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Magnates of Poland and Lithuania

January 02, 2023

The magnates of Poland and Lithuania (Polish: magnateria) were an aristocracy of Polish-Lithuanian nobility (szlachta) that existed in the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and, from the 1569 Union of Lublin, in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, until the Third Partition of Poland in 1795.[1]

Painting, by Jan Matejko, of Polish magnates (1697–1795). For their names, please see image description [1].
A Polish lord's journey during reign of King August III, by Jan Chełmiński, 1880
Possessions of Polish magnates in 16th–17th centuries

The magnate social class arose around the 16th century and, over time, gained more and more control over Commonwealth politics. The most powerful magnates were known as "little kings" due to the extent of their power and independence. Their influence diminished with the Third Partition of Poland (1795), which ended the Commonwealth's independent existence, and came to an end with the Second World War and the communist-ruled People's Republic of Poland.

Famous magnate families in the territories of the Crown of Poland included the Czartoryski, Kalinowski, Koniecpolski, Ostrogski, Potocki, Tarnowski, Wiśniowiecki, Zasławski and Zamoyski families; and in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Kieżgajłow, Olelkowicz, Radziwiłł, Pac and Sapieha families.

History and characteristics

The magnates arose as the wealthiest and most politically powerful social class, part of the nobility (szlachta), of the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania, around 16th century.[1] Their powers waned after the Commonwealth loss of independence following its final partition in 1795, but they would remain a significant power in the culture, politics and economy of the Polish territories until World War II.[1]

Magnates (or higher nobility) vied for political power with the lesser and middle nobility (Ruch egzekucyjny in the late 16th century, and the reform movement of the Great Sejm in the late 18th century) and the King.[1] To be counted among the magnates, one should have a large estate, and political influence at least on the scale of a province, if not national.[1] Regional differences abounded, with the estates being much larger in the east, where the wealthier magnates were also much more likely to have their own private armies.[1][2] The eastern territories were more independent from the central power, and the large estates there, known as latifundia, with private cities and armies of the magnates, gave rise there to the term królewięta ("little kings") used for the wealthiest of them - the developing aristocracy.[3][4] The magnates in the Royal Prussia had their fortunes build not around their own lands, but the royal grants (królewszczyzny).[1] The magnates tried to avoid splitting up of their lands, and some of the wealthiest families were able to protect their lands from division through the ordynacja system.[1] Magnate residences often became cultural and economic centers for a given region.[1]

Social mobility was present, in a limited fashion, as while the magnates preferred to marry within their own ranks, particularly wealthy of famous lesser nobles were able to join their ranks over time; this was the case with the Koniecpolski family, Ossoliński family and the Zamoyski family.[1]

From the late 16th century the influence of the magnates on Commonwealth politics rose sharply, through their participation in the administrative system (see offices of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth) and their control over the lesser nobility, which allowed them to influence the parliaments (local sejmiks and the national sejm walny) of the country.[1] From the second half of the 17th century, the magnates emerged as the victors in the struggle for power in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, leading some scholar to refer to this period as a time of the magnate oligarchy.[1] As Norman Davies noted, at that time "political life [of Poland] was reduced to the feuds, fortunes, and the follies of a few families".[5] Faced with the weakness of the king and parliament, the magnates were even able on occasion to start border wars (Magnate Moldavian Wars, the Dimitriads) or civil wars (Radziwiłł's rebellion during The Deluge, and the Sapieha's-centered Lithuanian Civil War of 1700).[1] Some magnates were also elected as kings of the Commonwealth; namely Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki and Stanisław August Poniatowski (a relative of the Czartoryski family).[6][7]

All members of the szlachta were equal under the law, therefore "magnate" (Polish: magnat) was not an official title but rather a position of social class, based on wealth.[4][8][9] Several magnates held high feudal titles or peerage ranks such as prince or count.[4][8] With few exceptions, mostly dating from the Union of Lublin, and special privileges permitting some Lithuanian magnates to use them, such titles were forbidden by law. Titles from the offices in Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth however were very popular.[4][8]

The wealthiest of magnates would wear crimson and scarlet items of clothing, leading to a nickname for that elite group, karmazyni (the "crimson ones").[10]

Families

Famous magnate families from the Crown of Poland territories included the Czartoryski family, Kalinowski family, Koniecpolski family, Mielżyński family, Ostrogski family, Potocki family, Wiśniowiecki family, Zasławski family and the Zamoyski family, and from the Grand Duchy, the Branicki (Korczak) family, Kieżgajłow family, Olelkowicze family, Radziwiłł family, Sapieha family and the Tyszkiewicz (family).[1][11]

