alamõisikud

Alamõisikud refers to a historical administrative and economic division within the manor system in Estonia and other Baltic regions. These were essentially smaller agricultural estates that were subordinate to a larger central manor, known as a kroonimõis (crown manor) or a major estate. Alamõisikud were typically managed by a könn (a type of bailiff or overseer) or a leaseholder and were responsible for producing goods and labor for the main manor.

The development of alamõisikud was often linked to the need to efficiently manage larger landholdings and to increase agricultural output. They served as intermediate units, allowing for more direct supervision of agricultural activities and the peasant population working on the land. Peasants living on alamõisikud were subject to the same obligations and restrictions as those on the main manor, including labor services (corvée) and rent payments in kind or cash. The specific structure and number of alamõisikud could vary significantly depending on the size and wealth of the central manor, as well as the prevailing economic and legal conditions of the time. Their existence played a crucial role in the socio-economic organization of rural life during the feudal period in the region.