The 17th century ("The Rebel Age") received a very symbolic name. It began with the Time of Troubles, its middle represents a hectic period of the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich. Social movements of this period are characterized by great intensity and scope, tension and duration.
In 1645, Alexei Mikhailovich became the king, who was under the strong influence of his educator - Boyar Morozov. After marrying Maria Miloslavskaya, the new tsarist relatives came to power, began to take bribes, which led to discontent of the people with the current situation.
The speeches that made the “rebel age” famous are distinguished by an unprecedented hitherto mass character, reaching almost the scale of the country. This is the time of the Salt, Plague, Copper riots, urban unrest in Novgorod and Pskov, the Solovetsky seat, the demise. But, despite the aggressiveness of the rebels, it was not difficult for the authorities to defeat the uprisings by partially satisfying demands or using force.
Urban uprisings swept many of the country's populations because the tax burden of merchants and artisans became increasingly heavy every year, and the treasury was replenished by reducing salaries to the service people.
The salt rebellion of 1648 became one of the most powerful rebellions that the "rebel age" knew. The financial reform of the boyar Morozov, associated with the introduction of a salt tax, caused great discontent of the posad and archers. The uprising that broke out in the capital ended with the satisfaction of the demands of its participants: the government replaced the stealing judges, the archers were paid 8 rubles each, the arrears were no longer subjected to "righteousness" (beaten debts).
But after the Moscow uprising a wave of riots and unrest broke out in cities in the south of the country, in Siberia and Pomerania. The most significant were the unrest of 1650 in Novgorod and Pskov. The rebels removed the governor and transferred power to the city elders. The unrest in Novgorod was suppressed by government forces, and a delegation from the capital was sent to persuade the Pskovites, who granted pardon to the rebels in return for their consent to stop the speech.
The "Rebel Age" continued with the Copper Riot in Moscow (1662), which in many respects recalled the events of the times of the Salt Riot. Depreciating copper money went in circulation, and taxes were levied in full silver. Posad people and archers, reitars and soldiers of the Moscow garrison presented the tsar with demands and accusations of the boyars in power for treason, conspiracy with the Poles and ruin of the camp. Streltsy regiments forcefully dispersed the rebels who came to the king with the demands of "killing the boyars."
The “rebel age” in Russia is almost more known than urban uprisings, thanks to the Razin movement (the turn of the 60-70s), which was given the status of war, although there are still doubts about whether there was a peasant or Cossack war . The wars with Sweden and Poland led to the ruin of the population. As a result of the growing discontent of the population, an army of Cossacks formed in the Don, who sought to overthrow the political system and establish free rule.
The People’s Defender, Don Cossack Stepan Razin, was a man who shed rivers of blood. The violence of the lower classes caused retaliatory violence from the authorities. Razinism arose on the Don, where fugitive peasants and representatives of the posad, who wished to become free, settled for a long time. In 1667, Stenka "collected the votagu from the barefoot" and "went for a walk on the blue sea" in order to "obtain the treasury as needed." Razintsy cunningly took Yaitsky town and refused royal favor in exchange for forgiveness for insurrection. Stenka began his Caspian campaign, both robber and anti-feudal. Flames of rebellion swept the Volga region. Only in 1671 Razin fell into the hands of the government and was executed on Red Square. The main centers of the uprising were suppressed.
The "rebel age" has led to significant changes in the future life of Russia.