them into law, which resulted in reinforcing the position of local powerholders as the
legitimate caretaker of state power. It is important to note that the autonomy of local
powerholders under the centralized political structure was the key for the center to
imposing demands on the population which was perceived as the primary source of its
subsistence—agricultural produce and labor service. Furthermore, the village was created
as the lowest unit of administration, which transformed rural life into an "organic"
corporate community.