Page 60 - Panjek, Aleksander, Jesper Larsson and Luca Mocarelli, eds. 2017. Integrated Peasant Economy in a Comparative Perspective: Alps, Scandinavia and Beyond. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 60
integr ated peasant economy in a compar ative perspective
The status of the peasant population in the 16th century and the im-
portance of non-agricultural activities were also discussed in the works of
Bogo Grafenauer. He was also interested in the reasons for and the status of
peasant trade and crafts during the development of urban economy in the
Modern Era, and in the opposition of the townspeople to rural trade. In his
opinion, the small-sized farms, on which peasants were unable to produce a
sufficient amount of food, is not the sole reason behind the growth in peas-
ant trade; another is the town restrictions on the maximum purchase pric-
es for field produce that were paid to the peasants. The townspeople after-
wards resold the cereals at a significantly higher price, thus keeping much
of the profit. The peasants wished to avoid this and sell their cereals else-
where, where they could achieve a higher selling price (Grafenauer 1962,
61–2). In his subsequent research work, Grafenauer integrated these find-
ings with the studies of peasant uprisings in Slovenian lands. When dis-
cussing the causes for peasant uprisings, he emphasises the restrictions on
peasant trade imposed by the townspeople and landlords – which is also
discussed by Gestrin and Žontar – and by the provincial prince. The peas-
ant’s programmes clearly reveal that the state was interfering in peasant
trade with an increasingly stricter toll and road regime. The complaints
and demands of peasants in peasant uprisings often expressed their dis-
satisfaction with the introduction of forced routes and new tollhouses, and
with the introduction and raising of tolls, as imposed by the state. For ex-
ample, in the peasant revolt of 1514 the peasants of the town of Slovenske
Konjice stated in one of the twelve demands intended for the emperor that
they were being “inconvenienced by unusual roads (with regard to the ob-
ligatory route of peasant trade!), which did not exist before and which they
would like to report” (Grafenauer 1974, 60–1). Grafenauer has established
that the programme of the Slovenian-Croatian peasant uprising of 1572–73
placed exceptional importance on rural trade among the reasons behind
the uprising. Once again the arguments centred on the new or raised tolls
and customs duties which encumbered the trading conducted by peasants
in Slovenian provinces (Grafenauer 1974, 155–6).
According to Grafenauer, the path to rebellion was opened up by the
economic development of that time, which was directed towards early cap-
italism and which influenced “the personal status of subjects by unburden-
ing them, thus aggravating social conflicts”3. He believes that the search for
3 Grafenauer 1973, 27. Grafenauer’s claim is based on S. Vilfan who stated that “early
capitalism was undermining the basic foundations of feudal society and influencing
58
The status of the peasant population in the 16th century and the im-
portance of non-agricultural activities were also discussed in the works of
Bogo Grafenauer. He was also interested in the reasons for and the status of
peasant trade and crafts during the development of urban economy in the
Modern Era, and in the opposition of the townspeople to rural trade. In his
opinion, the small-sized farms, on which peasants were unable to produce a
sufficient amount of food, is not the sole reason behind the growth in peas-
ant trade; another is the town restrictions on the maximum purchase pric-
es for field produce that were paid to the peasants. The townspeople after-
wards resold the cereals at a significantly higher price, thus keeping much
of the profit. The peasants wished to avoid this and sell their cereals else-
where, where they could achieve a higher selling price (Grafenauer 1962,
61–2). In his subsequent research work, Grafenauer integrated these find-
ings with the studies of peasant uprisings in Slovenian lands. When dis-
cussing the causes for peasant uprisings, he emphasises the restrictions on
peasant trade imposed by the townspeople and landlords – which is also
discussed by Gestrin and Žontar – and by the provincial prince. The peas-
ant’s programmes clearly reveal that the state was interfering in peasant
trade with an increasingly stricter toll and road regime. The complaints
and demands of peasants in peasant uprisings often expressed their dis-
satisfaction with the introduction of forced routes and new tollhouses, and
with the introduction and raising of tolls, as imposed by the state. For ex-
ample, in the peasant revolt of 1514 the peasants of the town of Slovenske
Konjice stated in one of the twelve demands intended for the emperor that
they were being “inconvenienced by unusual roads (with regard to the ob-
ligatory route of peasant trade!), which did not exist before and which they
would like to report” (Grafenauer 1974, 60–1). Grafenauer has established
that the programme of the Slovenian-Croatian peasant uprising of 1572–73
placed exceptional importance on rural trade among the reasons behind
the uprising. Once again the arguments centred on the new or raised tolls
and customs duties which encumbered the trading conducted by peasants
in Slovenian provinces (Grafenauer 1974, 155–6).
According to Grafenauer, the path to rebellion was opened up by the
economic development of that time, which was directed towards early cap-
italism and which influenced “the personal status of subjects by unburden-
ing them, thus aggravating social conflicts”3. He believes that the search for
3 Grafenauer 1973, 27. Grafenauer’s claim is based on S. Vilfan who stated that “early
capitalism was undermining the basic foundations of feudal society and influencing
58
