Forest People

The tribes known as the Forest People practice slash-and-burn farming in the deep woods, outside the grasp of the Sturgian boyars. They burn down tracts of trees, grow crops on the virgin soil fertilized by ash for a few years until the land is exhausted, and move on. It is an inefficient use of land but a very efficient use of labor, suitable for a numerically small population in a large area. Also, because the plots are hard to measure and tax, it's a very good strategy for people who don't care to be governed.