jobbágyságot

Jobbágyságot, often translated as serfdom, was a form of agrarian society and labor relations prevalent in Hungary and other parts of Central and Eastern Europe from the Middle Ages until the mid-19th century. It defined the status of the majority of the rural population, who were bound to the land and to their lord.

Under jobbágyságot, peasants were not slaves, as they could not be bought and sold independently of the land. However, they were tied to the estate of a noble landowner. They were obliged to perform various services for the lord, known as robot (corvée labor), which could include working the lord's fields, performing construction, or providing other manual labor. In addition to labor services, jobbágyok also owed dues in kind, such as a portion of their harvest, livestock, or other produce.

In return for their labor and dues, the lord provided protection, a plot of land for the peasant's own subsistence, and a form of justice. The social structure was hierarchical, with the nobility at the top, followed by the jobbágyok, and then a smaller group of landless laborers.

The system gradually eroded over centuries due to economic changes, peasant uprisings, and eventual legal reforms. The abolition of jobbágyságot in Hungary in 1848 marked a significant turning point, transforming the social and economic landscape by freeing the peasantry from their feudal obligations and granting them land ownership rights. This reform was a crucial step towards modernization and the development of a capitalist economy.