The Great Reaction
Sergei stood colossus-like as the undisputed master of the region. On 5 March 1667, he invited Amur into an alliance, completing the reconciliation.
However, things began to slowly go wrong. At first, the clergy grew unhappy at reforms Sergei made encouraging the pursuit of science. Sergei ignored them, however, as he knew that Russia needed to advance technologically. "We are a light to the world," he said, "let us not allow obscurantism to dim it." The clergy didn't listen, however. Obscurantism grew during 1668, and although it was brought under control, it was still underneath, waiting to be released.
Soon after the obscurant clergy were dealt with, corruption scandals rocked the government. Sergei dealt with them strictly, and the people hailed it as a strong and necessary response. But those who lost from this action added to Sergei's enemies.
In 1672 Jan Sobieski, the King of Poland, began reforming the country. He started with an army reform, and amazingly nobody in the Sejm objected (which would have killed the reforms immediately). Russia and Austria began to look a little closer, as a resurgent Poland was a danger to them. Sobieski realized that continuing his reforms would be dangerous, and wisely kept quiet. The pressure was released.
The pressure in Russia, however, was still slowly building. Sergei died in February of 1676, and his son Mikhail was elected Czar. The Buryat, although some were beginning to embrace the Christian faith, were beginning to revolt again. Mikhail continued his father's innovative reforms, especially in the administration of Russia. But he made a severe mistake doing so.
For the first four years it went well. The reforms made the government more streamlined. But the Czar began tampering with the power of the nobility. The nobles had lost much power in Russia and they were quite defensive about what they had left. The Duma, in a proposal by Mikhail, abolished the Mestnichestvo system in June 1680. While the common people applauded it, saying that it would finally ensure equal opportunity for government posts, the nobles were furious. One of their last few powers had been taken away. Stability began to fall as the nobles began considering open rebellion.
Mikhail panicked. He began accusing nobles of planning rebellion, in an attempt to stop it before it started. But many he accused were innocent, and it served only to do exactly what he had feared. The nobles took up arms, and many of the people followed them, afraid that Mikhail was trying to become an absolute ruler. The rebellions were focused in the steppes, as those were the last places the nobles had kept their lands. But there were revolts across the empire. Mikhail was leading his army against one of these revolts in Tula when, on 28 April 1682 he was killed in battle. The battle was won, but a new Czar would need to be elected.
The Romanovs reappeared then. Peter Romanov, the direct heir of Mikhail Romanov, was elected. He wanted his country to become more like Europe, to become part of Europe. His reforms were more fair and gradual. The nobles were given amnesty if they laid down their arms, and they did. Had Peter not come when he did, Russia would likely have been in ruins.
