Agrarian Reform in Itavia
Political event
2IE
15IE
New imperial administration - under instructions from Menoria - initiates agrarian reform in Itavia.
Even prior to blood death Itavian Peninsula faced serious problems. Most of them were connected to problems with structure of land ownership which was of smaller and less important reasons of the collapse of Roman Republic.
Over time the ancient primarily agrarian Republic changed into a form of Oligarchy behind a republican facade, as the profitability of smaller farms plummetted. With cheap wheat imports from Khem, smaller, wheat based farming mostly collapsed, paved way for an oligarch rule focused mostly on wine and olive, exchanged for eastern products, for example the Khem wheat mentioned previously.
This cause collapse of traditional social structure as smaller farmers were mostly eradicated and replaced with wealthy land owners. Their struggle for power undermined Republic structure long before Gaius Aquila dealt final blow to it - together with the growing number of legionnaires fighting for money (and loyal to those that paid them, no matter who it was) rather than being a more militia-type of drafted small land owners
Several attempts to fix that state of affairs during Republic times ended in bloodshed and political purge of those that attempted to undermine the oligarchic rule of the wealthy.
The situation changed with blood death and new administration. Karadian Empire swiftly decided to use the now vacant lands - the so called agri deserti - to launch massive scale agrarian reform. They were divided into plots of several sizes. Most of them were used to recreate the ancient strata of independent farmers, their settlement targeted at both local improverished town proletariat (that was offered money, tools and access to certain newly imported menorian geneengineered crops to make it leave and try their luck) and regular soldiers that came to Itavia with Falon.
Other, bigger ones, were targeted for the so called equestri, upper middle strata mainly dedicated for Falon horsemen and lower nobles. The biggest were dedicated for the nobiles, nothern nobles and aristocrats (plus surviving local elites).
It was heavily connected to reorganization of itavian military in post-blood death era, as the new settlers were obliged to serve in the military. Independent farmers (later on called plebeians) as infantry, and equestri as cavalry, while the nobiles were supposed to be able to participate in politics without having to worry about their economic status.
The agrarian reform turned out to be a great success, that revitalized collapsed itavian economy and society, changing it over time into a center of imperial power.
Over time the ancient primarily agrarian Republic changed into a form of Oligarchy behind a republican facade, as the profitability of smaller farms plummetted. With cheap wheat imports from Khem, smaller, wheat based farming mostly collapsed, paved way for an oligarch rule focused mostly on wine and olive, exchanged for eastern products, for example the Khem wheat mentioned previously.
This cause collapse of traditional social structure as smaller farmers were mostly eradicated and replaced with wealthy land owners. Their struggle for power undermined Republic structure long before Gaius Aquila dealt final blow to it - together with the growing number of legionnaires fighting for money (and loyal to those that paid them, no matter who it was) rather than being a more militia-type of drafted small land owners
Several attempts to fix that state of affairs during Republic times ended in bloodshed and political purge of those that attempted to undermine the oligarchic rule of the wealthy.
The situation changed with blood death and new administration. Karadian Empire swiftly decided to use the now vacant lands - the so called agri deserti - to launch massive scale agrarian reform. They were divided into plots of several sizes. Most of them were used to recreate the ancient strata of independent farmers, their settlement targeted at both local improverished town proletariat (that was offered money, tools and access to certain newly imported menorian geneengineered crops to make it leave and try their luck) and regular soldiers that came to Itavia with Falon.
Other, bigger ones, were targeted for the so called equestri, upper middle strata mainly dedicated for Falon horsemen and lower nobles. The biggest were dedicated for the nobiles, nothern nobles and aristocrats (plus surviving local elites).
It was heavily connected to reorganization of itavian military in post-blood death era, as the new settlers were obliged to serve in the military. Independent farmers (later on called plebeians) as infantry, and equestri as cavalry, while the nobiles were supposed to be able to participate in politics without having to worry about their economic status.
The agrarian reform turned out to be a great success, that revitalized collapsed itavian economy and society, changing it over time into a center of imperial power.