And the market for finished goods was narrowly constricted by serfdom.
The regional variations in rates of natural increase continued after the abolition of serfdom in 1861.
The two sections which follow concentrate on slavery and serfdom respectively.
The institution of serfdom sharply restricted the development of a domestic market.
The extension of serfdom to the newly occupied territories was practiced with reserve and in the early nineteenth century was legally forbidden.
Before serfdom was abolished in 1861, moreover, nobles owned and exploited around half the peasantry.
This was a somewhat novel idea in a country where land surplus and labour shortage had linked land and labour in the institution of serfdom.
While it is possible that certain cultural norms played a role here, there is another, even more obvious, factor that must be considered : the institution of serfdom.
