Who are the boyars and nobles?

Who are the boyars? This is the upper class, which existed in Russia from the 10th to the 17th century. Great and specific princes also belonged to the privileged class.

The rise of the boyars

In the hierarchical ladder the boyars took the leading role immediately after the Grand Duke, along with him in the government.

This estate was allocated in the 9th century, when the formation of the Old Russian state began. Among them, during 10-11 centuries separately there were princely and zemstvo boyars. The first were called princes and the second by the elders of the city. They were the descendants of the tribal nobility. When in the 11th century princely husbands were given land, they merged with the zemstvo boyars, becoming a single estate.

Princes and boyars in state affairs in the 12th-15th centuries

Since the boyars were vassals of the prince, their duties included service in his army. But they also had many privileges: they had the right to leave for another prince; Absolute power and domination on the territory of their estates; Their vassals.

The fragmentation of Rus, which took place in the 12th and 15th centuries, entailed a weakening of the princely power. At the same time, the economic power of the boyar estate increased, and its political influence grew.

For example, in the territory of the Galicia-Volyn principality and the Novgorod lands in the 13th century, the boyars took into their own hands the decision of state affairs, which was carried out on the so-called councils. Because of the strong influence of this estate Chernigov, Polotsk-Minsk, Muromo-Ryazan princedoms did not have a powerful princely power.

Rivalry of princes with boyars-votchinniki

To weaken the influence of the boyars-patrimony, the princes resorted to the help of boyars and nobles.

When, beginning in the second half of the 14th century, the Grand Duke's power began to grow again, the so-called well-meaning boyars appeared. Their powers included the management of the branches of the palace economy.

Who are these boyars? This is a stableman, falconer, chashniki, etc. They also included voivods, in the management of which were separate territories that had become their feeding.

The formation of a centralized state entailed the restriction of the rights of boyars, which consisted in narrowing the scope of immunity, restricting and abolishing the right of departure to another prince by the end of the 15th century. The social status of the estate has changed.

The distribution of power in the 15th and 17th centuries

Who are boyars since the 15th century? Now this is the highest rank among the service people for the fatherland. The existence of such a title meant that a person could participate in the activities of the Boyar Duma, this gave the right to be considered the highest Duma rank. Boyars, as a rule, now were on the main administrative, judicial and military posts, stood at the head of orders.

The boyar-patrimonies, who continued to resist the regime of the centralized state that was formed, lost many socioeconomic and political privileges. All kinds of protests and speeches were immediately suppressed. The boyar aristocracy suffered greatly from the oprichnina Ivan IV.

With the accession to the throne of the Romanovs, the distribution of influence among the estates changed greatly. Now economically strengthened servants boyars and nobles of the 17th century, while many noble dynasties stopped. It was for these reasons that the disappearance of class distinctions between the boyars and the nobility gradually began to be observed. And when the local and patrimonial landownership, according to the order of 1714, united, they were tacitly united in the concept of "landowners". Later this term was modified to the word "bar", or "master".

In 1682, the provincialism was abolished, and now the boyars were less and less involved in state affairs. And in the early 18th century, Peter I completely abolished the title of boyar.

Life of boyars and nobles

The nobles and boyars of the 17th century in Russia, as already mentioned earlier, began to unite in one class.

If we talk about life, then for the remaining artifacts of those times, we can conclude that in the noble and boyar manors there were many weapons and silver things, expensive jewelry and interior items. By the 17th century many manors had become feudal castles, in which 60 to 80 people could live.

The appearance of the first truly luxurious for those times estates belongs to the 10-11th centuries. Gradually, some of them went bankrupt in the course of various reforms. The hosts launched their estates. But representatives of enterprising families that managed to preserve wealth and territories, by the 16th and 17th centuries, enclosed their estates with high walls, turning them into real castles.

The life of the boyars and nobles in the 17th century

Gradual penetration of the European model of life into financially secured classes led to increased concern for the comfort of life. And how else to understand who the boyars and nobles are? The higher materially provided classes showed this as soon as they could: a variety of cutlery and napkins, individual dishes and tablecloths appeared on the tables. Now every member of the family had a separate room. Especially rich dynasties used pottery from faience, tin and copper.

Representatives of famous names of that time (Golitsyns, Naryshkins, Odoyevsky, Morozovs and others) decorated their large stone houses according to the latest word of European fashion: expensive wallpapers, carpets and leather on the walls; Mirrors and paintings; A large number of light sources, in particular chandeliers and decorative candles.

Both owners and servants dressed in European fashion: light expensive fabrics, loose cut, jewelry made of gold and silver embroidery and precious stones. Despite the fact that European dresses were the exception rather than a permanent phenomenon in Russia in the 17th century, the privileged estates in many respects began to follow the trends of Western fashion.

Another new element in the life of wealthy boyars and nobles became a hobby. Playing chess, attending concerts and other entertainments became an integral part of the lives of the rich. They traveled in light carriages with springs and servants on their heels, wore wigs, and men began shaving their faces.

Posadskaya top lived more modestly. Representatives of her dressed in a cloth dress, furniture and utensils were not so expensive. But in their lives there was also a desire for comfort. In the rooms you could see pictures, clocks, mirrors. Reception of guests was carried out in special ceremonial halls.

Nobles tried to copy the royal chambers, of course, not with the royal luster, but still. In their mansions appeared windows with mica, furniture made of carved wood, carpets on the floors.

Who are boyars in Wallachia and Moldavia?

In the territory of Wallachia and Moldavia this feudal class was formed in the 14th century. Within it there was a definite classification. Generic boyars were the owners of the bastin (patrimonial), and the local - the stately estates. With the passage of time, the differences between them began to wear off. As part of the boyars of independent Romania of the 19th century, natives of large merchants and officials appeared. In these territories, the liquidation of boyars as a class occurred only on March 22, 1945 in the process of implementing the law on agrarian reform.

The terms "boyars" and "nobles" in the history textbook

Who are the boyars and nobles? The definition of history gives a clear and concise answer to this question.

Nobles are representatives of the privileged class that arose in feudal society.

Boyars are representatives of the highest stratum of feudal society that existed from the 10th to 17th centuries in the territory of Kievan Rus, the Moscow principality, Bulgaria, the Moldavian princedom, Wallachia, and from the fourteenth century in Romania.