Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Agrarian reforms
(3,304 words)

1. Concept

The term “agrarian reform” encompasses all public regulations that contributed to abolishing the complex economic system that had existed since the High Middle Ages that had tied the feudal collection of surpluses produced by peasants to collectively organized agriculture and village life. The most prominent agrarian reform is the abolition of serfdom, which was intended to create a socie…

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Brakensiek, Stefan and Mahlerwein, Gunter, “Agrarian reforms”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_016642>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20160321



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