Table of Ranks
Table of Ranks (Табель о рангах; Tabel o rangakh) was a formal list of positions and ranks in military, government, and court of the Imperial Russia. It was introduced by Peter the Great in 1722 in his struggle with the hereditary nobility, or boyars.
The Table of Ranks determined a person's position and status according to service to the emperor (tsar) rather than to birth or seniority. Even commoners who achieved a certain level on the Table were ennobled automatically.
The Table of Ranks was in force until the Russian Revolution.
