1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 256 Leased Farm
Eastern Roman Empire, Thrace region, the royal carriage travels on the wide avenue.

In the carriage, Isaac opened the curtains and looked out the window at the large fields.

It is midsummer and the winter wheat planted last year has matured. Farmers are busy again and have started a new round of harvest.

"Ulrich, after all this, what do you think of my agricultural system?"

Isaac asked casually.

Ulrich Fugger, who was sitting next to Isaac, looked out at the farmland outside the carriage.

“From what I have observed, your agricultural system is relatively complete, but there are still some problems.”

Ulrich spoke up.

"At present, the farmland in the Eastern Empire can be roughly divided into three categories: free villages, serfdom manors, and feudal manors."

"The Balkans are mainly composed of free villages. You have made some improvements to the ancient village system of the Eastern Empire, allowing farmers in the villages to freely open up land, hunt and fish, and adopting a policy of light taxes and levies to make the countryside prosperous, so that more land can be opened up, more surplus food can be produced, and flow into the market."

"North Africa was dominated by serfdom manors. Because the area was vast and sparsely populated, the manor owners could own a large amount of land and a large number of laborers. On the one hand, this maintained stability, and on the other hand, it also enabled North Africa to be self-sufficient in food production."

"As for feudal manors, they exist in North Africa and the Balkans, but due to your control, they have not grown to a large scale."

Ulrich pondered.

"Of course, these three agricultural production methods are not separate and independent. There are also a large number of serfs in the free villages, and most feudal manors are also serf manors, but they have more tax exemption or tax reduction privileges than ordinary serf manors."

"But I think that both free villages and serf manors have problems of inefficiency. They farm and graze for self-sufficiency. Especially in remote areas that are not connected by trade routes, there is no motivation to do business."

"Your village elders and estate owners are clearly not adapting to the new era's business model. They are too conservative and old-fashioned. They are resistant to new production technologies and new production models and are unwilling to change easily."

"Then there are the feudal manors. You are the largest landowner in the empire and own a lot of land in North Africa and the Balkans. But you also use a more ancient way of operation, sending family stewards to various manors to manage the industry."

“Whether you admit it or not, whether you like it or not, these things will be eliminated by the times.”

After listening to this, Isaac nodded slightly.

In fact, there is an essential difference between the Eastern Roman Empire and the feudal states in Western Europe. It does not have the hereditary feudal manors like in Western Europe, but instead uses free villages as the basic agricultural units.

Of course, it is meaningless to talk about these things now. Both the feudal manors in Western Europe and the free villages in Eastern Rome are ancient systems from hundreds of years ago and will inevitably gradually disintegrate under the tide of the budding capitalism.

The population increased, the land increased, the livestock increased, iron farm tools became popular, and new farming techniques emerged. This series of factors led to the fact that a piece of farmland no longer required as many farmers as before. A large amount of surplus grain began to enter the market, and the commodity economy gradually prospered.

In this context, there will inevitably be some wise or lucky people who will rise up and seize large amounts of land through legal or illegal means, turning other farmers into their tenants.

The dramatic changes in rural areas will also lead to urban prosperity. The surplus of food will enable cities to feed more citizens. A large number of landless farmers will also move to cities to work, and the secondary and tertiary industries will usher in great development.

However, this social change is bound to bring blood and darkness. After the farmers who lost their land entered the factory, they would not be happier than before, but would just go from one hell to another.

Even if Isaac could establish a colonial empire with the first-mover advantage and improve the lives of his people by plundering overseas wealth, it would be impossible for him to bring this benefit to all citizens.

London in the Victorian era was the most prosperous city in the world, but the lower-class people in London were also suffering from hunger and cold, and their lives were worse than death.

This is the best of times and the worst of times. No one can escape the tide of capitalism.

Now, this situation has begun to appear in the Eastern Roman Empire. The land in various regions has begun to be concentrated in the hands of a few people, and more and more people are forced to move to cities every year.

The legendary colonies and major reclamation areas are of course a good place to go, but most of the lower-class farmers will never be willing to leave their homes and travel across the ocean until they have completely lost hope.

"Since you think these methods are not good, do you have any better suggestions?"

