Many words in the Russian language that have already fallen out of use sometimes cause confusion. Often they can be found in history textbooks or in classical literature. However, the various names were not invented for nothing - there is always some source. A striking example is the columnar nobles who appear in the works of Pushkin, historical documents, etc.
How did the nobles appear?
To find the reason for this name, it is necessary to return to the times of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. It was then that the nobility emerged as an estate, that is, a social group with its own laws. Initially, it was the lowest part of the military-service class. It included people who were supposed to carry out administrative or military service in favor of the state. This group consisted of the court under the big boyars or the prince himself.
To become a nobleman, a person needed to have noble ancestors, since belonging to this class was inherited. In rare cases, the appropriate title could be obtained from the monarch himself.
It should be noted that only at first the nobles were considered the lowest social class among the nobility. Their rise gradually took place. For example, starting from the XIV century, they began to issue land for service - this is how landowners appeared, who were later allowed to buy land. The history also marks the climax of the nobility and the decline (in the 19th century). During a period of special flourishing of this class, the nobility was divided into several classes: ancient (just columnar), titled, foreign, hereditary by merit and personal.
How did the pillar nobles appear?
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The final formation of the noble class in the Grand Duchy of Moscow took place around the 13th-15th centuries. This is directly related to changes in the farming industry. In addition to estates, there were also estates. A patrimony is a private land that was inherited. Manor - land that a nobleman received for temporary use for services in the service. As the territory of the principality gradually became more and more, the number of lands also increased.
Noble landowners received land in accordance with a certain decree, which was called a column. The fact is that the document was in the form of a list, in which the names of employees at court were indicated in a column (or column). In such decrees, the nobles looked for their names. The presence of the name in the column meant that the person had the right to land. The lists were updated quite often. Before promulgating them, it was necessary to certify the decrees of the king. It was considered a great honor to deserve such a favor from a ruler. The king himself had the opportunity to control the number of people loyal to him. This is where the name “columnar nobles” came from - that is, those whose names were in columns.
Initially, only a man could appear in such a column - female names appeared over time. If a woman was called a pillar noblewoman, it means that she married successfully or had a noble birth, and also owned an estate and held a special position in society. The status did not disappear, even if the woman became a widow. However, women very rarely owned this property personally. The wife or daughter of a nobleman could not transfer the estate to someone, sell it or mortgage it. The lands were believed to be under the tutelage of the king. If there was no one to transfer the land, they returned to the state and could in the future be assigned to another nobleman.
Over time, confusion began with lands and rights to them due to the existence of estates and estates. Therefore, we decided to make them equal and refer to a single law. From that moment on, the pillar nobles also received the full right to dispose of their possessions and pass them on by inheritance.
Short answer
Pillars were called nobles who initially received land from the prince for use as a reward for loyal service at court. Later, they acquired the right to independently dispose of these properties and pass them on by inheritance. The nobles received this name because of special decrees - columns. It was in such documents that the names of the people appeared, written in a column, who received the land. Getting on such a list was considered very honorable.