What were the social, economic and political conditions in Russia befo...
The social, economic and political conditions in Russia, before 1905 was quite backward.
Social inequality was very prominent among the working class. Workers were divided on the basis of their occupation. Workers whose jobs needed skill and training considered themselves on a higher plane than the untrained worker. Workers had strong links to the villages they came from and this also caused a social divide among workers.
Economically Russia was going through a very difficult period. The population had doubled and the economic conditions turned from bad to worse. The government introduced new programmes of industrialization which created employment . This Industrialization did not help the workers who were exploited and their living condition only worsened.
Compared to other European nations, Russia was politically backward, during the thirteenth century. All political parties were illegal in Russia before 1914. The Russian peasants formed the Socialist Revolutionary Party in 1900, but as they were not a united group they were not considered to be part of a socialist movement.
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What were the social, economic and political conditions in Russia befo...
Social Conditions in Russia before 1905:
- Russian society was largely divided into three main classes: the nobility, the middle class, and the peasants.
- The nobility consisted of the upper class, which held significant power and wealth. They enjoyed privileges such as owning large estates and serfs.
- The middle class, known as the bourgeoisie, consisted of professionals, merchants, and industrialists. They were relatively small in number but were growing in influence.
- The majority of the population in Russia were peasants, who lived in poverty and were tied to the land they worked on. They were subject to the arbitrary rule of the nobility and faced harsh living conditions.
Economic Conditions in Russia before 1905:
- Russia was primarily an agrarian society, with agriculture being the main source of income and employment.
- The industrial sector was relatively underdeveloped, with limited industrialization compared to other European countries.
- The state-controlled economy, known as the "tsarist autocracy," hindered economic growth and innovation.
- The majority of peasants were living in poverty, facing high taxes, and struggling to make a living from their land.
- The middle class, on the other hand, was growing and becoming more prosperous due to their involvement in trade and industry.
Political Conditions in Russia before 1905:
- Russia was an autocratic monarchy ruled by the Romanov dynasty, with Tsar Nicholas II as the head of state.
- The tsar had absolute power and control over the government, making all major decisions without any checks or balances.
- Political dissent and opposition to the autocratic regime were strictly suppressed, with severe censorship and a lack of political freedoms.
- The government was characterized by widespread corruption, inefficiency, and bureaucracy.
- The discontent among the masses and growing demands for political reforms were met with repression and violence.
Overall, the social conditions in Russia before 1905 were marked by a stark divide between the privileged nobility and the impoverished peasants. The economic conditions were largely agrarian, with limited industrial development. The political landscape was dominated by an autocratic monarchy that suppressed dissent and opposition. These conditions laid the foundation for the widespread social unrest and political upheaval that eventually led to the Russian Revolution of 1905.
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