Isaac looked at Ulrich.

"Your Majesty, the manor economy in Western Europe began to decline a century ago. The feudal lords no longer confined serfs to the land, nor did they use the old management methods. Instead, they chose to rent out the land to businessmen with management talents and distribute the harvest according to proportion, thus forming rented farms."

Ulrich explained.

"This type of farm is based on an employment relationship, and the labor force is all free people. They farm for the farm manager by signing a contract and can be regarded as a kind of tenant farmer."

"I think you can make some appropriate reforms to the free villages and serf manors, especially the village elders. Their existence seriously hinders the concentration of land and the application of new technologies. I suggest you abolish them."

Isaac nodded silently and drew the curtain.

Leased farms are one of the symbols of the budding of capitalism. The operators of leased farms lease land and hire farmers to carry out agricultural production. They are a kind of "agricultural capitalists."

"You are a businessman, so you can think purely from a money perspective, but I am a monarch and must take other aspects into account."

Isaac spoke up.

"The village communes will inevitably disintegrate under the tide of the times. The concentration of land and means of production is inevitable. The free villages of the empire have already begun to show this phenomenon. Let them develop naturally. Excessive control is not good."

"Furthermore, the village communal system is not entirely for the economy. When I recovered the lost territory, I deliberately redistributed the land and means of production and severely cracked down on large landowners and traditional churches. This was not for the sake of the economy, but for the rapid growth of the population."

Isaac groaned.

"The concentration of means of production and the widening gap between the rich and the poor may lead to rapid economic prosperity, but it will never be conducive to population growth. Only when more people are well fed and clothed will they be willing to have more children and successfully raise more children, and both the population size and quality can be improved."

"Serfdom was not for economic reasons. On the one hand, it was for the stability of North Africa. On the other hand, it was also to assimilate more pagans into Romans. Even if they could not be assimilated, it was better to imprison them in the manor than to let them grow freely."

"You are right, sir, it is as it should be."

Ulrich smiled.

"But have you ever considered that the transformation of a free village into a rented farm is inevitable, but it is not so easy for a serf manor. The serf owners are self-sufficient and will not easily give up their privileges."

"If this continues, in a few hundred years, your two lands will take completely different development paths. Industry and commerce will flourish in the Balkans, while serfdom will remain deeply rooted in North Africa except for a few cities."

"As a result, the ideological differences between workshop owners and slave owners will grow. Workshop owners want to send more labor to factories, while slave owners cling to tradition. The northern and southern territories may very likely erupt into civil war, most likely instigated by the north." "Unfortunately, due to the barrier of the ocean, once a war breaks out, it will not be easy to stop quickly. The two territories may split up, and each may support a prince of Palaeologus as its spokesperson."

Isaac smiled bitterly and gave Ulrich a long look.

As a direct descendant of a capitalist family, he had a deep understanding of society and pointed out the internal difficulties faced by the seemingly prosperous Eastern Roman Empire.

If the newly conquered Serbia and the Western Frontier Region were included, the Eastern Roman Empire now had a population of over six million, but the core population was still short, with just over half being of Greek or Greek-mixed descent.

The population of the Balkans is nearly four million, and that of North Africa is more than two million. If a civil war breaks out between the two sides, Constantinople does not have an overwhelming advantage.

If his two territories really embarked on the development path that Ulrich mentioned in a few hundred years, the overall industry and commerce of the Balkans would crush North Africa, which adopted the serfdom system. However, Carthage's industry and commerce were not bad either, and it also controlled important overseas trade routes. If a civil war really broke out, it would definitely be protracted.

This is not just a problem in North Africa. Places dominated by pagan religions and cultures will not be able to adopt the same governance methods as the Balkans in a short period of time. Anatolia, the Levant, Egypt... In order to achieve stable rule, it is necessary to authorize large landowners and estate owners.

Then there are the numerous overseas colonies. What role will they play in future political struggles?

Thinking of this, Isaac was confused and shook his head vigorously, deciding not to think about it anymore.

"I am only 35 years old and I can still live for several decades. I will try to solve this problem in my lifetime. If I cannot solve it, I will leave it to future generations."

