Throughout the 19th century, questions about the introduction of a constitution and the abolition of serfdom were the most pressing. Each emperor had his own vision of them, but all of them were united by the realization that the peasant question was the most urgent. The decree on obliged peasants is one of the many draft decisions.
In historical context
The accession to the throne of Nicholas I was marked by the uprising of the Decembrists. Their testimony during the investigation revealed that, along with many political demands, the participants in the movement most of all advocated the abolition of serfdom. At the same time, weighty arguments were given, both economically and civilly and spiritually, about the reasons for the need to make the peasants free as soon as possible. Strictly speaking, such a state task was set by
Alexander the First. But due to internal political conflicts, an active foreign policy and dissatisfaction from large landowners, peasants received personal freedom only in the Baltic states. The decree on obliged peasants is one of many during the reign of Nicholas. He did not raise the issue for general discussion, but acted by the method of secret committees. For 30 years, there were ten, but all of their decisions concerned private issues.
Peasant Committees
Nikolai the First pursued a conservative policy, but, as you know, even conservatives follow the path of reform when it is necessary to maintain the existing system. The first peasant secret committee was already established in 1826, it included such famous figures of the Alexander era as
M. M. Speransky and V. P. Kochubei. 6 years of his work became the theoretical basis for further committees, but did not change anything in the situation of serfdom. The next committee, by 1835, developed a project to abolish the serf system, in fact, with the complete de-landment of the peasantry. This state could not go, as the peasantry remained the main taxpayer. The result of the next committee was a decree on obliged peasants (1842). Subsequent secret institutions examined private questions about the courtyards, about the possibility of serfs to acquire land, and others.
Features of the decree
Firstly, it should immediately be noted that the decree on obliged peasants did not provide for its obligatory implementation, but a recommendation. That is, he gave an opportunity, and how to act the landlords - at their discretion. As a result, from ten million serfs transferred to obliged, but free from twenty-five to twenty-seven thousand people. This is called "drop in the sea" in everyday life. Secondly, the decree on obliged peasants tried to take into account the interests of all parties. The peasants received civil liberty, the state received normal taxpayers, and the landowners remained the owners of the land. Thirdly, this decree to a certain extent opposed the well-known decree "on
free cultivators", which gave the liberated peasants land for ransom. The land was to be fixed strictly as the property of the landowners.
Contents of the decree
The decree on obliged peasants allowed the landowners to release the peasants to freedom, having previously signed an agreement with them. It indicated the amount of land that was transferred for use to the peasant, as well as the number of corvee days and the size of the rent, which the former landowner, that is, the landowner, owed for using it. This agreement was approved by the government and did not change subsequently. Thus, the landowner could not demand more from the peasants for the lease of land. At the same time, the decree on obliged peasants left the nobility the right of the patrimonial court and all police functions. The latter meant that the power in the villages, just as before, belonged to the feudal lord.
Consequences of the Decree
Despite the expectations of the government, the issuance of a decree on obligated peasants had very minor consequences. Although the landowners left behind the land, and received duties for it, and retained power in the village, they now had no opportunity to increase the duties or reduce peasant allotments. Therefore, most of them were in no hurry to use the right to transfer serfs into the status of obliged. The life of obliged peasants has not changed significantly, but the nobility of arbitrariness has become less, which means there are more chances for development. A small number of those released by this decree indicate its minimal impact on the existence of serfdom. Strictly speaking, Nikolai understood that this problem existed, but he believed that it was very dangerous to touch it and that it was necessary to act carefully.
The solution to the problem of serfdom
The adoption of the decree on obliged peasants was an insignificant concession to social influence and the urgent tasks of Russia's development. The Crimean War, which Russia lost, showed the need for reform. The emerging
revolutionary situation influenced the upper classes, who with a creak, but finally agreed with the government that the peasants needed to be free. At the same time, the basis of the reform consisted in the liberation of the peasants, necessarily with land, but for a cash ransom. The sizes of allotments and redemption amounts varied depending on the regions of Russia, not always the peasants received enough land, but still a step forward was made. A special merit in this belongs to Alexander the Second, who was able to complete the work begun in an atmosphere of general criticism from both left and right forces. In addition to the abolition of serfdom, he carried out other important reforms that contributed to the development of capitalist relations. He went down in history as the Liberator.