Question

peter the great reduced the power of the boyars by ending all plans for conquest and territorial expansion. introducing the eastern orthodox religion to russia. hiring european military advisers. introducing a merit system of nobility.

Explanation:

Peter the Great weakened the traditional boyar nobility's power by replacing hereditary privilege with a merit-based system (the Table of Ranks), where status was earned through state service rather than birth. The other options are incorrect: he pursued territorial expansion, Eastern Orthodoxy was already established in Russia, and hiring European advisers focused on military modernization rather than reducing boyar power directly.

Answer:

introducing a merit system of nobility.