A Study On The Economy Of European Russia Peasants During The Mid-18th Century To The Mid-19th Century

The period from the mid-18th century to the mid-19th century was the final stage of Russian feudalism serfdom. The development of commodity economy caused the serfdom to be at the general crisis situation. In this time agricultural technology had not have the fundamental change in European Russia. And with the influence of natural climate and geographical qualification, the agricultural production was still in backward. However, as a result of the development of labor differentiation, there was a thoroughly separation between urban and rural areas. The development of economic regionalization and commodity economy leaded to remarkable changes of the peasant economy of European Russia.These changes mainly performed in three aspects: Firstly, facing the favourable domestic and foreign market conditions, the Russian landlords aggravated to exploit the peasants, which led to the economy condition and the status of peasants deteriorated unceasingly. The contradictories between the peasants and the landlords intensified day by day, as a result the revolts of the peasants increased wave upon wave. Secondly, along with the development of the commodity money relationship and the growth of Russia capitalism, the peasant economy of European Russia changed from closed to open. They strengthened contacting with the market. Thirdly, the differentiation of the peasants aggravated. It had already become the very universal phenomenon that some peasants purchased the land, and the others went out for working, doing business and other occupations, which led to the differentiation of the peasants intensified. There were many positive changes in Russian countryside. But this progress was at the cost of the worsening of the economy conditions and the status of the general peasants. Only the minority improved their status. The peasants of being hired and doing business were related to the development of the commodity money and the urbanization process. As a result of the characteristic of European Russia rural community structure, the general peasants couldn't get rid of the restrict of the feudal system. The degree of differentiation of the peasants was limited. The progress of urbanizing was blocked.As a result of the above changes of the peasant economy, the peasants struggled for their rights and benefits increasingly. From the mid-18th century to the mid-19th century Russian czars tried to adjust or reform the conditions of peasants, but the adjustments or reforms couldn't change the aspect fundamentally, so that the social contradictories became more and more intensified. The restrict of serfdom had already became the hindrance of the development of the economy and society. It is a historical necessity to carry on the thorough reform in the area of peasant economy and abolish the serfdom.