The well-known historian of the 19th century, the author of the History of Russia from Ancient Times, M.S. Solovyov, who studied the ancient monastic chronicles, the historical works of the Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus (905-959 AD).

In Ancient Russia, polyud was the method of princely rule over remote cities and regions, which included the collection of tribute, litigation, which the prince also dealt with. As soon as winter approached, and sleigh routes were established, the Prince with his retinue went to remote areas subject to him.

In those areas that were away from the prince's route, and visiting which were not included in the prince's plans, the boyar was sent from especially respected and trusted members of his squad, with his people for protection.

Together with the prince or his boyar, tiuns go - clerks (or tributaries), who were engaged in collecting the tribute itself. They knew who, what and how much had to be handed over from each region, village, yard. The Tiuns left before the prince and organized the collection of tribute from the smerds - residents of the regions subordinate to the prince. The tributaries monitored the quality of the collected tribute. In those years, there was no money yet, so tribute was collected with natural products: furs, honey, wax, grain.

Part of the tribute went to trade with foreign countries. They bought expensive weapons, overseas fabrics, wines.

Part of the tribute went to the storerooms of the prince and combatants for their own needs. Particularly valuable and high-quality furs were set aside for gifts to foreign ambassadors. Russian furs were valued throughout Europe and Asia.

So the prince and his retinue spent all the winter months on the road. The researchers calculated that during the polyudye, the princes walked up to 8 km per day. On average, the prince spent 2-3 days for each village, during which tribute was collected and the court was decided. People subordinate to the princely power turned to him with litigation. It is noteworthy that both sides had to prove their case themselves - to find witnesses to the thefts that had taken place, or, on the contrary, able to confirm the alibi of the accused.

Polyudie, which was a tribute, for which the prince went with his retinue, was the original, one might say, the embryonic form of the subordination of the tribes to the general, princely power, communication with other subordinate tribes.

It is known from the annals that Prince Igor was killed by recalcitrant Drevlyans during his trip to subordinate lands. The Drevlyans did not participate in the campaigns of Prince Igor against Byzantium, and therefore the prince, at the request of his warriors, dissatisfied with the content, went to the Drevlyans. He increased the amount of tribute from each "smoke". Vigilantes committed excesses, robbed the inhabitants, committed violence. Finally, the squad, like a leech sucking blood, decided to go home. But on the way, the prince decided to return. It seemed to him that his share was extremely small. He took a small part of his squad and returned to the Drevlyans. Unable to withstand such impudence from the prince, who had already robbed people to the bone, the inhabitants gathered for advice with their prince Mal, and decided to kill Igor, taking advantage of the small number of his troops.

Everyone who studies the history of the Eastern Slavs has come across the term "polyudye". What is it? And how can this process be characterized? Read about it in our article.

Signs of early statehood

What do you think polyudie in Ancient Russia is what? Let's start dealing with this issue together. In the eighth century, strong tribal unions had already formed on the land occupied by the tribes of the Eastern Slavs. They have long vied with each other for supremacy. As history has shown, the union of the glades had a serious impact on other tribes. Over the years, they subjugated most of the Slavs.

Thus, we can observe the appearance of the first signs of a nascent state:

• single leader;
• law;
• army;
• tax collection system.

And we are moving on to explaining what the definition of polyudya is. This is one of the ways to collect taxes from the tribes in the treasury of the Grand Duke. A similar system spread throughout all European states during their inception, but due to national interests, it had different names. However, their essence remained the same - replenishment of the prince's treasury. Now you know the meaning of the word "polyudye".

Tax system of Russian (Eastern) Slavs

As you guessed, taxes were also collected in Russia. In principle, extortions, which were expressed in mandatory fees, were part of the structure of the state system. In view of the fact that the prince collected gold from people, he had certain obligations to them. One of them was that he had to ensure a peaceful life and peace for his subjects. In other words, he had to protect his tribes from foreign invaders. Funds were required for the protection of each Russian.

So, for a Slav, polyudie in Ancient Russia is a ransom or is it still a tax? Income tax is a modern analog of polyudya. Their difference lies only in volume and resources. For example, once the clearing recaptured several Slavic tribes from the Khazars. For this, they taxed them in their favor. However, these requisitions were distinguished by humanity. Now the Slavs could pay not only gold, but food and a wide variety of handicrafts. Here's another definition of polyudya.

