Firstly, Cuza and his minister, Cogalniceanu, secularized and converted to the state the domains of the monasteries, which during the long period of Greek influence had acquired one-fifth of the total area of the land, and were completely in the hands of the Greek clergy (Law of December 13, 1863).  More important still, as affecting fundamentally the social structure of the country, was the Rural Law (promulgated on August 26, 1864), which had been the cause of the conflict between Cuza and the various political factions, the Liberals clamouring for more thorough reforms, the Conservatives denouncing Cuza’s project as revolutionary.  As the peasant question is the most important problem left for Rumania to solve, and as I believe that, in a broad sense, it has a considerable bearing upon the present political situation in that country, it may not be out of place here to devote a little space to its consideration.

Originally the peasant lived in the village community as a free land-owner.  He paid a certain due (one-tenth of his produce and three days’ labour yearly) to his leader (cneaz) as recompense for his leadership in peace and war.  The latter, moreover, solely enjoyed the privilege of carrying on the occupations of miller and innkeeper, and the peasant was compelled to mill with him.  When after the foundation of the principalities the upper class was established on a feudal basis, the peasantry were subjected to constantly increasing burdens.  Impoverished and having in many cases lost their land, the peasants were also deprived at the end of the sixteenth century of their freedom of movement.  By that time the cneaz, from being the leader of the community, had become the actual lord of the village, and his wealth was estimated by the number of villages he possessed.  The peasant owners paid their dues to him in labour and in kind.  Those peasants who owned no land were his serfs, passing with the land from master to master.

Under the Turkish domination the Rumanian provinces became the granary of the Ottoman Empire.  The value of land rose quickly, as did also the taxes.  To meet these taxes—­from the payment of which the boyards (the descendants of the cneazi) were exempt—­the peasant owners had frequently to sacrifice their lands; while, greedy after the increased benefits, the boyards used all possible means to acquire more land for themselves.  With the increase of their lands they needed more labour, and they obtained permission from the ruler not only to exact increased labour dues from the peasantry, but also to determine the amount of work that should be done in a day.  This was effected in such a way that the peasants had, in fact, to serve three and four times the number of days due.