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The Rise of Wat Tyler. Wat Tyler rebellion Great Peasants' Revolt

The Rise of Wat Tyler. Wat Tyler rebellion Great Peasants' Revolt

09.01.2022

Wat Tyler's rebellion is the largest peasant uprising in medieval England.

Despite the fact that the rebels were mostly serfs, Wat Tyler, who led the action, was a hereditary artisan.

Tyler was the son of a roofer and later worked as a blacksmith. However, he had great successes in the Hundred Years' War, which were noted by King Edward himself.

Causes of the uprising

The starting point was an epidemic of bubonic plague, which led to the extinction of a large number of peasants. There was no one to cultivate the land and harvest. From the survivors, the landowners demanded more energetic correction of duties, which turned into slavery. In turn, food prices rose.
Serfdom as such began to outlive itself as the appetites of the landowners grew. The peasants demanded better working conditions and higher wages, to which the authorities responded by issuing laws that toughen the position of serfs.
As a result of the struggle of the peasants for their rights, their incomes increased significantly; however, the royal government issued a decree according to which certain types of goods could only be purchased by members of the upper classes. This caused new discontent among the lower classes.
The plague also led to the disintegration of the peasant community: some family members died, others went to work in the cities.

The course of the uprising

The first centers of rebellion broke out in Essex and Kent, where the inhabitants rebelled against the visiting royal officials. The militia from Kent, led by Wat Tyler, marched on London. Along the way they were joined by peasants from other counties. The rebels successfully captured Canterbury and then London, where they laid siege to the Tower and killed Simon Sudbury, Lord Chancellor and Archbishop.

The Rise of Wat Tyler

The king decided to meet with the rebels and discuss plans for the future with them. Several meetings took place between the king and the rebels, at which he showed that he agreed to make concessions. However, during another such meeting, Richard's associates, among whom was the mayor of London, suddenly killed Wat Tyler.

The rebels were confused, and thanks to this, the army was able to quickly suppress the performance.

Consequences

Despite the fact that the peasant uprising was suppressed, there was no complete return to the old order. The government did not introduce new taxes, although it was originally going to do so. The level of enslavement of the peasants became much weaker, and their incomes - higher.

This, in turn, led to a decrease in funds in the treasury, and in order to cope with this, the government had to cancel the military actions planned earlier. The cruelty of the feudal lords towards the serfs also decreased: no one wanted a new outbreak of violence.

Most of the landlords began to resolve relations with the peasants through the courts, and not with the help of threats and weapons. Everyone understood that indiscretion on the part of the landowners could lead to a new uprising.

The overall result of Wat Tyler's rebellion was the intensified disintegration of serfdom and the development of a more progressive capitalist order. The importance of the lower classes was strengthened, and in the future it was they who formed the basis of the national English bourgeoisie.

The Hundred Years' War caused an aggravation of the social situation not only in France, but also in England. Although the English peasants were deprived of the opportunity to "live" to observe the hostilities, money was demanded from them in the same way. In addition, other economic relations not directly related to the war also developed, also hitting the most disadvantaged, as happens regularly with any, even very progressive changes.

The development of commodity-money relations led to the replacement of payments in kind by high cash rents, the expansion of the sphere of hired labor, but at the same time, corvée and other serf duties intensified, especially on large estates. Social contradictions escalated even more after the plague. The shortage of workers led in England to the issuance of a number of royal decrees that infringed on the rights of workers. (But objectively speaking, the state of the labor market was such that these workers could count on big money, which they knew about.)

Thus, the ordinance of 1349 required that all adult men and women not older than 60 years old, who did not have their own land or other means of subsistence, were hired by the one who offered them work. For refusal to hire or for unauthorized departure from the owner, punishment was provided, up to imprisonment. In 1351, the “Statute of Workers” was adopted, according to which employers who violated the law were punished with a fine, and workers were beaten into stocks and imprisoned. New laws (for example, the Statute on Workers of 1361) further increased the severity of punishments: workers who left their employers were branded with a red-hot iron and outlawed. All kinds of alliances that the workers concluded among themselves in order to fight for higher wages were subjected to persecution.

