Walter (Wat) Tyler is an English rebel. He became the head of the largest peasant uprising, which occurred in 1381. This is a military-historical figure whose activity influenced medieval England.
Wat Tyler was remembered by history as an ardent defender of peasant rights. The representative of the lower class showed incredible courage and ingenuity in the struggle against the serfdom of the peasants.
Tyler Biography
Walter was born in the small village of Broxley, which geographically belonged to Kent. The future rebel received his name in honor of his father - Walter Hillard. The latter was a civilian and always worked as a roofer. All the events of Tyler's youth were able to be restored page by page in the famous work of 1851. Walter's biography tells that an unsuccessful love affair inspired a young man to enlist in the military. Walter went to France, where he managed to prove himself excellently in several battles of the Hundred Years War. The young man stood out against the rest of the soldiers with courage and ingenuity. King Edward, who ruled in those years, repeatedly noted the courage and courage of Walter. Then Tyler returned to his native village, mastered the skills in the forge and married the girl he liked. But England is restless - a rebellion is brewing due to the successful uprisings of the French peasants.
The Great Peasant Uprising
A major industrial leap in the mid-14th century led to the fact that the labor of the English serf peasants proved to be unproductive. The feudal lords began to transfer them to cash rent and often gave personal freedom. Some peasants were able to get rich by taking up their own production. And others - went bankrupt, not getting what they wanted, and were forced to return again as laborers to their former owners. On the way to capitalist agriculture, a new form of land holding was introduced - they could be leased. But this did not help the majority of peasants to establish their way of life. Many of them became low-paid wage workers, worked for a piece of bread. But the Lords were still hoping to regain their old positions. A conflict was brewing. But the main reasons for the peasant uprising of 1381 were:
- endless hostilities - all the hardships fell on the common people who dreamed of ending the Hundred Years War;
- the introduction of poll tax - 3 grottoes or a silver coin equal to 4 pence became unbearable for citizens;
- problems with the eradication of serfdom for family peasants - loners became free, but other people had no chance to take their wife and children to the city, to earn a living normally.
The peasants had already made concessions. But the growth of the welfare of ordinary citizens did not happen, which caused massive unrest. Against the backdrop of the riots in France in the county of Essens in the south-east of England, a serious uprising broke out. It was 1381. The rebels were joined by Kent peasants, who were led by Wat Tyler. His military career gave him enormous experience, so the man confidently led the campaign in London. In total, peasants from 25 counties of England took part in the uprising.
The capture of the impregnable Tower, the assassination of the Lord Chancellor and the Archbishop - these events led King Richard to sad thoughts about the seriousness of what was happening. The ruler at his 14-year-old age was a savvy and cunning person. He decided to gather advice from the courtiers and ask for advice. But the nobles were too scared to make recommendations. Then the king ordered to inform people that he would speak in front of them in one of the suburbs of London (Mile End). The result of this tricky event was the elimination of part of the rebels. For the rebels, royal power remained sacred, so many did not disobey Richard's decree.
The Mile End Program included a set of demands by the people for their king. The peasants at that time urgently needed the following transformations:
- the complete abolition of corvée and serfdom;
- the establishment of a single cash rent - 4 pence per acre of land;
- free trade throughout England;
- amnesty for the participants in the uprising.
Nobody encroached on the existing feudal stand. Hungry peasants only wanted to improve their life. An important role in compiling the list of requirements was played by Wat Tyler. King Richard promised that he would fulfill his promise, and this prompted many people to end the hostilities. But Tyler did not trust the ruler and, along with other rebels, continued to remain in London. The riots did not subside, so the king had to promise people a new meeting. As a result, Richard arrived in Smithfield and demanded a meeting with the leader of the uprising. Tyler and the king converged on June 15, 1381 on the battlefield. The peasant put forward new requirements, which became the basis of the Smithfield Program. Now they affected the entire feudal system. Wat Tyler proposed creating an alliance of free communities. But the king did not oppose such an idea and promised to fulfill the requirement, retaining the right to wear the crown.
And then what happened became a real symbol of treachery of the representatives of the nobility. London Mayor William Walworth attempted to arrest the rebel leader. But Tyler was not going to give up - he hit the enemy with a kiptal, but could not break through the chain mail. In response, the mayor mortally wounded Wat with a sword. After that, one of the servants repeatedly hit the rebel. Companions managed to help their leader leave the battlefield. But the mayor of London with the troops burst into the hospital and demanded to give him a half-dead Tyler, the leader of the uprising was beheaded. The story mentions that Walworth introduced to Richard the head of the enemy, set on a stake. And for this the king awarded the mayor with silver, a land patrimony, granted him a knighthood. After the assassination of Wat Tyler, the uprising ceased. But London for a long time poured rivers of peasant blood. King Richard could not calm down and inflicted reprisals on hundreds of families.
