Peasants, Landlords, and Rural Life Flashcards

What share of Tsarist Russia's people were peasants?

About four out of five people (around 80%) were peasants.

Who were the landlords in the countryside?

Noble families who owned large estates and employed estate managers.

What was the mir (peasant commune)?

The village council that controlled land sharing, taxes, and local rules.

How did the mir divide farmland among families?

It split fields into narrow strips and re-shared them often.

Why did strip farming limit output?

Strips were scattered, wasting time and blocking new methods.

What were redemption payments?

Money peasants paid for land after 1861; these ended in 1907.

What was the Peasant Land Bank?

A state bank (from 1883) that lent peasants money to buy land.

Why was there 'land hunger' in villages?

The population grew, so each family's plot got smaller.

What were Stolypin's land reforms trying to do?

Make stronger farms by letting peasants leave the mir and own one farm.

Who were 'kulaks' in this period?

Wealthier peasants who bought more land and hired labour.

What was a peasant home (izba) like?

A small wooden hut with a stove; family and animals shared the space.

Why did many peasants take seasonal work away from home?

To earn cash for taxes and rent when farm work was quiet.

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