The lower classes of English society grumbled more and more. The movement of the Lollards (in literal translation - “mumbling prayers”) became widespread among the peasant-plebeian masses. Lollards first appeared in Antwerp around 1300, and in England from the early 1360s. The village priest John Ball became the leader of the Lollards. Following Wycliffe, the Lollards, who spoke in the streets and squares, rejected the privileges of the Catholic Church and demanded the secularization of its property. At the same time, Ball and his followers sharply criticized the feudal system itself, demanding the abolition of corvée, tithes and taxes, and the equalization of estates. They did not make direct calls for an uprising, but, of course, they had a great influence on the formation of the radical ideology of the grassroots.

Naturally, the war forced the feudal lords and the king to increase the exactions even more. In 1377 a head tax was introduced. In 1380, compared with the previous year, it was tripled. This was the immediate cause for the uprising. It began in May, 1381, in the southeastern counties of Essex and Kent, and quickly spread through most of England. The rebels were led by the village roofer Wat Tyler, probably a former soldier. Ball, who had previously been imprisoned and released by the rebels, became his close associate. Wat Tyler's people plundered feudal estates, killed their owners, executed judges and tax collectors, putting their heads on stakes, burned documents that recorded peasant duties.

On June 12, 1381, the rebels were already close to London. On the banks of the Thames, John Ball delivered a famous speech in which he proved the original equality of all people. “When Adam plowed and Eve spun, who then was a nobleman?” Ball asked. On June 13, the rebels approached London and, without meeting resistance, entered the capital. The townspeople, also dissatisfied with the lords and the monarch, joined the peasants. The rebellious people surrounded the Tower. On June 14, in the suburb of London, Mile End, a meeting of 16-year-old King Richard II (son of Edward, the Black Prince) with the rebels took place, at which the rebels put forward a number of demands that made up the so-called Mayland program. Tyler demanded the abolition of serfdom and the duties associated with it, the establishment of a uniform and moderate cash rent, free trade, and an amnesty for the participants in the uprising. Frightened by the magnitude of the movement, Richard agreed to all the demands. On the same day, hundreds of letters of liberation of communities and villages were issued.

Wealthy peasants considered their mission completed and began to leave the city, but many remained and on June 15 met the monarch again. Their new, Smithfield, program was even more radical. It provided for the return to the peasants of the communal lands taken by the feudal lords, the abolition of all working statutes, the elimination of noble privileges and the equalization of all estates, the secularization of church and monastery lands and their division among the peasants. For that time, these requirements were utopia.

During the negotiations, approaching the king, Wat Tyler grabbed his horse by the bridle - and at that moment the mayor of London, William Walworth, stabbed him in the neck. The crowd exploded with a cry of indignation, hundreds of rebels pulled their bowstrings, but Richard did not lose his head. “I am your king, I am your leader! he shouted. “Follow me and you will have everything you want!” Richard managed to get the peasants involved in the negotiations. Having received promises and letters, the rebels released the king and returned to their villages, while the king, meanwhile, called all the nobility of the country to London. Three days later, 40 thousand knights gathered in the capital; Richard declared his promises null and void and sent punitive detachments into the villages. They overtook disparate groups of former Tylerites. Bloody terror swept across the country. John Ball was executed.

However, Wat Tyler's rebellion made a great impression on the representatives of the "cream of society". From now on, the idea of liberating the peasants was constantly discussed at the top. The aristocrats realized that the incessant increase in feudal oppression would not lead to anything good.

Walter "Wat" Tyler(English) Walter "Wat" Tyler; January 4, 1341 - June 15, 1381) - the leader of the largest peasant uprising in medieval England in 1381.

Biography

Little is known of his early life, he was probably born in the village of Broxley (Kent), the son of roofer Walter Hillard.

The events of Wat Tyler's youth have been reconstructed by historians in Life and AdvenTyler, the Brave and Good (1851). In the book, Tyler, after an unsuccessful romance, enters military service in the English army and goes to France. Wat takes part in a number of battles of the Hundred Years War. King Edward himself is distinguished by his courage and bravery. Returning to his native village, Tyler marries and works as a village blacksmith.

