The early part of his reign was relatively peaceful. Ivan made reforms and modernizations. He established a law code, created an army, and established a council of nobles. During this period he introduced the first laws regulating the freedom of the peasants. These laws would eventually lead to serfdom in Russia. Some of the russian nobles (Boyars) still owned their land from their princely days. The Oprichnina was the section of Russia directly ruled by Ivan and patrolled by his personal secret police, the Oprichniki. This system of Oprichnina was created to act as tool