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Ultima descărcare din IBN: 2024-02-25 13:43 |
Căutarea după subiecte similare conform CZU |
94(498-22)”1829” (1) |
Румыния. Республика Румыния (134) |
![]() GHEORGHE, Viorel. The rural world of the Old Kingdom. Housing, food, clothing, superstitions. In: Patrimoniul cultural de ieri – implicații în dezvoltarea societății durabile de mâine, Ed. 3, 11-12 februarie 2021, Chişinău. Chișinău, Republica Moldova: 2021, Ediția 3, pp. 117-122. ISSN 2558 – 894X. |
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Patrimoniul cultural de ieri – implicații în dezvoltarea societății durabile de mâine Ediția 3, 2021 |
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Conferința "Yesterday’s heritage – implications for the development of tomorrow’s sustainable society" 3, Chişinău, Moldova, 11-12 februarie 2021 | ||||||
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CZU: 94(498-22)”1829” | ||||||
Pag. 117-122 | ||||||
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Rezumat | ||||||
The peace treaty of Adrianople in 1829 had unsuspected consequences for the rural world of the two Romanian Principalities. The occupation of the Black Sea straits by the Ottoman Empire inevitably led to the control of economic life in the Pontic area. The Romanian countries were also affected, because part of their trade took place in the Black Sea area. From the moment when the Ottoman domination was accentuated, the trade of the Romanian Lands with the western and northern countries was blocked and the agriculture experienced an ample regress. The sowing was done only for the wheat requested by the Ottomans, and for their own consumption, millet and from the 18th century, corn. Many agricultural areas remained uncultivated and became pastures over time. Animal husbandry it becomes for the Romanian peasant an increasingly important occupation from an economic point of view. Vegetable food was predominant in the diet of the Romanian peasant until the interwar period. For various reasons, meat was not eaten very often. Milk, cheese, curd fully provided the necessary animal protein, so that the peasant did not feel a great need to eat meat. Instead, all the vegetable products, so appreciated at the time by the peasant, were not consumed alone, they were made with cream, greased with cheese, hardened with bacon, fat or scraps. Corn has become the most cultivated plant in the Principality. First of all, it overlapped with the old millet culture, the agrotechnics of the two plants being almost identical. As a result, corn replaced millet in culture without major complications. For the peasant in the Principality, the change was extremely simple, because corn, which is a non-breadable cereal, replaced millet, which is also an unbreadable cereal. In addition, corn productivity is clearly higher millet, therefore, another advantage for the peasant. The Treaty of Adrianople of 1829 had unsuspected consequences for agriculture in the Principality. The opening of markets and navigation on the Danube brought new opportunities for agriculture in the two Principalities. Cereals from the Principality are increasingly sought after, and their price is constantly rising. England, Austria, the German states are increasingly interested in buying grain produced in Principality. In just a few years, due to demand, their price increases tenfold, and agricultural landowners try to adapt to new economic realities. To increase production, more and more land is being used, including those used until then only for grazing. Huge fields, uncultivated and with grass as tall as man were plowed and cultivated with cereals. Pastures are becoming rarer and only in mountainous areas, and transhumance is becoming difficult. A significant part of the shepherds were forced to sell or sacrifice their animals, preferring to have other occupations, such as trade. Animal husbandry, a traditional occupation of the Romanian peasant and an important component of the rural economy of the Principality, records an increased decline with consequences on economic and commercial activities and a decrease in living standards, including food. If the consequences of the application of the Peace Treaty of Adrianople were a first shock for the old Romanian extra-Carpathian rural world, the second great shock came from the agrarian reform of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza in 1864, which was designed for the good of the Romanian peasant, at a time when most European countries were trying to solve the problems of the rural world. So, it was normal for the Romanian political elite to think of different solutions, in order to improve the hard life of the peasant. The agrarian reform of ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza had several major shortcomings, including the ownership of peasants with far too small areas of land, as well as the gradual destruction of pastures and forests in the plains, to expand the area cultivated with cereals. The increase in cereal production, but also their export beyond natural limits, has led to their increase in the domestic market and the degradation of living standards. To these were added the massive import of manufactured products, which led to the disappearance of the peasant household industry and the development of modern means of communication, which dramatically reduced the carriage, which brought the peasant important sources of income. For the peasant family of that period, the cattle provided him with a superior economic situation. The dairy cow was considered the main support for the peasant family, which provided them with a cheap, consistent, hygienic and obliga tory food in combination with polenta. The lack of land for growing cereals could be supplemented by other activities, such as fruit growing, viticulture, domestic industry or even by renting land, while the dramatic reduction in pastures and the number of cattle could not be compensated. Due to dramatic reductions in pastures, the number of cattle has been steadily declining. Moreover, the peasants were forced to use their cattle for field work. They, tired of pulling the yoke, could no longer reach the grazing places, which were sometimes 20 kilometers from the village. The reduction in the number of cattle had consequences for the production of cereals. The lack of manure did not allow the rapid restoration of land depleted by corn monoculture. Another branch of traditional agriculture that has experienced negative developments has been beekeeping. Areas with a long tradition, such as the western part of Oltenia, have been negatively affected by the increase in areas cultivated with cereals. Deforestation and orchards, dramatic reduction of pastures, interest of farmers in cultivation exclusive use of cereals had unsuspected consequences for beekeeping. Bee and wax production fell so much that imports were needed to meet domestic consumption, especially after 1860. The end of the 19th century brought new types of clothing or footwear to the Romanian rural world, and the old port was more and more often abandoned for manufactured products. This phenomenon was observed, first of all, in those areas where the peasants had the material possibility to buy clothes from the trade, to the detriment of those produced at home. With the new clothing models, the world of the Romanian village has known another disturbing novelty, namely fashion, in front of which people are beginning to worship it. However, there were still poor peasants who could not even afford shoes in the winter, walking barefoot and exposed to all sorts of diseases. The boot was increasingly used in the Romanian rural world, especially by those with a helping hand, because it was durable, and if it broke, it could be easily repaired. If the boot was made of unbeaten leather, there was a risk of transmitting diseases from animals to humans, especially if the skin of cattle was used. The Romanian peasant’s connection with nature was extremely deep, but it also allowed the appearance of numerous cures and superstitions. Some of them have proven to be of great value, proving a deep knowledge of the healing possibilities of plants or the ability of animals to predict certain phenomena of nature. The appearance of diseases is seen by the Romanian peasant in a supernatural way. |
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