Meanwhile, a rebellion is brewing in England, the situation worsens in connection with the news of the uprisings of the lower classes in France and Flanders.

One of the ideologists of the uprising is the priest John Ball. He preaches about the need for peasant resistance to oppression by the state. Ideas appear among the people about the destruction of feudal relations, serfdom.

The country is in an unstable situation. After the death of Edward III, his 11-year-old grandson Richard II takes the throne. The foreign policy situation is deteriorating - the last expeditions to France end unsuccessfully, which causes a shortage of funds in the treasury. The government decides to introduce a poll tax of 3 grottoes (a silver coin equal to 4 pence), which causes indignation among the masses.

Tyler leads the march of the peasants of Kent to London, along the way they are joined by peasants from other counties, as well as the poor and the city mob. The rebels capture Canterbury and then London. The peasants storm the Tower and kill the Lord Chancellor and Archbishop of Canterbury, Simon Sudbury.

With the rebels demanding the abolition of serfdom, on June 14, 1381, King Richard II meets in Mile End, who promises that all demands will be met. The next day (June 15), there is a new meeting with the king, on the Smithfield field, near the city wall of London, with a huge confluence of people. Now the rebels are demanding equal rights for all estates and the return of communal lands to the peasants. However, during the meeting, Wat Tyler is killed by the king's associates (the mayor of London, William Walworth, stabbed him in the neck with a dagger, one of the knights completed the job by driving up to Tyler from behind and piercing him with a sword). This brings confusion and confusion to the ranks of the rebels, which Richard II took advantage of. The uprising is quickly suppressed by the forces of the knightly militia.

Literature

Parnov E. Under the Crimson Rain: The Tale of Wat Tyler. M.: Politizdat, 1988. - 447 p. (Series "Fiery Revolutionaries")

Life and adventures of Wat Tyler, the good and the brave . L.: Collins Publishing, 1851.

Source: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Tyler

(13410104 ) - June 15) - the leader of the largest peasant uprising in medieval England, which occurred in 1381.

Biography

Little is known of his early life, he was probably born in the village of Broxley (Kent), the son of roofer Walter Hillard.

The events of Wat Tyler's youth have been reconstructed by historians in the book Life and Adventures of Wat Tyler, the Brave and Good (). In the book, after an unsuccessful romance, Tyler enters military service in the English army and is sent to France. Wat takes part in a number of battles in the Hundred Years' War. King Edward himself is distinguished by his courage and bravery. Returning to his native village, Tyler marries and works as the village blacksmith.

Great peasant uprising of 1381

After the plague of 1348, known as the Black Death, the population decreased by one-third according to medieval estimates. Agriculture fell into decline. There was no one to sow and harvest. Prices have doubled. Demands for higher wages followed. The village community, where peasant families have been accustomed from generation to generation to live on the same land, began to disintegrate. Some of the peasants run away to the cities and become hired workers. Direct coercion on the part of the landowners did not help. A new type of land holding is beginning to be introduced: the leasing of land, livestock, and implements, which was an important step on the path to capitalist agriculture. But the lords tried to regain their old positions, since now they had to reckon with freer peasants and wage workers. This situation gave rise to the peasant uprising of 1381.

Escape from serfdom was possible only for a loner. For a person with a family, there was organization and an armed uprising. Peasant unions gradually begin to grow. The uprising of 1381 was the work of people who had already won a certain degree of freedom and prosperity and now demanded more. The Villans have awakened human dignity. The demands of the peasants were as follows:

The destruction of serfdom
Commutation of all duties (replacement of natural duties with monetary ones)
Establishment of a uniform cash rent of 4 pence per acre.

The country was ruled by avaricious corrupt nobles, typified by John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. The foreign policy situation is deteriorating - the last expeditions to France end unsuccessfully, which causes a shortage of funds in the treasury. The government decides to introduce a poll tax of 3 grottoes (a silver coin equal to 4 pence), which causes indignation among the masses. The protracted war with France and the introduction of the poll tax were the main reasons for the uprising of 1381.

