Jaroslav The Wise Research Paper

Jaroslav the Wise was a very monumental leader for the people of Kievan Rus between 978-1019. He was a Kievan prince who was renown for his astounding legislating and lawmaking. He drastically improved the legal and justice system in Kiev through his successful military campaigns and and maintaining a policy which strengthened communication with neighboring populations. Jaroslav the Wise, father of famous Vladimir the Great, started his reign during his youth in Northern regions of Rus. As he reigned in the northern regions, there was a growing distaste between him and the rest of his family. After Vladimir the Great passed away, Jaroslav went to war and murdered his brothers for the reign of Kiev. After becoming victorious, he helped those

After his father had died, he presumed to fight and kill his brothers for reign of Kiev. Jaroslav’s brother who was the most competitive opponent was Svyatopolk. in their first battle, in 1016, Jaroslav defeated Svyatopolk, thus making him flee to Poland. Upon Svyatopolk’s return, he banded with Polish troops. Alongside Polish troops and support from his father-in-law Duke Boleslaus of Poland, Svyatopolk seized Kiev from Jaroslav and pushed him back to the northern regions of Novgorod. In 1019, Jaroslav joined forces with local Novgorodian people and defeated Svyatopolk, then incriminating him for life. As tribute for the local Novgorodians, he freed the people. Throughout Kiev, he was very well-liked and accepted. As grand prince of Kiev, he continued his military reigns elsewhere, predominantly into Byzantine lands. Since he became Grand prince, there was always controversy between the Byzantine Empire and Kievan Rus ("Yaroslav I (prince of Kiev) - Britannica Online Encyclopedia" 1). There were many unsuccessful Kievan army and naval brigades that ended with disastrous losses for Rus. After Jaroslav’s navy was defeated in the the Byzantine-Rus War of 1043, peace was resolved between Jaroslav and the Byzantine empire as he arranged for his son, Vsevolod I of Kiev, to may the Byzantine Empire’s daughter. In the end, this was successful of Jaroslav because he was able to reign

He brought forth many new, pivotal ideas such as the first code of laws in his East Slavic lands. This first code of laws, named, Russkaya Pravda, which helped provide law and order for Kievan Rus. This was a particularly interesting time period in the fact that there was a social transition of barbarianism into a more orderly society that focused on feudalism. The Russkaya, Pravda helped provide many laws that were establish a universal punishment for malevolent deeds. An excerpt from the Russkaya Pravda is as followed: “If a man kills a man: then a brother avenges a brother, or a son avenges a father, or a cousin, or a nephew; if no one takes revenge, then 80 grivnas for the murdered; if he is a knyaz’s man or knyaz’s official, if he is a rusin, or a grid' (a lower-ranking druzhinnik), or a merchant, or a boyar’s official, or a mechnik (swordsman), or an exile, or a slovenin (Novgorodian), then 40 grivnas for the murdered.” (Yaroslav 1) This excerpt gives the law upon murder and reveals that revenge is accepted when murder has occurred. The Russlaya Pravda’s significance in Rus is immense. It provided differentiation of punishments, larger fines, and sanctions for the benefit of privileged servants. It categorized the feudal system and social class into more distinct sectors, separating slaves and serfs from privileged servants, with each social class