Colonate is a form of peasant dependence on a landowner that existed in the late Roman Empire. At an early stage, such relations did not differ much from ordinary leases. Gradually, the status of the colon degraded to an intermediate position between a free man and a slave. This system became the foundation on which medieval feudalism was formed.
Early stage
In Italy, during the Roman Empire, most agricultural land was leased. Buying and selling transactions were relatively rare. The tax system took this feature into account. Basically, tenants who worked the land were obliged to pay taxes, and not its direct owners. Violations of the terms of the contracts were considered in courts. Relations between tenants and landowners were regulated by Roman law, which was to some extent fair to both parties. These are colonies at an early stage of formation.
Gradual status change
During the reign of Emperor Diocletian, a reform of the tax system took place, which many historians consider to be the cause of significant shifts in relations between tenants and landowners. Diocletian issued several edicts linking the columns to their plots in order to increase revenue in the treasury.
Tenants remained legally and economically free individuals who independently traded and carried out cash settlements. However, to facilitate the process of registering the population and collecting taxes, farmers were forbidden to leave their plot. Leased land was inherited by their children. This was the fundamental difference between the colonate and slavery.
It is important to note that the rights of not only tenants, but also land owners were limited. The owners could not expel the columns from the plots. Land was allowed to be sold only with tenants cultivating them. This is a colonate in the history of the late Roman Empire, which differed from both classical slavery and medieval serfdom.
Land dependence
The only restriction on the freedom of tenants was a ban on leaving their land. In some cases, for practical reasons, owners could transfer the columns to other sites without separating families. The owners had the right to catch and punish runaway tenants. The law provided for a fine for landowners who accepted foreign columns.
Duties
The rents varied in different places. It was installed in accordance with custom. There was a clear ban on increasing traditional conscription. The owners could not require any additional services from the columns. If the owner increased the payment for the use of land, the tenant, being a legally free person, filed a complaint with the court. The existence of civil rights for the dependent peasant was one of the principles on which the Roman colonate was based. This allowed tenants to acquire any property and transfer it by inheritance.
Restriction of personal freedom
There were two schemes for paying taxes to the treasury of the empire. Either state officials or landowners could act as tax collectors. In some cases, responsibility for paying taxes passed from tenants to owners. This was determined by the level of dependence of the peasants. The main features of the colonate and its differences from slavery gradually changed, and the freedom of farmers was reduced.
During the reign of Emperor Justinian, a new type of tenant was formed, which was called the "Column Adscriptic." Such columns were considered personally not free and close in position to slaves. They signed special contracts, according to which the administrative and police powers of the landowner were extended to them. He had the right to chain them and subject them to corporal punishment. Tenants of this type performed a large number of duties on the estate. The owners were forced to take responsibility for the payment of taxes of personally non-free columns to the state treasury. The only difference from slavery was the inadmissibility of separating the tenant from a specific land plot.
In the sixth century, the columns turned into a completely isolated social group. They were forbidden to move to other classes. According to the imperial decree, the colonies could not marry either free people or slaves. The land to which they were attached became the eternal residence of their clan. At a later stage, a very fine line separated slavery and colonies. This was primarily due to government efforts to improve the efficiency of the tax system. The complete enslavement of the columns contributed to this goal.