Modern society is spoiled by the benefits of civilization. Young people, waking up in the morning, have a cup of coffee, turn on a laptop to read the latest news, answer letters from friends, and then slowly gather for study or work. And did anyone ever wonder how the morning of 100, 200, 300 years ago began with the same girls and boys? Today, not everyone will be able to correctly answer the question of what is quitrent and corvée, and yet some two centuries ago people worked out conscription, did not belong to themselves, ruined their health in foreign fields.
What is quitrent?
Over the centuries, several definitions of this concept have appeared. Failure for the first time arose at the beginning of the formation of Ancient Russia, when taxes were only introduced. Then the princes from subordinates collected tribute in the form of products, money, goods. Later, this type of service appeared as a duty of peasants to give part of money or products to the feudal lords. The reform of 1861 abolished the food quitrent, and the money one remained for two more years.
In the days of feudalism, peasants were considered someone else's property, so the feudal lords could give not only specific people, but also entire villages for use. A lease can be compared with a lease, that is, a nobleman provided the other nobleman with his property for use. In the sixteenth century, a state lodge appeared; the landowners paid duties to the treasury. At the same time, the quitrent also extended to peasants, only they paid it not to the state, but to the owner of the land on which they lived and used to grow food. People could pay the lord with money, goods or their own labor.
What is corvée?
Over the course of three centuries (XVI – XIX centuries) corvée existed. The definition of this concept is very simple - the peasant paid the rent of a land plot belonging to the feudal lord with his own labor. This is nothing but a form of a developmental system. The corvee and quitrent are, in fact, very similar. Since the poor could not always pay tribute to the feudal lord in the form of money or products, because they themselves were left with nothing, the rich allowed them to repay their debt with labor.
What is quitrent and corvée in essence? These are peculiar forms of paying rent for land. The corvee was collected only by physical labor, but it could be diverse: agriculture, hunting, fishing, gardening, cattle breeding, etc. Nobody was exempted from this tribute, the work was absolutely free, the master did not pay anything for it.
Sizes of duties
During the time of feudalism, local “Provisions” operated, which deciphered in detail what quitrent and corvée were, and also in what sizes they were charged. The amount paid for the land varied depending on its location. For example, peasants who lived near St. Petersburg paid 12 rubles, but Moscow and Yaroslavl paid only 10 rubles. The smallest amount - 9 rubles - was paid by the poor of Kursk and Voronezh provinces. Having paid tribute, the peasant could not only use the land of the landowner, but also freely dispose of his labor.
Barshchina - this is the physical work that was temporarily liable and serfs for the master. The size of the service was calculated on the basis of the allotment of a person. For one plot of land women worked out for a month, and men 40 days. At the same time, the feudal lord did not provide tools, the poor had to come with their hoes, plows, shovels, fishing rods, etc. Women fell under corvée at the age of 17 to 50 years, and men from 18 to 55 years.
What is quitrent and corvée? What is the difference?
Barshchina :
- Peasants with personal tools scrambled for free on the lands of the landowners.
- The poor could work not only for the master, but also for the monastery, church, educational institution.
- Conscription was based on work with agriculture.
- Barshchina is beneficial for landowners who lived in the villages, since they themselves could set the size of mining.
- Conscription enslaved peasants, gained wide distribution in Russia.
DROP :
- The poor gave part of their produce or money from their crops.
- Tribute was not widespread, since not all the poor could give it.
- A person could do any business, not necessarily farming.
- The feudal lord could demand payment of the rent in advance.
- Conscription was more suitable for nobles living in cities.
- The peasants were theoretically free.
Cancellation of duties
In Russia, a quitrent and a corvée somehow took root very well. The differences between these two duties, although they existed, nevertheless they both made the peasants slaves, strangled them, and did not allow them to develop. The intelligentsia tried to fight feudalism, but to no avail, the landowners, like leeches, sucked out the forces of the poor, exploiting them for their own purposes. Serfdom was abolished in 1861, and in 1863 the dues were also abolished. However, it took several decades to completely change people's minds, rebuild the economy in a new way and destroy feudalism.