State Service in Sixteenth Century Novgorod : The First Century of the Pomestie System

Hammond, Vincent E.

ISBN 10: 076184385X / ISBN 13: 9780761843856

Published by University Press Of America, 2009

About this Item

Seller Inventory # 6177866-n

Bibliographic Details

• Title: State Service in Sixteenth Century Novgorod : The First Century of the Pomestie System
• Publisher: University Press Of America
• Publication Date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 076184385X
• ISBN 13: 9780761843856
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

State Service in Sixteenth Century Novgorod is about the first century of the legal development of the pomestie established by Ivan III after the conquest of Novgorod. The cadasters from the two provinces (Shelonskaia and Vodskaia) with the highest concentration of pomesties showed most remained in the original landlord's family. The acquisition of additional land from deceased family members and the exchanges for land near other relatives without the state's prior permission is evidence of its recognition of the family's interest in the land. Although the turnover was higher after the 1550s, most estates no longer in the original families' possession were abandoned or confiscated by Ivan IV's oprichniks. Since patrimonial votchinas were confiscated too, the higher turnover is evidence of the tsar's fear of treason rather than the pomestie's conditionality. The continuing possession of most Vodskaia tax units held in pomestie tenure in 1582 by the original landlords' families enfeoffed a century earlier supports this thesis. These findings negate the traditional distinction between the conditional pomestie and allodial votchina. The loyal pomeshchiks of sixteenth century Russia could expect to pass their lands to other family members as long as they served the state.

About the Author

Dr. Vincent E. Hammond received his PhD in Russian history from the University of Illinois. His research has focused on the legal distinction between the pomestie and votchina and the application of quantitative analysis to the cadastral data explaining the pomestie's turnover. He has also conducted extensive research into the medieval Russian Parliament. His paper on "The Inheritability of the Shelonskaia Pomestie in the Sixteenth Century" was recently presented to the annual conference of the Arkansas College History Teachers' Association and "Late Sixteenth and Early Seventeenth Century Russian Parliaments" was presented in January to the 6th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities. He presented a paper on "Quantitative Analysis and the Shelonskoe Pomestie, 1480-1540" to the Third International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences in July 2008.