Isaac looked at Ulrich.

"As long as I am still here, the empire will never stop its revival."

"No one doubts this, Your Majesty. Please forgive me if my views are a bit extreme."

Ulrich dropped his eyes.

"No, you're right."

Isaac shook his head.

"The Eastern Empire stagnated for too long under the Italian colonization and the Ottoman invasion. The lost two hundred years are not easy to make up. The hard power has improved, but the ideas, culture, technology, and talents hidden deep in the society still need a lot of time to develop."

"As for the rented farms you mentioned, I've thought about it and I think this is indeed the future development trend. I plan to set an example by renting out the land under my name and calling on all the nobles to abolish the old traditional system. If you are interested, you can try to rent the better land first."

"Then thank you Your Majesty."

Ulrich smiled.

"Furthermore, if you are willing to move your family to Constantinople, you will be the new Deputy Minister of Commerce of the Empire. I hope you can use your talents to help me manage the industrial and commercial system."

Isaac promised.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will write to my family as soon as I arrive in Constantinople. Since you are willing to trust me, I will never let you down!"

Ulrich was ecstatic and immediately agreed.

For many years, the Fugger family has always hoped to have a powerful secular ruler on the list so as to gain more business income. Unexpectedly, this time they not only succeeded, but also got a very important official position.

An official position brings not only status but also first-hand information, which is very important in the business world. It can make business investment no longer blind and greatly reduce risks.

Truly wise senior officials never need to engage in corruption or accept bribes. They can easily make a fortune just by relying on inside information that ordinary businessmen cannot get, coupled with the right business acumen.

Not to mention that the Eastern Roman Empire was in a special situation. It had a huge amount of cheap labor, a vast amount of raw materials, a huge market and a thriving business system. It was a treasure trove of opportunities.

"Your Majesty, I have been investigating for a long time. Your empire is vast, and many valuable things have yet to be discovered. If I can carry out the commercial reform smoothly, your treasury will be greatly enriched."

Ulrich added.

"To demonstrate our family's sincerity, I have decided to increase the loan to Prince Justinian and Grand Duke Manuel and reduce the interest rate."

"Then I thank you on their behalf."

Isaac smiled.

"When we return to Constantinople, I will convene a meeting of the Senate Estates to discuss the reform measures we have discussed these days and listen to their opinions."

"Then I will wait for good news."

Ulrich said.

Isaac nodded, closed his eyes, and thought.

After the 14th century, the European continent entered a vigorous Renaissance movement. History began to turn at this moment. The corrupt medieval system was destroyed, the absolute authority of the church was questioned, people began to turn their attention from the illusory "God" to the vivid "people", literature and art began to revive, and handicrafts and commerce flourished.

At the same time, under the wave of the Renaissance, capitalism began to sprout in Europe. Rural capital represented by leased farms and urban capital represented by handicraft factories greatly improved productivity. The increasing grain production brought about a population boom, and the expanding market stimulated the prosperity of the commodity economy.

The so-called Renaissance, even if it is covered with a gorgeous cloak of humanism, in essence, is nothing more than a new cultural movement guided by the bourgeoisie.

However, when capitalism was emerging in Western Europe, the Eastern Roman Empire was hit by a series of storms, making it difficult to even survive, let alone develop production.

Several ancestors of the Palaiologos family did attach great importance to culture and even created the so-called "Palaiolo Renaissance", but they were only engaged in literature and art, with only gorgeous superficial knowledge but not the essence of capitalism.

The emperors did not have the energy, and the empire did not have the soil.

Now, after the revival of Isaac, the Eastern Roman Empire has made great progress in agriculture, animal husbandry, industry and commerce, but as Ulrich said, there are still problems in some areas, the system is not yet perfect, and it is almost entirely supported by Isaac himself.

The era of capitalism is coming. Change will happen if we don’t change, and it will change if we don’t change. Since this is the case, we might as well take the initiative into our own hands.

If the Eastern Roman Empire wanted to develop rapidly, it had to closely unite under the strong leadership of the central empire with the emperor as the core, and unswervingly follow the capitalist path based on colonial plunder.

I won’t pretend anymore. I’m going to flee!

(End of this chapter)