Tyler leads the campaign of the peasants of Kent to London, along the way they are joined by peasants from other counties, as well as the poor and the city mob. The rebels capture Canterbury, and then London. The peasants storm the Tower and kill the Lord Chancellor and Archbishop of Canterbury, Simon Sudbury.

Image in culture

In 1794, the English romantic poet Robert Southey wrote Wat Tyler. The main and most significant work of the Russian historian-medievalist academician D. M. Petrushevsky, author of the book "Wat Tyler's Rebellion" devoted his main and most significant work to this uprising. In 1922, the Russian Soviet writer Andrei Globa wrote the poem "Wat Tyler". The English composer Alan Bush created an opera dedicated to these events, Wat Tyler, which premiered on 6 September 1953 at the Leipzig State Opera House.

Write a review on the article "Tyler, Wat"

Literature

Morton, A. L. History of England. M .: Publishing house of foreign literature, . - 462 p.
Parnov E. Under the Crimson Rain: The Tale of Wat Tyler. Moscow: Politizdat, . - 447 p. (Series "Fiery Revolutionaries")
Andrey Globa. Wat Tyler. Poem. Illustrations by M. Solomonov Petersburg State. Publishing house Petersburg 1922.- 78 p.
Petrushevsky D. M. "The Rise of Wat Tyler". Ch. 1-2, St. Petersburg; M., 1897-1901; M., 1937.
. L.: Collins Publishing, .

An excerpt characterizing Tyler, Wat

Pierre, in the secret of his soul, agreed with the manager that it was difficult to imagine people happier, and that God knows what awaited them in the wild; but Pierre, though reluctantly, insisted on what he thought was just. The manager promised to use all his strength to carry out the will of the count, clearly realizing that the count would never be able to believe him, not only whether all measures had been taken to sell forests and estates, to buy him out of the Council, but he would probably never ask and not learns how the buildings that have been built stand empty and the peasants continue to give with work and money everything that they give from others, i.e., everything that they can give.