Hidden danger

Time goes by. Peasants grow crops and harvest. Craftsmen produce various products. Tribes trade with each other. The squad guards the borders. Grand Duke issues laws. Taxes are collected, the treasury is replenished, and the state is strengthened. However, the polyudya system is far from perfect, but it has been used for a long time.

In the autumn, the prince, together with his retinue, began collecting tribute. Polyudie in Ancient Russia literally means walking among people, that is, walking around the yards and collecting taxes. The prince walked until he had traveled all over his possessions. This was another meaning of the word "polyudye".

The people, in addition to this tribute, paid some more money so that the prince could support the squad. Injustice reigned everywhere, and all because there was no specific amount of tax.

Igor's greed ruined

As it turned out, polyudie in Ancient Russia is not only a tax, but also the cause of the death of one of the princes. In one of these campaigns, Prince Igor divided the crowd of the Drevlyans with a retinue and considered that the tax was insufficient. Together they decided that they needed to take the payment from them again. The squad again invaded the territory of the Drevlyans and demanded a second payment! Naturally, the Drevlyans were outraged. The result of the repeated requisition was the murder of the squad and the prince himself.

The death of the prince threatened the collapse of the state. But his wise and far-sighted wife, Princess Olga, quickly realized that this was a serious reason to change the taxation system. So she decided to set the exact amount for payments. Olga quickly and decisively calmed the agitated tribes, and also restored unity among the tribes in Russia.

Reform of the princess

So, as mentioned above, Olga set about reforming the tax collection system. The first thing she did was set the exact amount. As practice has shown, this measure allowed to avoid abuses, and the process of tax collection became legal. The widow also understood that walking on people is a danger to the future Grand Duke, so the next decree approved the decision that resources would be brought to a certain place indicated from the capital. This is how the phenomenon of the churchyard appeared in Russia. From there collected funds passed into the hands of representatives of the princely power. Princess Olga not only simplified the taxation system, but also made it safe for collectors.

Thus, the reforms of the princess further strengthened and rallied the state and tribes among themselves, and disputes and strife about injustice began to become a thing of the past.

In other words, polyudie is the collection of taxes in the period of Ancient Russia. We see how Princess Olga's reforms were introduced on time. These measures did not allow the young state to fall apart into separate warring tribes.

Polyudye is a way of collecting tribute from the East Slavic tribes, which was practiced in Russia in the 9th-12th centuries. Polyudye was one of the first attempts of the emerging state to collect tribute and taxes from the population and subject territories. Basic hallmark polyudya was his irregularity.

The concept of polyudya

A polyud in Ancient Russia was called a detour of the lands in order to collect tribute. The princes themselves and their warriors, who levied tribute, personally traveled all over the lands and took money from people. From such “travels among people” the term “polyudye” later came about. Tribute collection was carried out after the harvest, in winter and autumn, so that people could provide required amount money or resources.

Today there is a debate about when polyudie appeared in Russia and whether it is a distinctive feature Kievan Rus or existed in one form or another even before, when several tribal unions lived on Russian lands, which in the same way seized territories and levied tribute.

Despite disputes, today it is generally accepted that prince Oleg introduced polyudye and this was due to a sharp expansion of territories and the strengthening of the power of Russian princes over the surrounding East Slavic tribes. New territories were supposed to be profitable so that the prince could provide for the army and combatants and equip them for further military campaigns, selling goods received during the collection of tribute on the market in Byzantium.

The establishment of tribute in the form of polyudya speaks of the emergence of an early feudal state on the territory of the Eastern Slavs.

Polyudye history

Every year, the prince and his squad traveled around the territories subject to them in order to collect tribute and feed - this lasted from November to April. Polyudye was first mentioned in ancient Russian chronicles from the 10th century. Besides, detailed description polyudya, its forms and systems of implementation are also found in the treatise of the Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus "On the management of the Empire" and also refers to the second half of the 10th century. This allows us to say that polyudie was introduced in Russia no later than the beginning of the 10th century.

In this treatise, polyudye is described as follows: with the onset of November, the Russian princes set off together with warriors from Kyiv to all the lands subject to them and make a round trip, collecting tribute from each tribe. The tribes in connection with which polyudye is mentioned include the Dregovichi, Krivichi, Northerners and others. Feeding on the tribute received, the Russian princes returned to Kyiv in mid-April and went from there to Byzantium in order to sell the goods received during the polyud (both money and things, supplies and goods were accepted as tribute).

The squad, which was engaged in the collection of tribute, usually included about 100-200 people, who were often armed and collected tribute by force.

