AQA · A-Level · History
Course version: 7042 · Version from Sept 2017
Changes to society: the importance of landownership and the gentry;…
Full specification wording
1E Russia in the Age of Absolutism and Enlightenment, 1682–1796 (A-level only) – Catherine the Great and Russia, 1762–1796: Changes to society: the importance of landownership and the gentry; Enlightenment and education; reforms to religion
Under Catherine the Great, Russian society experienced significant shifts, though largely confined to the upper echelons.
Checked against the AQA 7042 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 3 of 6
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Under Catherine the Great, Russian society experienced significant shifts, though largely confined to the upper echelons. The gentry's power was solidified through the 1785 Charter to the Nobility, which confirmed their exemption from state service and taxes, cementing landownership as the primary source of wealth and social control. Catherine’s engagement with the Enlightenment drove educational reforms, notably the 1786 Statute on National Education, which aimed to create a network of state-funded schools, though rural implementation lagged. Religious reforms further subordinated the Orthodox Church to the state; Catherine secularised church lands in 1764, transforming the clergy into salaried state officials and reducing the Church's independent economic power while promoting limited religious toleration for non-Orthodox groups.
What earns the marks
- Assess the impact of the 1785 Charter to the Nobility on the gentry's social and economic dominance.
- Evaluate the extent to which Enlightenment ideas practically influenced Catherine's educational policies, such as the 1786 Statute.
- Analyse the secularisation of Church lands in 1764 and its effect on the economic and political power of the Orthodox Church.
- Examine the limitations of societal changes, noting that educational and Enlightenment benefits rarely reached the enserfed peasantry.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Assuming the Enlightenment reforms benefited all of Russian society.
Put it right: Clarify that educational and cultural reforms predominantly affected the nobility and urban classes, bypassing the serfs.
Confusing Catherine's religious toleration with a loss of state control.
Put it right: Explain that toleration was a pragmatic tool for stability, while the 1764 secularisation actually increased state control over the Orthodox Church.
Stating that the gentry lost power under Catherine.
Put it right: Recognise that the 1785 Charter to the Nobility entrenched their privileges, including landownership and control over serfs.
Exam tips
- Use the 1785 Charter to the Nobility as a primary piece of evidence when discussing the consolidation of gentry power.
- Contrast Catherine's Enlightenment rhetoric with the practical limitations of her educational reforms in rural areas.
- Link religious reforms directly to state centralisation, showing how secularising church lands boosted the state treasury.
Try the lesson
The start of the 1E Russia in the Age of Absolutism and Enlightenment, 1682–1796 (A-level only) – Catherine the Great and Russia, 1762–1796: Changes to society: the importance of landownership and the gentry; Enlightenment and education; reforms to religion lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which 1785 decree by Catherine the Great significantly strengthened the societal position of the Russian gentry by confirming their exemption from compulsory state service and personal taxation?
Listen
Under Catherine the Great, Russian society experienced significant shifts, though largely confined to the upper echelons. The gentry's power was solidified through the 1785 Charter to the Nobility, which confirmed their exemption from state service and taxes, cementing landownership as the primary source of wealth and social control. Catherine’s engagement with the Enlightenment drove educational reforms, notably the 1786 Statute on National Education, which aimed to create a network of state-funded schools, though rural implementation lagged. Religious reforms further subordinated the Orthodox Church to the state; Catherine secularised church lands in 1764, transforming the clergy into salaried state officials and reducing the Church's independent economic power while promoting limited religious toleration for non-Orthodox groups. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Assess the impact of the 1785 Charter to the Nobility on the gentry's social and economic dominance. Evaluate the extent to which Enlightenment ideas practically influenced Catherine's educational policies, such as the 1786 Statute. Analyse the secularisation of Church lands in 1764 and its effect on the economic and political power of the Orthodox Church. Examine the limitations of societal changes, noting that educational and Enlightenment benefits rarely reached the enserfed peasantry. A common slip: Assuming the Enlightenment reforms benefited all of Russian society. Instead, clarify that educational and cultural reforms predominantly affected the nobility and urban classes, bypassing the serfs. Exam tip: Use the 1785 Charter to the Nobility as a primary piece of evidence when discussing the consolidation of gentry power.
Put the events in order
Put these events in the order they happened, earliest first.
- 1. Secularisation of Church lands subordinated the Orthodox Church to the state
- 2. Statute on National Education aimed to create state-funded schools
- 3. Charter to the Nobility confirmed gentry exemption from state service and taxes
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Social hierarchy and privilege
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Enlightenment and absolutism
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State control over religion
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Educational reform and its limits
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Social hierarchy and privilege
- Landownership was the primary source of wealth and social control, and the gentry's power was solidified through the 1785 Charter to the Nobility, which confirmed their exemption from state service and taxes.
- Enlightenment and absolutism
- Catherine's engagement with the Enlightenment drove educational reforms, notably the 1786 Statute on National Education, which aimed to create a network of state-funded schools, though rural implementation lagged.
- State control over religion
- Religious reforms subordinated the Orthodox Church to the state; Catherine secularised church lands in 1764, transforming the clergy into salaried state officials and reducing the Church's independent economic power.
- Educational reform and its limits
- The 1786 Statute on National Education aimed to create a network of state-funded schools, though rural implementation lagged, and educational benefits rarely reached the enserfed peasantry.
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