the entire Russian Empire was divided into lands belonging to provinces and regions. They, in turn, consisted of counties. Since new territories were annexed to Russia, the number of provinces increased significantly. Some of them became larger, while others were formed by transforming areas. Part was united and had the level of governor-generals and governorships. The Grand Duchy of Finland and the Kingdom of Poland had special titles.
Social system in Russia
Russia was at that time an absolutist and feudal country. It was led by the king, who concentrated in his hands almost all managerial threads. The nobles remained as the main socio-political force. They had huge support from the autocratic state. His entire policy (both external and internal) was aimed at ensuring them.
If, however, to investigate what reasons hindered the development of peasant farms, the answer must be sought in the fact that at that time the Russian bourgeoisie did not receive any support from the government of the country.
Peasants were the largest part of the population. They were all separated:
- for landowners;
- state group;
- specific category and others.
City dwellers and philistines accounted for only 1-2 percent of the total population of the state.
The Peasant Question
Russia of the 19th century is an agrarian country. Most of the peasants were under the rule of the landowners. They were in bondage. The process of solving the peasant question in the country was significantly different and inferior in its main characteristics to other European states.
Among the reasons that hindered the development of peasant farms, a special place belongs to the personal dependence of the peasants on the landlords. It contributed to lowering the level of their interest in the results of their work. This, in turn, significantly reduced the efficiency of agriculture.
The position of the landlord peasants
At the beginning of the 19th century, there was a significant increase in the role of the monetary form of quitrent. At the same time, it was not agricultural peasant labor that was most often used as a source of dues, but their work in various seasonal industries and urban factories.
But the main role is stillbelonged at that time to the barshchina. There was an active increase in the size of the lord's plow (from 18 to 49%). This process was most intense in the black earth regions of the country. Here, most of the peasants were transferred for a month or driven off the land altogether.
Among the reasons that hampered the development of peasant farms in the 19th century was a significant decrease in the amount of land owned by this segment of the population. The increase in arrears indicated the presence of an absolute crisis in serf farms.
The condition of state-owned peasants
The position of the state peasants was quite difficult. But also a little better than the landowners. This plays a significant role among the reasons that hindered the development of peasant farms in 1861.
If we compare the 18th century and the 30s of the 19th century, there is a significant increase in the total monetary taxation of state peasants. But before they had the right to buy and sell land. Trade at fairs and establish factories. In this case, it was necessary to pay only the necessary taxes and duties. And only a few of the entire mass of peasants of the 19th century owned the right to use these privileges.
This referred to what reasons hampered the development of peasant farms, and negatively affected the state of affairs in them. Most of them, mostly those who were engaged in subsistence farming, could not make ends meet. Contactonly representatives of the we althy elite of the state and quitrent villagers had the opportunity to participate in the market.
Here there could be no question of improving agricultural technology and introducing the use of new machines or improving livestock breeds. Because most of all farms were practically on the verge of survival. Therefore, a significant place among the reasons that hindered the development of peasant farms belongs to the low level of agricultural technology. He left the yield at a very low level.
State of landowners
The processes taking place in the landowners' farms were no less significant. Despite the fact that the master's plowing increased significantly, the yield did not increase. This was due to the feudal nature of the exploitation of workers and the low level of productivity of their labor.
According to the results of research by modern specialists, the labor productivity of a hired worker was 2 times higher than that of a serf. The increased size of the corvee did not provide an increase in the productivity of their work. This is also included in the list of reasons that hindered the development of peasant farms.
Main prerequisites for the abolition of serfdom
Prerequisites for the abolition of serfdom have been developing for quite a long time. Immediately on the eve of the reform of 1961, there was a deepening of the socio-economic processes of the decomposition of serfdom. At that moment everythingits possibilities as an economic system have exhausted themselves. It's time for a deep crisis. This significantly hindered the development of industry, trade and entrepreneurship of peasants and was included in the list of reasons that hindered the development of peasant farms (8th grade is the time to study this problem at school).
The crisis first hit corvee estates. The level of labor productivity dropped sharply. The peasants began to work at half strength and without much desire and zeal.
Another important reason is the social factor. There was a gradual increase in peasant revolts. In addition, there were massacres of landlords and various everyday forms of struggle. Although no statistical records of these cases were carried out, the landlord economy suffered significant damage because of them.
The economic and military-technical crisis was especially felt after the defeat in the Crimean War. This was one of the main reasons that made the government think about the social danger of serfdom and its further preservation.
The 1861 reform was a process of upheaval. It began with the liberation of the peasants, who belonged to the landowner, from dependence. And the final stage was the small proprietors-owners, into whom those same peasants turned. At the same time, almost all noble landholdings and large landowners were preserved.
