Russia Under the Old RegimeThe theme of this book is the poliltical system of Russia. It traces the growth of the Russian state from its beginnings in the ninth century to the end of the nineteenth, and the parallel development of the principal social orders: peasantry, nobility, middle class and clergy. The question which it poses is why in Russia -- unlike the rest of Europe to which Russia belongs by virtue of her location, race and religion -- society has proven unable to impose on political authority any kind of effective restraints. After suggesting some answers to this problem, I go on to show how in Russia the opposition to absolutism tended to assume the form of a struggle for ideals rather than for class interests, and how the imperial government, challenged in this manner, responded by devising administrative practices that clearly anticipate those of the modern police state. - Foreword. |
Contents
The Genesis of the Patrimonial State in Russia | 27 |
F Boyars and boyar land | 47 |
The Triumph of Patrimonialism | 58 |
Copyright | |
18 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
administration Alexander appanage authority became began boyars bureaucracy Catherine Catherine II cent central CHAPTER Christianity cities civil clergy Code common constituted country's crown dvoriane dvorianin dvorianstvo economic eighteenth century élite Emancipation Emperor empire estates favour foreign Golden Horde historians household imperial Russia income industry inhabitants institutions intellectual intelligentsia Ivan Ivan III Ivan Iv labour land landlords living major manufacture merchants mestnichestvo middle military monarchy monasteries Mongol Moscow Muscovite Russia Nicholas nineteenth century Novgorod officials Old Believers patrimonial Peter police political pomestia population posad princes provinces radical ranks reforms regime reign Rossii rulers rural Russian church Russian peasant secular serfdom serfs service class servitors seventeenth century sixteenth century slaves Slavophiles social society soul tax sovereign St Petersburg status Table of Ranks territory tiaglo tion trade tsar urban village votchiny wealth western Europe zemstva