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The Rural Community and the Peasants Revolution: A study on the Rural Revolts in the M?onnais in July 1789

  • Korean Review of French History
  • Abbr : KRFH
  • 2006, (15), pp.61~90
  • Publisher : KOREAN SOCIETY FOR FRENCH HISTORY
  • Research Area : Humanities > History

박윤덕 1

1서울대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

At the end of July 1789 the peasants of the Mâconnais revolted against their lords. Having attacked the castles and the parsons, they demanded that both the feudal rights of the lords and the tithe be abolished and that communal lands be restored. In the course of “the wars at the castles” they burnt the land register and inventories, destroyed the colombiers, and took the weathercocks off the roofs. Though such behaviors of the peasants led to the lootings of the properties in the castles, their violence aimed not to the persons but to the system. The peasants of the Mâconnais demanded the abolition of the feudal regime, which represented itself not only as the economic system of collecting the rents but also as the social structures of ruling. With an aim to achieving such goals, the populace of the village united together in the frame of the parish and under the guidance of the principal villagers, which were those people who enjoyed the stable positions such as a village chief and the tax collectors. The social composition of the rioters testifies to the communal unity. They consisted of the various rural elements such as vine farmers, artisans, laboureurs, day laborers, servants. The leaders of the movement plotted the goals and the mobilization in advance. They led the demonstrators to the castles and then directed the operations of the riots. In the meantimes, the humble villagers served as the action groups. Like this the rural community of the Mâconnais maintained their unity against their lords. In the initial stage of the French Revolution the peasant movement illustrates that despite the social differentiation of the peasantry the peasants behaved themselves as a single bloc, which could not be divided into social categories, strata, classes.

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