What is the lethal system: definition, meaning and application

Ladder right in historiography is one of the systems of succession in monarchies. Most often this term is used for medieval Rus period of feudal disunity.

The origin of the system

The generic principle of inheritance (or, in a different way, the "lstevic system") appeared inside the Rurik dynasty. Initially, Russia was a single centralized state with a center in Kiev. It appeared in 882, when Oleg united the new southern capital with Novgorod the Great. Later the princes ruled, living on the banks of the Danube. With each generation, the number of Rurikovich men grew (brothers, tribesmen, etc.).

In the tenth century, Svyatoslav sent his younger sons governors to other cities of the country. This practice was preserved with his successors. At the same time, this led to turmoil and internecine wars. Young princes did not want to be in a dependent position from Kiev and either captured this city themselves or declared their own independence. However, each time such a separatist war ended with the same thing: one of the contenders won, repressed his rivals and again united the state. It was not yet a lstevic system, but only its rudiments.

Compromise

The flourishing of the ancient Russian state fell on the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, who died in 1054. Like his ancestors, he again sent his younger sons to governors (to Novgorod, Pereyaslavl, etc.). And, of course, because of this, another conflict began. Descendants of Yaroslav could not decide with the help of weapons, which of them is right, and therefore all gathered together at the congress in Lyubech. This happened in 1097. By this time, the grandsons and great-grandsons of Yaroslav had already argued for power. It was at this meeting that the lefthanded system was adopted.

A compromise was achieved due to the fact that the economy and the welfare of the country were undermined by constant wars. In addition, the Slavs were threatened by an external enemy. They were the Polovtsians - wild nomads who lived in the steppes to the south and east of Russia. They regularly organized predatory campaigns against peaceful cities, robbed or collected tribute. To oppose them, the strength of one small principality was clearly not enough. The state ceased to be whole, it began to resemble a patchwork quilt, where every "piece" pursued its own interests.

The main persons at the congress were Svyatoslav Izyaslavovich (prince of Kiev), Vladimir Monomakh (prince of Pereyaslavl) and Oleg Svyatoslavovich (prince of Chernigov). They were constantly at odds with each other. Nevertheless, they managed to agree. The new leftist inheritance system, adopted by the parties, stipulated mandatory rules for all rulers.

Main features

The princes were recognized as equals. Each of them received the inheritance that he inherited from his own father. In fact, this meant recognition of the independence of provincial centers from Kiev. At the same time, the "mother of Russian cities" was to be ruled by the prince, who was the oldest in the dynasty. This meant that after Svyatopolk the power was to move to Vladimir Monomakh (his cousin), which happened in 1113. This was the specific-left system. Kiev passed from the elder brother to the youngest. Then the children of the first, and after them their cousins, should have to rule, etc. This system was unstable. Often illegitimate candidates rioted against the elders. Sometimes they succeeded.

Another interesting rule that distinguished the lstastic system of inheritance was the tradition of outcasts. So called the representatives of the Rurik dynasty, whose fathers did not live up to their turn to reign in Kiev (or any other city). Often such outcasts were hired to serve other rulers or become adventurers. Some were given special new portions for feeding, which only increased the number of political entities within Rus.

Similarity with seignorat

It is worth noting that such orders in Russia were not unique. In many European countries in the Middle Ages, this principle was popular, as a good way to resolve disputes between powerful relatives. There, this system was called senorat. The only difference was that the Russian state later entered a stage of fragmentation, and, therefore, later overcame it.

Russia and the Leste system

Also in Lyubech, the princes agreed that now all together they will fight against the Polovtsians and send their squads to the general army. On a larger scale, this was the only positive result of the Lyubech Congress in 1097.

In the future, every year the gap between the center in Kiev and the provinces became more and more tangible. The unstable, lstevnaya system of transfer of power has become one of the key reasons for this process. Kiev finally lost his leadership position, after he was captured by the army of Andrei Bogolyubsky in 1168. At the same time the Vladimir-Suzdal prince did not stay on the Dnieper, but planted his ally there. This finally confirmed the new order of things - Kiev ceased to be the capital of Russia.

The fragmentation led to a cultural rift between the northern and southern cities. In the first years, when there was a lestive system (the definition was especially popular among historians in the XIX century), it was not so noticeable. However, the Mongol invasion and the emergence of a powerful Lithuanian state finally stopped any connection between the steppe south and the forest north.

Causes of appearance

Often there is a discussion: what is a lestvichnaya system? This is a tragic accident or still a regularity. Comparative analysis of Rus and European monarchies of the Middle Ages shows that this is more a logical development of events in the context of history. In England, France, and especially in Germany, the face was the same fragmentation associated with giving the land to feed. It is not necessary to think that the destiny was given to a specific prince - behind him there was always a squad, which in every principality was the mainstay and the core of power.

It was this estate (in other words, the future boyars) who stood for the emergence of independence in provincial principalities. Ladder law was not the only way to get rid of dependence on the conditional "center". In the Russian north (Novgorod, Pskov) until the XV-XVI centuries. There was a veche and a format of the republic. Citizens of these cities enjoyed special liberties. Their independence from the princes became possible due to wealth (due to trade with their western neighbors), as well as cultural exchange, all with the same Europeans (for example, members of the Hanseatic League).

Disclaimer of the lefthand right

Ladder right survived the era of Mongol domination over Rus. It was supplemented by the tradition of getting labels for the reign of the khans (then too, as a rule, the choice fell out in favor of the elders). In this case, the apple of discord was not Kiev, which fell into decay, and Vladimir-on-Klyazma.

When the Russian princedoms united around Moscow (the 15th century), the Kremlin rulers abandoned the disastrous practice of destinies. Power became autocratic and individual. Brothers and other male relatives became governors or nominal governors in the province.