The highest class in the Russian feudal state were the boyars. The definition of this term sheds light on many historical events and phenomena. For almost eight hundred years, the boyars took an active part in government. This title was abolished only by Peter the Great as a result of the reform of the aristocracy.
Boyar: definition
Representatives of the upper class of feudal lords in Russia of the 9-17th centuries were called boyars. They were vassals of the prince in whose territory they lived, but were free people and could go under the command of another aristocrat of their own accord. The boyars owned vast tracts of land and serfs, held high posts at the court of their prince, and controlled entire branches of the country's economy. Some of the boyars served as governors, judges, or other senior officials.
Boyars and patrimony
Dictionaries give such a definition: the boyars in Ancient Russia are tribal descendants of the nobility, serfs landowners. The lands were usually inherited and were called patrimony. The estate included not only the land itself, but also all the buildings, equipment and rights to slaves located on it. It is easy to define the following concepts: patrimony and boyars. Patrimony is a form of feudal land ownership. The owner had the right to inherit, distribute it to relatives, give, sell, or exchange it. It was the boyars who owned the estates.
What is the difference between princes and boyars
The name "prince" itself came from the ancient German kuning, which designated the head of the clan. Until the 9th century in Slavic society, this word was called the leaders of the tribe. At first this post was elected, but in the 10th century significant changes took place. After the formation of Kievan Rus, power over the territory of the country passed to the Rurik dynasty, and the title of prince began to be inherited. Until the 18th century, the princely title meant that the person belonged to an ancient family that had once enjoyed the privilege of governing the country.
During the reign of Peter I, the title of prince was granted to nobles for merits to Russia, so the title somewhat lost its prestige. In addition, during the same period, many foreigners appeared in the country, who were also princes. For this reason, it became necessary to determine the types of reign. The sons, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and other heirs of the king on the male line were called the Grand Dukes. The youngest sons were called the Princes of Light, the same title could be welcomed by the king for his merits. The descendants of the Grand Dukes held the title of Radiant Prince.
The definition of boyars has differences. Some sources indicate that this word comes from the Turkic language and means "lord" in translation. According to the hierarchy, the boyars were one step lower than the Grand Duke.
Boyars and nobles: definitions and differences
Since the formation of the first Russian state at the end of the 9th century, the boyars were considered the highest nobility, were members of the prince's senior squad and owned vast land plots. The concept of "nobles" appeared in Russia only in the 12th century. So they began to call the free servants of the prince or the boyar, who were part of their court. For good service, the gentlemen provided the nobles with land, included in the administrative councils, delegated part of the tasks of managing the principality. According to the hierarchy, the nobles are located one step below the boyars.
The emergence and development of the boyars
We have already given a definition to the boyars, and from the history of the appearance, development and disappearance of the boyars one can understand the significance of this estate for the Russian state. It was they who for a long time were assigned the leading role in governing the country. The capacious and brief definition of the boyars in the days of Kievan Rus is as follows: when the country was ruled by princes from the Rurik dynasty, the boyars were considered vassals of the prince. They were large landowners, owned serfs and were sovereign masters in their possessions - patrimonies. They also committed themselves to serving in the princely army both personally and to provide soldiers from among the serfs. However, the boyar was free in his choice and at any time could go under the command of another prince.
In the 12th century, Russia was conquered by the Golden Horde. To more easily manage the new lands, the Mongol khans sought to fragment the state into small principalities. During this period, the Grand Dukes lost a significant part of their strength, and the estate of the boyars, on the contrary, received the highest power. In each principality their influence was almost unlimited, all important decisions were made only with their consent. In the 15th century, the Mongols were expelled from the territory of the Russian state, and the princes regained their former power. A long period of confrontation between these two high estates began.
The princes strove to create a centralized state, and the boyars did their best to maintain feudal fragmentation and hold power.
Loss of power
Grand dukes gradually reduced the privileges of the boyar estate. After the appearance of tsars in Russia, the new rulers continued this practice. The boyars resisted the policy of centralization, as this led to the loss of power. Attempts to revolt or rebellion were harshly suppressed. Ivan the Terrible even sent to the execution overly obstinate nobles.
By the 17th century, the composition of the boyar estate was significantly different from the original: noble families became weak, some ancient genera died out altogether. The definition of the boyars has become blurred. The greatest influence on public policy was exerted by nobles and boyars without noble titles, that is, simply wealthy landowners.
Cancellation of the boyars
Peter the Great possessed a high level of intelligence, strove for innovation and went down in history as a reformer king. In the early 18th century, Peter annexed new lands to the territory of the Russian state and founded a noble empire based on the unlimited power of the monarch.
The boyars did not want to lose control of their lands, so the new emperor decided to completely abolish the institution of boyars in order to exclude the possibility of riots or rebellions. The boyars lost power, the name was transformed into the less pretentious word "master" and began to mean only a large landowner.
Interesting Facts
Facts about the Russian nobility will help to define the following concepts: boyars, patrimony, nobles, princes.
The prince occupied the highest step in the hierarchical structure of the nobility. Boyarin stood one step lower and was a vassal of the prince with certain duties and broad privileges. The nobles could be servants of both the prince and the boyar, in a hierarchical structure located immediately under the boyars.
The boyars were the owners of the estate, which was most often inherited. The nobles also owned the land, but received it only by the grace of their master.
In Russia, the concepts of "boyar" and "prince" appeared at the same time, the nobility formed three centuries later. Princes and nobles managed to survive 300 years longer, while the boyars were abolished at the beginning of the 18th century.
Peter the Great, unlike his predecessors, was a frequent visitor to Western Europe. Their level of development of technology, economy and culture impressed the impressionable young king. European men did not wear long beards and taunted the Russian nobility, considering its representatives backward. After returning from a trip, Peter decided to reform an outdated lifestyle and introduce the population to a progressive fashion. He ordered the boyars, as well as all other men, except for priests and village slaves, to shave their long beards. Oddly enough, this simple demand caused quite violent indignation.
After the victory of the socialist revolution in 1917, all noble titles were abolished on the territory of Russia. Princely titles existed not only in Russia, but throughout Europe. The title of boyar is exclusively a Russian reality.
The definition of the boyars will help to understand the essence of this phenomenon, to structure the information received. The history of the emergence, development, and disappearance of this stratum of society sheds light on the current system of statehood.