Political and socio-economic development of Kievan Rus

The political basis of Kievan Rus was the princely power, which belonged to the Rurik dynasty. In the IX-X centuries. She was inherited from father to son. Under Vladimir Svyatoslavich, power was transferred to the older man in the family. Then all the princes began to receive inheritance. This principle laid the foundation for the political fragmentation that arose in the 12th century.

Princely authority

Each lot and city of the ancient Russian state eventually became fixed for a certain branch of the Rurik. For example, Chernigov became the fiefdom of the descendants of Svyatoslav Yaroslavovich. Kiev and Pereyaslavl went to Vladimir Monomakh and his sons. The results, which led to the political and socio-economic development of Kievan Rus, were fixed at the Lubech congress in 1097 as a lestive system of inheritance. At the same time, the "mother of Russian cities" formally remained the main city of the Eastern Slavs. The prince of Kiev was recognized as a relative of the elders.

However, as early as the 11th century, the military clashes between the Rurik people became a norm among themselves. This disappointing result was brought about by the political and economic development of Kievan Rus. Briefly, this pattern can be explained by several reasons. Firstly, the growing Russian provincial cities wanted to achieve independence from the center in order to develop faster and easier. Secondly, the disintegration of the state of Kiev resulted in the combination of three political traditions of the country: monarchical, aristocratic and democratic.

Rurik and the aristocracy

As in any medieval European country, the political and socio-economic development of Kievan Rus was directly dependent on the monarchical system. It arose at the dawn of the national statehood. The prince was not only the personification of the executive: he ruled the court, defined laws and led the army, transferring his powers by inheritance. In this principle, both the tribal Slavic tradition and the foreign influence were affected. Together with religion, the ancient Russian state adopted many political institutions from the Byzantine Empire. That is why the prince was always considered the main defender of the Orthodox Church.

The economic and political development of Kievan Rus also depended on long-standing aristocratic traditions, which were defended by the boyar council. This institution acted as an essential complement to the power of the princes. It is known that the monarchs regularly consulted with nobles in matters of domestic and foreign policy. Boyars could manage the state in the format of the regency council during the early childhood of the prince. Adults Rurikovich often discussed the agenda with their environment during the feasts and hunting.

Functions of civil administration were often transferred to key combatants. Numerous examples of the army's intervention in politics are known thanks to the annals. For example, the Kiev prince Svyatoslav Igorevich refused to accept Christianity because of the position of his own pagan brigade, opposed to the incoming Greek faith.

Boyar estate at that time was not a closed caste. Aristocrat could be any capable person and even a mercenary. At the same time the boyars were not obliged to the princes. They could leave their suzerain and move on to the other Rurikovichs (although losing land). It is known that Vladimir Svyatoslavovich actively distributed the estates to the Varangians, having seized the throne of Kiev thanks to their help.

Veche

The conductor of democratic principles in the Old Russian state was a city council. It performed a representative function and gave people the opportunity to influence decisions made by the authorities. The right to vote was only for men (heads of families). The opinions of unmarried offspring were not taken into account.

The appearance of the veche as an important institution was promoted by the features of the social and economic development of Kievan Rus, connected with the growth of the urban community. A similar community was formed from several strata: merchants, artisans, church ministers, princely administration. At first, the veche played an insignificant role in political life, but over time its weight only increased. The peak of importance of such meetings occurred in the 11th-13th centuries.

The first Kiev princes could not pay attention to people's opinion. They forcefully seized cities and in the same imperative form baptized yesterday's pagans. In that case, why did the veche take on a significant political weight? Over time, the city militia became an important part of the squad. In addition, wealthy residents began to give princes in debt money (for example, for the same wars). Finally, the Rurikovich had its own economic interests related to the planting.

The result of all these slow but inexorable processes was that in 1068 the veche of Kiev elected his prince Vseslav prisoner, and in 1113 invited to rule Vladimir Monomakh. Democratic order especially took root in the north. The most independent was the Novgorod Veche, which during the period of political fragmentation became the basis of the Novgorod Republic.

Officials

In yet another Kievan Rus in every major provincial city, the prince had a governor. Such posts existed in Novgorod, Pereslavl, Vladimir, Chernigov, etc. As a rule, the relatives of the prince became governors. On the ground, they performed judicial, administrative and tax functions.