It is believed that, in addition to collecting tribute, the so-called feeding was actively used, when the owner of the house received the guest, fed and watered him. Scientists believe that the introduction of polyudya and feeding is largely due to the tradition of the Eastern Slavs to keep a guest while he is in the house. Thus, the warriors and the prince came to the houses of their subordinates and lived there at their expense. Later, this form of tribute was transformed into feudal dependence and dues.

The tribes did not like the collection of tribute, but up to a certain point they tolerated it, but when in 945 Prince Igor tried to take additional tribute in excess of what was already available, the Drevlyans, who, like other tribes, were forced to pay the prince, revolted and killed Igor.

After the suppression of the uprising of the Drevlyans, Princess Olga spent tax reform by entering new system collection of tribute. Now tribute was levied not directly in the tribal centers, but in graveyards - specially created points for collecting tribute from the population. The tax collected in this way later passed into the hands of the princely governors in major cities, from where it was sent to the prince in Kyiv. The trips of combatants across the territories, and with them the feedings, have stopped.

The end of polyudya

The collection of polyudya was sharply reduced during the time of Svyatoslav Igorevich - in 966, and later, in 982, and completely stopped with the coming to power. The last mention of polyudye dates back to 1190. At that time, tribute was still levied in the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, but this stopped with the departure of Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest. There is also evidence that some form of polyudia was preserved in remote wilderness areas of Russia until the middle of the 19th century. Polyudie was also charged in a number of other countries (for example, in African countries).

POLUDIE - in Kievan Rus, a detour by the prince and a squad of subject lands to collect tribute; later the tribute itself is of indeterminate size. However, it was the same in other countries. Similar customs existed in early medieval Europe. Establishment of tribute in the form of polyudya. Polyudye - a way of collecting tribute from the East Slavic tribes, practiced in the 9th-12th centuries in Russia. characteristic feature polyudya was his irregular character.

They deliver hare skins, black fox skins and swords from the most distant Slavs to the Rumian Sea. The ruler of ar-Rum collects tithes from them. The emergence of such a phenomenon as polyudie was associated with the spread of the power of the Rus to part of the East Slavic tribes.

Not only Constantine Porphyrogenitus, but also Scandinavian sources (the saga of Harald) use the Slavic word (poluta, polutaswarf) to designate a similar mechanism for collecting tribute. An analogue of the Russian polyudya is the Old Norwegian veizla, literally - “feast”, “treat”, later transformed into feudal duty. Polyudye was the first attempt by the princes of Ancient Russia to establish a system for collecting taxes from subject territories.

New territories were supposed to be profitable so that the prince could provide for the army and warriors and equip the army and treasury for further military campaigns.

Every year, the prince and his squad traveled around the subject territories in order to collect tribute and feed - this lasted from November to April. The collection of polyudya was sharply reduced during the time of Svyatoslav Igorevich in 966, and later, in 982, it completely stopped with the coming to power of Vladimir Svyatoslavich. The last mention of polyudye dates back to 1190. At that time, tribute was still levied in the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, but this ceased with the departure of Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest.

In the Novgorod and Smolensk lands in the XIT century. the name of a fixed monetary service. Moscow: Infra-M. A. Ya. Sukharev, V. E. Krutskikh, A. Ya. Sukharev. Carelessness and greed ruined Igor. The Drevlyans refused to pay tribute, and the prince himself was killed and buried in his own land, near the city of Iskorosten (now Korosten). Polyudye also gave the prince tribute in goods that were exported - furs, wax, slaves, handicrafts, as well as means for their transportation: boats, horses, sledges.

With the disintegration of Kievan Rus into separate large principalities, and the latter into ever smaller ones, the scale of polyunions decreases, their political significance falls. However, on the outskirts of Ukraine - in Polesie and in the Carpathians - polyudye continued (collection of skins, honey and other things from communities) until the 16th century, but was no longer carried out by princes, but by their representatives.

The introduction of polyudya in Russia

In Byzantium, the Arab-Islamic caliphates of Spain, North Africa and the Middle East, the Chinese Empire, at best, only remnants of polyudy can be found. It is easy to detect among the early medieval and, probably, ancient Germans. In the VI century, the Franks, led by the kings of the Merovingian dynasty, walked around Gaul, which they conquered.

4th quarter of 20th century

In the ancient worldAbout the original system ancient states Asia and Africa must be judged by the traditions that were called upon to explain some of the more ancient rituals and symbols. Two crops a year ripen in these parts. The first, the best harvest was taken in the polyudye, the second remained for the peasants.

