Ruling Without Mercy: Seventeenth-Century Russian Bishops and Their Officials

Abstract

The 17th century has rightly been described as the "century of revolt" (buntashnyi vek) by both contemporary observers and 20th-century historians such as Viktor Ivanovich Buganov and Hans-Joachim Torke. The Stepan Razin revolt (1670-71) and the frequent rebellions of the Don Cossack region were only the most dramatic manifestations of a general crisis of authority. Countless smaller revolts occurred in Muscovy's towns and provinces and the Kremlin often had to resort to military campaigns, mass floggings, and hangings in order to re-establish control. 1