The Romanovs achieved importance as Boyars of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. A Boyar was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Bulgarian, Kievan, Moscovian, Servian, Wallachian, Moldavian and later Romanian aristocracies. The House of Romanov was a reigning royal house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. On 21 February 1613, Michael Romanov was elected Tzar of Russia. Michael's grandson Peter I set up the Russian Empire in 1721 transforming the country after a series of wars and reforms. The most audacious reform that Peter I did was the Table of Ranks which was a blow to the power of the Boyars and stablished clear taxes to these lords. Previosly high-ranking state positions were hereditary but with the stablishment of the table of ranks, anyone, including a commoner could work their way up the bureaucratic hierarchy. Another reform that Peter I did was the administrative reform. Before Peter reform Russia's administrative system was antiquated compared to other European nations. In 1708, Peter I stablished 8 governorates which simplified the administration of Russia.