The city administrative apparatus was headed by tysyatskim. During the war, they formed a militia. There were also officials of the lower level - the Sotsky and the Tenth. They collected taxes and maintained order in distant districts. Judicial fines were collected by virniki. The village administration was headed by the elders of the communities, and the administration in the lands of the prince was tiunami.

Elites

The social structure of Kievan Rus was unstable and dynamic - most of the population could change their social status with age. At the top of this staircase were the prince and his entourage - a dynasty, a squad, a boyar. At the dawn of the existence of the ancient Russian state, the elite largely consisted of Varangians, who came from Scandinavia after the first Rurikovichs. Gradually the number of Normans decreased. Some were assimilated, others were replaced by the hereditary Eastern Slavs.

A general description of the socioeconomic development of Kievan Rus can not do without mentioning the privileged position of the state apparatus. In his favor, the profits from trade, military extraction, taxes, etc. were redistributed. The prestigious positions were judicial executors (ognichans), in charge of the prince's economy (tyuns), stewards at feasts (kravchikhs).

Until the XII century, Rus did not suffer from feudalization, characteristic of Western Europe. Therefore, although the boyars played an important role in the life of the East Slavic society, they were not independent owners of their own estates. The younger squad subordinated to them was called a grid.

Free residents and slaves

The middle social stratum of Kievan Rus consisted of townspeople and free peasants. About 75% of the country's population belonged to it. Another stratum is an active merchant class, without which the social and economic development of Kievan Rus would be unthinkable. Briefly, the importance of traders can be explained, if only by the fact that the state spent all the necessary (and significant) resources on protecting the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. Residents of urban settlements joined in communities. They were drawn up according to the territorial district sign.

Personally, free peasants were also called people, and their communities were called verves. In addition to them, there were also smells in the village. So called the peasants who belonged to the prince. They worked on the land of the monarch. They were supervised by the tiunas. The social position of the smerds was the most vulnerable in the whole country. Offenses against them obliged to low fines. In other words, the status of smerds was emphasized in the fundamental law of Kievan Rus - Russian Truth.

To one more stratum, the researchers classed as rank-and-file. These were civilian workers who were not affiliated with any other stratum of the population. Their work was an important contribution to the economic growth of the country. Forced labor forced debtors who could not pay their debts. In Russkaya Pravda they received the talking name of the purchases. Slaves were servants and servants. These were people who were considered the property of princes or aristocracy and possessed a certain specialty in the economy. For example, the slaves were keyers.

Separately from all in the public system were the ministers of the church. They appeared at the end of the IX century, when Vladimir Svyatoslavovich baptized Rus and made Orthodoxy the state religion. Important hierarchs (bishops, archbishops and metropolitan) immediately took a privileged position. At the same time, the status of monks was slowly forming. The ethnic minorities had a special situation: Ugrians, Finns in the north and black hoods in the south. At the end of the 11th century, Jews became entrenched in Russia. Many of them were engaged in usury and were wealthy people. The growth of Jewish migration occurred after the defeat of Khazaria.

Economy and Agriculture

As in other neighboring countries, the economic development of Kievan Rus was based on several key sectors: agriculture, domestic and foreign trade, fisheries and handicrafts. In the IX-X centuries. There was a qualitative change in agriculture. During this period, the old agrarian system that had been re-established died out. Its principle was that after the first crop the site was left for a few years under steam. At the same time there was no alternation in the rotation.

This practice was replaced by a two-field and three-field system of land use. Without its introduction, the economic development of Kievan Rus would be inadequate and belated. In the three-field region, different crops alternated in one section: pairs, spring and winter crops. Thanks to a new method of crop rotation, peasants increased the yield of their farms. In the northern regions of the eastern Slavs during this period the former slash farming was gradually replaced by constant cultivation.

Economic development of Kievan Rus 9-12 cc. Depended on harvests of key crops. In the south, buckwheat and wheat were grown, and in the north - oats, barley and rye. Separate fields were assigned to turnips. Cultivated and technical crops used in weaving (hemp and flax). The key tool labor in the north was the plow. In the XII century, the peasants perfected a three-tooth wooden plow, adding a metal plow to it.

