Knowra Tsardom of Russia Tsardom of Russia The Russian state ruled by tsars from Ivan IV’s coronation in 1547 until Peter I proclaimed the Russian Empire in 1721. It expanded across Eurasia while centralizing autocratic rule.
Tsarist autocracy : A system of government in which the tsar held supreme political authority. The tsardom’s governing principle concentrated power in the sovereign.
Grand Duchy of Moscow : A medieval Russian principality that became the political center of the lands later united under Moscow. The tsardom inherited its rulers, institutions, and territorial base from Muscovy.
Boris Godunov : A Russian ruler who became tsar in 1598 after serving as regent to Fyodor I. His contested accession preceded the dynastic crisis that engulfed Russia.
Sobornoye Ulozhenie : A comprehensive law code enacted in Russia in 1649 under Tsar Alexis. It formalized hereditary serfdom and strengthened the central state’s legal reach.
Mestnichestvo : A system assigning state and military offices according to a noble family’s rank and service history. This hierarchy organized elite service before its abolition in 1682.
Ivan IV of Russia : The ruler crowned tsar of all Rus’ in 1547, known as Ivan the Terrible. His coronation marks the conventional beginning of the tsardom.
Michael of Russia : The first Romanov tsar, elected in 1613 after the Time of Troubles. His election began the dynasty that restored durable central rule.
Russian Orthodox Church : The autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church of Russia, led by the patriarchate from 1589. Church institutions shaped legitimacy, education, and public life under the tsars.
Pomestie : A conditional landholding granted in return for state or military service in Muscovy. Service land helped sustain the cavalry forces on which tsardom relied.
Time of Troubles : A period of dynastic crisis, famine, foreign intervention, and civil conflict in Russia from 1598 to 1613. The crisis ended the Rurikid dynasty and threatened the state’s survival.
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