Free agriculturalists (, literally, free ploughmen) were a category of

peasant A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasan ...

s in the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

in 19th century. This was the official reference to the Russian serfs freed from serfdom within the framework of the February 20, 1803 decree of

Alexander I of Russia Alexander I (, ; – ), nicknamed "the Blessed", was Emperor of Russia from 1801, the first king of Congress Poland from 1815, and the grand duke of Finland from 1809 to his death in 1825. He ruled Russian Empire, Russia during the chaotic perio ...

"Указ об отпуске помещиками своих крестьян на волю по заключении условий, основанных на обоюдном согласии", informally known as the . As the title of the decree says, the serf were freed and endowed with land by the will on the serf owner under certain conditions: payment or obligations to carry out certain works. During the reign of Alexander I only about 7,300 male peasants (with families) or about 0.5% of serfs were freed.Семевский В. И. «Крестьянский вопрос в России в XVIII и первой половине XIX века», vol.1, St. Petersburg, 1888Бирюкович В. «Устройство быта свободных хлебопашцев», в сб. «Архив истории труда в России», 1921.

References

19th century in the Russian Empire Economy of the Russian Empire Society of the Russian Empire Reform in Russia {{russia-hist-stub

See also

References