What else influenced the economic development of Kievan Rus? Agriculture could not exist without horses. They were pulling the plow. In addition, horses were needed by the army. Their breeding became an important part of the Old Russian economy. Huge herds belonged to the prince's household. Together with agriculture coexistence and breeding of cattle coexisted. Coming from all these industries, the economic development of Kievan Rus and the Old Russian state was a complex and multifaceted process, which is still being studied by specialists.

Hunting, fishing, beekeeping

In addition to agriculture, the peculiarities of the economic development of Kievan Rus were associated with hunting. It dealt with a wide variety of population groups. For the boyars and princes hunting was fun. But for the inhabitants of forest and forest-steppe regions, it was a way of earning and feeding. Furs were used in sewing warm clothes and economic exchange with neighbors (barter). For hunting in other people's possessions, a person could receive a huge fine or even corporal punishment (the same applied to the killing of hunting dogs and spoilage of hunting nets).

Economic development of Kievan Rus could not do without fishing. They were traded on the shores of lakes, rivers and streams, which were always abundant in the East European Plain. Also in Kievan Rus in a large number of emerged bortnicheskie economy. If the beekeeper marked the tree as a worker, it came under the protection of the law. Destroyed the sign of the owner of the hive waited a fine of 12 hryvnia.

Trade

Hunting and hunting gave products popular in the foreign market. Export of Kievan Rus consisted mainly of agricultural crops and forest raw materials. In the 10th century, trade flourished with Byzantium. Eastern Slavs sold to the Greeks honey, wax, furs, grain and slaves. In exchange for this, Kievan Rus, through the efforts of its merchants, received icons, jewelry, fruits and silk. Trade has also always been brisk with the countries of the East and Western Europe.

Thanks to profitable trade in Constantinople, there was a permanent merchant settlement of guests from Kiev. In the German and Scandinavian cities, according to tradition, there were more Novgorodians. Without these enterprising and courageous people, the economic development of Kievan Rus would not have gained the pace with which the country developed during the years of political integrity and stability.

The stay of merchants in the territory of other states was regulated through international trade agreements. For example, with Byzantium such documents were signed in 907 and 944, and with the Volga Bulgaria - in 1006. At the same time, the reverse process was also taking place. In Russia, settled foreign traders. The Germans and the Dutch ("the Latin people") created several merchants' yards in Novgorod. In Kiev, there were colonies of Greek and Armenian merchants. The Suzdal land with its Volga route was a springboard for trade with the eastern peoples: the Bulgars, the Caucasians and the inhabitants of Khorezm. Persian and Georgian goods were arriving in the Kiev enclave of Tmutorakan.

Why did the economic development of Kievan Rus suffer? Briefly, the main problems can be reduced to wars, as well as theft and robbery of merchants by "dashing people". Merchants who transported their goods between different countries, created caravans and united in organizations to protect their rights. Such guilds regulated relations with the state and tax revenues. In Novgorod, for this purpose, merchant "hundreds" were created. The most influential and wealthy entrepreneurs entered the privileged community. To get into it, it was necessary to pay the entrance fee (about fifty silver hryvnia). Merchant Law appeared as legally fixed norms in the "Russian Truth" of Yaroslav the Wise. In particular, it is in this document that an article about bankruptcy is first encountered.

Crafts

There is no doubt that the socioeconomic development of Kievan Rus depended not only on external, but also on domestic trade. Its main engine was handicraft. In Kievan Rus there were about 40 similar specialties. They were masons, carpenters, builders of bridges, brick makers, shipbuilders. The work of people who built the first Russian Orthodox churches was especially appreciated. Many specialists received education abroad, which only accelerated the economic development of Kievan Rus. The craft flourished in small villages. Weaving was widespread in the countryside. The demand for textile products grew with the increase in the population of the country.

Another prestigious profession was blacksmithing. For the vigilante, the boyars and princes, the masters made weapons; For townspeople and farmers - bronze and iron tools. The social and economic development of Kievan Rus was pushed forward along with the modernization of production, and without a qualitative inventory this process would not be possible.

In pottery in the 10th century the stucco technique was replaced by a potter's wheel. Ceramic tableware became widespread in Russia. Generation after generation hone their skill East Slavic jewelers. The ancient Russian tradition was famous in many countries for its unique techniques of scanning, grains, etc.