To understand what black and white settlements are, how they differ from each other, you first need to understand what the term itself means, its origin and when these formations appeared in Russia.
What is a settlement
The very origin of the word "settlement" came from a change in the term "freedom", which explains the meaning of the investigated noun. Since it refers to settlements, it is not difficult to assume that these territorial entities were exempted from something, most likely from taxes and duties. Even in the X-XI centuries, this term was first mentioned. In XII – XVI, its progressive development was on, reaching its apogee under the Romanovs. The provision of certain benefits at all times served as an incentive either for the development of new lands, or for the development of any kind of fishing. The benefits were various, most often residents of a settlement or group of settlements were exempted from taxes of various kinds and military duties.
Significant differences
The white settlement was different from the black one, the inhabitants of which belonged to no one, and the taxes paid for themselves. Most often these were merchants or artisans. Their settlements were districts of cities in need of industrial and commercial development. White settlement was land owned either by the church or by the landowner, a secular feudal lord who paid taxes to the state. Very often, in this way, new lands were developed - the abolition of taxes and duties was an incentive for the settlers. In these entities there were self-government bodies - a suburban gathering, the elder was elected. White settlement was the place of settlement of service people - gunners, Cossacks (called white-breasted), arable soldiers, dragoons, and so on. For example, Zamoskvorechye was called the Streletskaya settlement due to the large number of military units concentrated there.
Beloslobodskaya boom
The white settlement reached its heyday in the first years after the Time of Troubles. People fled from overwhelming state tax (for the townspeople in Russia in the XV-XVIII century there were a number of cash and in-kind duties) under the power of the feudal lords. Thus, taxes on other Posad “unbleached” people, who were also subject to the census, increased sharply, which led to their discontent and riots, the most famous of which was “Solyana”, which came during the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The reason for the outbreak of the largest urban uprising was an unprecedented increase in taxes, especially for essential goods. So, the cost of salt from five cents increased to two hryvnias per pound.
“None, blame the sovereigns ...”
People fled from state tax, and voluntary "hostage" under the authority of large feudal lords took on alarming proportions. Revenues to the treasury declined sharply, and in 1619 the Zemsky Sobor was convened on this topic. It was decided to return all those who fled to the white settlements to the fold of state tax. In order to implement this unpopular decision, they created a Search Order, according to which those who did not want to return and escaped posad people were tracked and exiled to Siberia. Thus began the elimination of white settlements. And the Council Regulation adopted in 1649 completely abolished them. At the beginning of the XVIII century, after the first backyard and then poll tax began to operate, and the city districts received councils, the settlements were completely abolished.
Historical memory
But in some places, references to them are preserved in the names of the village or region of a large settlement, which give the bearers the charm of antiquity. A vivid example is the Sloboda Belaya. The Kursk region, where this administrative center is located in the Belovsky district, like no other, is rich in names that came from Ancient Russia. Sloboda Belaya itself is located on the banks of the Ilek River, which, in turn, is a tributary of the Psel. Nearby is the village of Girya, and the nearby railway line is called Lgov-Gotnya. The name of the administrative center is Sloboda Bila historical. Here in 1664 the Cossacks settled, or, as was said above, “white people”, free from duties and taxes. In general, in Russia the word was very widespread - settlements or settlements were called settlements whose inhabitants were not serfs. Also called trade or craft towns. Therefore, in the history of the country there are so many names that include this term - German, Yamskaya, Torgovaya, Streletskaya Sloboda and so on.