The king, who was considered the earthly incarnation of the god Lono, every year, as it were, again ascended the throne and received tribute in food and handicrafts. During the time that the polyudie lasted, each of the queens had to give birth to a child.

But even in the center of the state, the prince with his wife and retinue for Christmas time (just chronological in the midst of ancient polyudye) made a detour of the monasteries. Nevertheless, polyudie still remained. Polyudye - (old) temporary duty, which fell on labor or the working population and consisted in the maintenance of the prince and his court during their tour of the region.

Russian history

1. polyudie - a method of collecting tribute from the East Slavic tribes, practiced in the 9th-12th centuries in Russia. Tribal unions kept own organization, the duties of their princes included delivering tribute (cart), mainly furs, to camps. The amount of tribute was calculated in proportion to the households, regardless of the wealth of their owners.

2. "Russian Truth"- the first written set of laws of Ancient Russia.

3. Baskak (Turkic) - Representative of the Mongol Khan in the conquered lands.

Appearance Old Russian state– 882

5. Under the prince Ivan Kalita - Moscow becomes the church center of Russian lands.

6. AT 1113 g. the people of Kiev begged the prince Vladimir Monomakh sit on the throne. The Byzantine Emperor sent Vladimir Monomakh a royal crown, barmas and gold chains, and the Greek Metropolitan Neophyte solemnly laid a crown on the head of Vladimir and named him king - therefore the Grand Duke is considered the first Russian crowned autocrat. The crown was called the Cap of Monomakh, and the Russian Grand Dukes and Tsars were married to reign.

Common date: January 16, 1547. - solemn wedding to the kingdom Ivan the 4th.

7. In the second half of the 18th century, under Catherine II, the Black Sea regions were annexed to Russia. The territory that became part of Russia Sea of ​​Azov to the mouth of the Dnieper (with annexed Crimea) was called Novorossiya .

8. The state of the Mongol-Tatars, which established a yoke over the Russian lands, was called: Golden Horde (Altyn Horde - Ulus Jochi)

9. Baptism of Russia- the introduction of Christianity as a state religion in the Old Russian state, carried out at the end 10th century in 988 Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich.

10. Zemsky Sobor (Council of the whole earth) - the highest class-representative institution of the Russian kingdom from the middle of the 16th to the end of the 17th century, a meeting of representatives of all segments of the population (except for serfs) to discuss political, economic and administrative issues.

11. Formation of the Old Russian state - 11th century.

12. Horde exit - tribute paid to the Golden Horde by Russian lands.

According to the Norman theory, the Vikings played the main role in the formation of Kievan Rus.

14. Peasant reform in Russia (abolition of serfdom) - a reform begun in 1861, which abolished serfdom in the Russian Empire.

15. Legal registration of serfdom began in the reign of Ivan III with the adoption of a code of laws of a single Russian state - Sudebnik 1497. Article 57 of the Law Code “On Christian Refusal”

16. Right to reign gave received in the Horde - Label (Turkic) - means letter, document.

17. The governors sent from Moscow to manage the counties were called - Boyars-feeders.

18. Founder of the Moscow princely dynasty is St. Daniel (Moskovsky) Alexandrovich younger son of Alexander Nevsky.

Redemption payments", "segments" - these concepts refer to: peasant reform 1861

United Kyiv and Novgorod in the 9th century. Prince Oleg (Prophetic).

The period of feudal fragmentation of Kievan Rus, which began in the 30s of the 12th century, lasted until the very end of the 15th century. many of its signs were quite clearly identified already in the second half of the 11th century.

23. Feudal fragmentation , which was a natural step historical development Russia, was a consequence of the economic isolation of individual principalities. The growth of large-scale property and the spread of food rent during this period created more favorable conditions for further development economy. At the same time, the consequence of fragmentation was the strengthening of princely strife. In the conditions of constant internecine wars, the foreign policy position of Russia worsened, and in the end, as a result Tatar-Mongol invasion she lost her independence.

25. During the reign of the Grand Duke Ivan III in 1497 the double-headed eagle became the Russian coat of arms.

Lessons" and "graveyards" to collect tribute from the tribes were established by Princess Olga.

27. Battle on the Kalka River ended with the victory of the Mongols and the defeat of the Russian-Polovtsian army.

29. Battle of Kulikovo (Mamayevo or Donskoy battle)- took place on September 8 (16), 1380.

30. The policy of Ivan the Terrible, aimed at strengthening the autocracy and fighting the separatism of the boyars, was called - Oprichnina. Oprichniki - people who made up the secret police.