Mahtra War
Peasant revolt at Mahtra Manor in Estonia, 1858.
The Mahtra War was a 1858 peasant uprising at Mahtra Manor in Russian-ruled Estonia, sparked by disputes over new regulations and duties. It remains a famous example of 19th-century Estonian peasant resistance.
Quick Facts
- Part of
- Peasant unrest in the Russian Empire
- Date
- May–July 1858
- Location
- Mahtra, Estonia, Russian Empire
- Result
- Russian authorities suppress the revolt
- Arrests
- 65 peasants tried by court martial
Facts from the source article.
Historical context
Serfdom was abolished in the Governorate of Estonia in 1816, but land was not redistributed and corvée labor continued until 1876. Tsar Alexander II's March 19, 1856 manifesto promised further agrarian reforms, but slow implementation sparked unrest, including the Mahtra revolt. The events influenced the work of committees preparing emancipation of the serfs in Russia.
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