In the happiest state of mind, returning from his southern journey, Pierre fulfilled his long-standing intention to call on his friend Bolkonsky, whom he had not seen for two years.
Bogucharovo lay in an ugly, flat area, covered with fields and felled and uncut spruce and birch forests. The manor's yard was at the end of a straight line, along the main road of the village, behind a newly dug, full-filled pond, with banks not yet overgrown with grass, in the middle of a young forest, between which stood several large pines.
The manor's yard consisted of a threshing floor, outbuildings, stables, a bathhouse, an outbuilding and a large stone house with a semicircular pediment, which was still under construction. A young garden was planted around the house. The fences and gates were strong and new; under a shed stood two fire chimneys and a barrel painted green; the roads were straight, the bridges were strong with railings. On everything lay the imprint of accuracy and thrift. When asked where the prince lived, the courtyards pointed to a small, new outbuilding, standing at the very edge of the pond. Prince Andrei's old uncle, Anton, let Pierre out of the carriage, said that the prince was at home, and escorted him to a clean, small entrance hall.
Pierre was struck by the modesty of a small, albeit clean, house after those brilliant conditions in which he last saw his friend in Petersburg. He hurriedly entered the small hall, still smelling of pine, not plastered, and wanted to go further, but Anton ran forward on tiptoe and knocked on the door.
- Well, what is there? - I heard a sharp, unpleasant voice.
“Guest,” answered Anton.
“Ask me to wait,” and a chair was pushed back. Pierre walked quickly to the door and came face to face with Prince Andrei, frowning and aging, coming out to him. Pierre hugged him and, raising his glasses, kissed him on the cheeks and looked at him closely.
“I didn’t expect it, I’m very glad,” said Prince Andrei. Pierre did not say anything; he stared at his friend in surprise, not taking his eyes off him. He was struck by the change that had taken place in Prince Andrei. The words were affectionate, there was a smile on the lips and face of Prince Andrei, but his eyes were dead, dead, to which, despite his apparent desire, Prince Andrei could not give a joyful and cheerful sheen. Not that he lost weight, turned pale, his friend matured; but this look and the wrinkle on the forehead, expressing a long concentration on one thing, amazed and alienated Pierre until he got used to them.
When meeting after a long separation, as always happens, the conversation could not stop for a long time; they asked and answered briefly about such things, about which they themselves knew that it was necessary to talk at a long time. Finally, the conversation began to stop little by little on what was previously said in fragments, on questions about the past life, about plans for the future, about Pierre's journey, about his studies, about the war, etc. That concentration and deadness, which Pierre noticed in the eyes of Prince Andrei, now expressed even more strongly in the smile with which he listened to Pierre, especially when Pierre spoke with animation of joy about the past or the future. As if Prince Andrei would have wished, but could not take part in what he was saying. Pierre began to feel that enthusiasm, dreams, hopes for happiness and goodness were not decent before Prince Andrei. He was ashamed to express all his new, Masonic thoughts, especially those renewed and aroused in him by his last journey. He restrained himself, was afraid to be naive; at the same time, he irresistibly wanted to quickly show his friend that he was now completely different, better Pierre than the one who was in Petersburg.
“I can’t tell you how much I have experienced during this time. I wouldn't recognize myself.
“Yes, we have changed a lot, a lot since then,” said Prince Andrei.
- Well, and you? - asked Pierre, - what are your plans?
– Plans? Prince Andrei ironically repeated. - My plans? he repeated, as if wondering at the meaning of such a word. - Yes, you see, I’m building, I want to move completely by next year ...
Pierre silently, intently peered into the aged face of (Prince) Andrei.
“No, I’m asking,” said Pierre, “but Prince Andrei interrupted him:
- What can I say about me... tell me, tell me about your journey, about everything that you did there on your estates?
Pierre began to talk about what he had done on his estates, trying as much as possible to hide his participation in the improvements made by him. Prince Andrei several times prompted Pierre in advance what he was telling, as if everything that Pierre did was a long-known story, and listened not only not with interest, but even as if ashamed of what Pierre was telling.
Pierre became embarrassed and even hard in the company of his friend. He fell silent.
“But what, my soul,” said Prince Andrei, who was obviously also hard and shy with the guest, “I am here in bivouacs, and I came only to look. Today I'm going back to my sister. I will introduce you to them. Yes, you seem to know each other,” he said, obviously entertaining the guest with whom he now felt nothing in common. - We'll leave after lunch. And now you want to see my estate? - They went out and walked until dinner, talking about political news and mutual acquaintances, like people who are not close to each other. With some animation and interest, Prince Andrei spoke only about the new estate and building he was arranging, but even here, in the middle of the conversation, on the stage, when Prince Andrei was describing to Pierre the future location of the house, he suddenly stopped. - However, there is nothing interesting here, let's go to dinner and go. - At dinner, the conversation turned to the marriage of Pierre.

) - the leader of the largest peasant uprising in medieval England in 1381.

Biography

Little is known of his early life, he was probably born in the village of Broxley (Kent), the son of roofer Walter Hillard.

Great peasant uprising of 1381

After the epidemic of 1348, known as the Black Death, the population decreased by one-third according to medieval estimates. Agriculture fell into decline. There was no one to sow and harvest. Prices have doubled. Demands for higher wages followed. The village community, where peasant families have been accustomed from generation to generation to live on the same land, began to disintegrate. Some of the peasants run away to the cities and become hired workers. Direct coercion on the part of the landowners did not help. A new type of land holding is beginning to be introduced: the leasing of land, livestock, and implements, which was an important step on the path to capitalist agriculture. But the lords tried to regain their old positions, because. now they had to reckon with the freer peasants and wage-workers. This situation gave rise to the Great Peasants' Revolt of 1381.

The destruction of serfdom
Commutation of all duties (replacement of natural duties with monetary ones)
Establishment of a uniform cash rent of 4 pence per acre.

Literature

Categories:

Personalities in alphabetical order
January 4th
Born in 1341
Deceased June 15
Deceased in 1381
Revolutionaries of Great Britain
Leaders of the uprisings
Rebellions in England
Executed revolutionaries

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See what "Wat Tyler" is in other dictionaries:

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