Alexis of Russia vs Haitham bin Tariq

Alexis issued the Sobornoye Ulozheniye (Council Code), a comprehensive legal code that codified serfdom by eliminating the statute of limitations for the return of fugitive peasants. This code remained in effect until 1832.

Alexis launched a war against Poland-Lithuania to claim Ukraine. Russian forces captured Smolensk, Vilnius, and much of Lithuania. The war ended with the Truce of Andrusovo in 1667, which ceded Smolensk and left-bank Ukraine to Russia.

Alexis agreed to the Pereyaslavl Agreement, placing the Zaporozhian Cossack Hetmanate under Russian protection. This led to the Russo-Polish War and eventually brought left-bank Ukraine and Kiev under Russian control.

Alexis's government issued copper coins to replace silver, causing inflation and economic crisis. A mob of thousands marched on Moscow demanding punishment of officials. The uprising was brutally suppressed, with hundreds killed.

Alexis supported Patriarch Nikon's liturgical reforms, which aimed to correct Russian Orthodox practices to align with Greek traditions. The reforms caused a schism, with Old Believers rejecting the changes and facing persecution.

Cossack leader Stenka Razin led a major uprising of peasants, Cossacks, and non-Russian peoples along the Volga River. The rebellion captured several cities before being crushed by Alexis's army. Razin was executed in 1671.

Haitham bin Tariq was appointed by his cousin, Sultan Qaboos, as Minister of Heritage and Culture. This role allowed him to oversee Oman's cultural preservation and tourism development, though he remained outside the direct line of succession.

Haitham bin Tariq launched Oman Vision 2040, a national development plan aimed at diversifying the economy away from oil, promoting private sector growth, and improving governance. The plan set targets for economic transformation and social development.

Facing low oil prices and the COVID-19 pandemic, Haitham bin Tariq implemented austerity measures including subsidy cuts, introduction of VAT, and reduction of public sector wages. These reforms aimed to reduce the budget deficit but caused public discontent.

Following the death of Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Haitham bin Tariq was named as his successor according to Qaboos's will. He became the Sultan of Oman, inheriting a stable but oil-dependent economy and a neutral foreign policy.