What is serfdom? This is a feudal right to the person, property and labor of people working for the feudal lord. In other words, it is a dependency on landlords. Serfdom existed for several hundred years.
The establishment of serfdom in Russia played a role in the history of the Russian state. It arose as a result of a clash of feudal landowners and their subordinates in the 14-15 centuries. The peasants were legally attached to the land, in connection with which the reforms of their economic coercion were carried out.
The origins of this phenomenon are deeper.
In the 9th century a feudal state was formed in Russia. People were divided into two classes - the class of peasants, who were also called smerds, and the class of feudal lords. The serfs were subjected to coercion and violence, were powerless and defenseless. This was called feudal dependence. People from the lower class practically had nothing but their own life, because the feudal lord owned not only the labor of bonded man, but also his personality and his property.
In those days, the Russian state was not uniform and consisted of many small destinies, in each of which its own laws and orders were established. They were strictly controlled by local authorities. The serfs were simple people who lived on the land, cultivated it and at the same time completely depended on the land owners - feudal lords. There were no specific laws on the life and duties of commoners.
In the 16th century, there was already some relaxation on the part of the governing authority of the inheritance, people began to live more freely. So much so that they have the right to leave their land and go live and work with any other feudal lord-landowner. The condition for this transition was the payment of debts and duties for the fact that they lived on the land of the previous owner.
Later, social relations and the class struggle intensified. It was necessary to tighten laws in order to endow feudal lords with undeniable rights to own hired people. It was a turning point and the transition to the offensive on the existing rights of serfs. From that moment they did not have the right to change their feudal lords at their own request and at any time. The exception was only once a year (a week before St. George's Day). It was at this time, on specifically established days, that they had to pay landowners before leaving them.
In the middle of the 15th century serfs knew another hard share. They were charged with a serious crime - escape, if they wanted to move from one feudal lord to another. The state thus consolidated the existing social system.
At the end of the 1570s, a new problem was ripe - a shortage of workers. By that time, St. George's Day was officially canceled. The government, being on the side of the ruling circles, decided to help the landowners and organized special events that guaranteed the landlords more labor. So there was a tough and cruel establishment of serfdom in Russia. The government finally revoked the right to free transitions.
In the years 1601-1603. in Russia there was a famine, prospering lawlessness of the “masters of life”, the lack of rights of the poor layers of society increased. The first peasant war begins. The serfs could no longer tolerate the mockery of them. Tensions in society grew.
The Shuisky government decided to tighten sanctions for escaping and extended the time for finding fugitives to fifteen years. Serfdom began to be inherited. No one had the right to accept runaway people. From this moment on, serfs were bonded people who, besides the right to work, had no other rights.
The next stage in history was the outbreak of the peasant war (1670-1671), which was led by Stepan Razin. However, this war was lost, and Stepan Razin was executed.
During the reign of Peter I, serfs were completely enslaved. Catherine II tightened the existing regime even more. However, serfdom began to lose ground due to the indignation of bonded people who could no longer tolerate an unbearable life. Alexander II proclaimed the liberation of the peasants from existing dependence. He carried out the reform and signed the Manifesto, which abolished serfdom.