Russian imperial methods of political control were somewhat successful. The tsars, who were like kings, had a lot of power and controlled everything in Russia. They made a law called serfdom, which made peasants like slaves and gave all the land to the rich people. This kept the poor people poor and the rich people rich. The tsars also tried to make everyone in Russia speak Russian and be just like them. Some people didn't like this and wanted to be independent, but the tsars were strong and kept control for a long time.
