The peasant is one of the representatives of the main class of the Russian population in Medieval Russia, whose main occupation was agriculture. Due to the fact that for a long time in Russia the majority 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 to fifteenth century. Already in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, mass enslavement was realized. A peasant is, first of all, a person who lacked civil and property rights.
What was the class of serfs
Starting from the eleventh century, the era of serfdom began to dominate . Depending on the landowner, the serf peasant worked primarily for the master, and then for himself. Being in this position, for any violation the peasant, bound by mutual responsibility, could legally be subjected to corporal punishment. I donated the owner was not allowed to mortgage, sell or give, as it was the property of the landowner. By the middle of the seventeenth century, serfdom was already about half the country's population. It was their work at that time that created the basis for the further development of the state.
State peasants
The remaining unprotected population engaged in agriculture in the second half of the eighteenth century was formed by state peasants. They lived on state land and worked out duties in favor of the authorities, and also paid taxes to the treasury. The state peasant was considered personally free.
Due to the confiscation of church possessions, the government increased the number of state peasants. In addition, their number was replenished due to the flight of serfs from 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 participate in trials. They were given the right to enter into transactions and own property. The state peasant is a “free rural man in the street” who could organize both retail and wholesale trade, as well as open a factory or factory. The serfs did not have this right, since their personal freedom belonged entirely to the landowner. The state peasant is a temporary user of government possessions. Despite this, there are known cases of their transactions as the owner of the land.
Problems and difficulties of serfdom
The peasants were dissatisfied with the unequal position in society. Excessive exploitation by the landlords 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 under the leadership of E.I. Pugacheva, which lasted from 1773 to 1775.
Only at the end of the eighteenth century did the Russian authorities think about the problem of the existence of serfdom. The legal and property status did not suit the most numerous class of the country.
The year 1861 was decisive: Alexander II carried out serf reform, as a result of which serfdom was abolished, and over twenty million people were finally freed. However, full release was obtained after two years, during which temporarily obligated peasants worked out duties.