07 May 2003, 20:40
Randzhbares
Randzhbares (the Persian, literally - workings) - special categories of feudal-dependent peasants: 1) in Iran, Azerbaijan and East Armenia in 16 - 19 centuries - the peasants receiving from the feudal lord lands, water for an irrigation, seeds, working cattle and giving back to him a part of a crop for it. 2) In some khanates of Azerbaijan - the peasants borrowed exclusively with works in a personal economy of their owner. In contrast to rayates, randzhbares were not a part of rural communities and were attached not to the land, but to the person of the owner (hereditary). Anyone of rayates might have been inverted into randzhbares by a khan order. Numbers of randzhbares replenished also with fugitives from other khanates and with the captives withdrawn during wars between khanates. After connection of Transcaucasian khanates to Russia (1846) randzhbares were included in a lump of serfs.
