Vital study for understanding origins of autocracy; historiography of the problem. Places the granting of deeds over lands and peasants to monastaries by the early grand dukes of Muscovy, at a time of political instability and weakness, at the source of eventual serfdom. In exchange for the deeds, the church was supposed to provide support to the state's armes in time of war; thiings, however, did not quite work out that way and the state was weakened by the arrangement -- until Peter smashed it at the start of the 18th century. Also underlines the real power of the church and estimates that episcopal domains accounted for the largest proportion of serfs and controlled lands, ahead of either the state or private holdings. ( )