alamõisikuid

Alamõisikuid refers to a historical landholding system prevalent in Estonia and other Baltic regions. These were subordinate manors or estates that were dependent on a larger central manor, known as a "mõis" or "Hauptgut." The alamõisikud, often translated as "sub-manors" or "secondary manors," were typically established to manage more distant or specialized agricultural lands, forests, or fishing grounds. They served to increase the productivity and administrative reach of the main manor.

The economic and social structure of an alamõisikud was closely tied to its parent manor. The overseer of an alamõisikud was usually a tenant farmer or a steward appointed by the owner of the main manor. These subordinate estates did not possess the full rights and privileges of a full manor and were subject to the authority and economic demands of the primary estate. The system facilitated the efficient exploitation of land resources and labor within the feudal or serfdom-based agricultural economy of the time. Over centuries, the significance and specific characteristics of alamõisikud evolved, influenced by changing economic conditions and legal reforms within the region.