Residences

Major magnate residences, usually in the form of dwórs or outright palaces were found in: Pawłowice, Iwno, Birże (Biržai), Kiejdany (Kėdainiai), Nieśwież (Nesvizh), Słuck (Slutsk), Kleck (Kletsk), Słonim (Slonim), Białystok, Sieraków, Leszno, Rydzyna, Gołuchów, Bieżuń, Jabłonna, Siedlce, Nieborów, Otwock, Pawłowice, Iwno, Wołczyn (Voŭčyn), Biała, Kodeń, Puławy, Białaczów, Końskie, Ujazd, Opole, Rytwiany, Baranów, Zamość, Krystynopol (Chervonohrad), Łańcut, Różana (Ruzhany), Przeworsk, Żółkiew (Zhovkva), Wiśnicz, Rzeszów, Dukla, Krasiczyn, Stanisławów (Ivano-Frankivsk), Złoczów (Zolochiv), Brody, Podhorce (Pidhirtsi), Wiśniowiec (Vyshnivets), Ołyka (Olyka), Korzec (Korets), Ostróg (Ostroh), Zasław (Iziaslav), Buczacz (Buchach), Zbaraż (Zbarazh), Biała Cerkiew (Bila Tserkva), Sieniawa, Korsuń (Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi) and Tulczyn (Tulchyn).[12][13]

See also

References

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nobility of Poland.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Magnaci (Magnates)". Encyklopedia PWN. 2010. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  2. ^ Richard Brzezinski (1 June 1988). Polish Armies 1569-1696 (2). Osprey Publishing. pp. 12–13. ISBN 978-0-85045-744-5.
  3. ^ Piotr Stefan Wandycz (1980). The United States and Poland. Harvard University Press. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-674-92685-1.
  4. ^ a b c d Aleksander Gella (1989). Development of Class Structure in Eastern Europe: Poland & Her Southern Neighbors. SUNY Press. pp. 92–94. ISBN 978-0-88706-833-1.
  5. ^ Norman Davies (24 February 2005). God's Playground A History of Poland: Volume 1: The Origins to 1795. Oxford University Press. p. 379. ISBN 978-0-19-925339-5.
  6. ^ Daniel Stone (2001). The Polish-Lithuanian State: 1386-1795. University of Washington Press. p. 233. ISBN 978-0-295-98093-5.
  7. ^ Andrejs Plakans (24 February 2011). A Concise History of the Baltic States. Cambridge University Press. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-521-83372-1.
  8. ^ a b c Richard Brzezinski (23 April 1987). Polish Armies 1569-1696 (1). Osprey Publishing. pp. 6–. ISBN 978-0-85045-736-0.
  9. ^ Jeannie Labno (1 May 2011). Commemorating the Polish Renaissance Child: Funeral Monuments and Their European Context. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 26–. ISBN 978-0-7546-6825-1.
  10. ^ Klub Kostiumologii i Tkaniny Artystycznej (Warsaw, Poland). Sesja; Stowarzyszenie Historyków Sztuki. Oddział Warszawski (1994). Ubiory w Polsce. Kopia. p. 183.
  11. ^ S. J. Starykoń-Kasprzycki, Polska Encyklopedia Szlachecka. Warszawa: Instytutu Kultury Historycznej, 1935-1938. Print.
  12. ^ Tadeusz Cegielski, Katarzyna Zielińska: Historia. Dzieje nowożytne. Podręcznik dla klasy II liceum ogólnokształcącego. Warszawa: Wydawnictwa Szkole i Pedagogiczne, 1998, p. 191. ISBN 83-02-04757-0.
  13. ^ Michael Pratt. The Great Country Houses of Poland. New York: Abbeville, 2007. Print.

January 02, 2023
magnates, poland, lithuania, magnates, poland, lithuania, polish, magnateria, were, aristocracy, polish, lithuanian, nobility, szlachta, that, existed, crown, kingdom, poland, grand, duchy, lithuania, from, 1569, union, lublin, polish, lithuanian, commonwealth. The magnates of Poland and Lithuania Polish magnateria were an aristocracy of Polish Lithuanian nobility szlachta that existed in the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and from the 1569 Union of Lublin in the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth until the Third Partition of Poland in 1795 1 Painting by Jan Matejko of Polish magnates 1697 1795 For their names please see image description 1 A Polish lord s journey during reign of King August III by Jan Chelminski 1880 Possessions of Polish magnates in 16th 17th centuries The magnate social class arose around the 16th century and over time gained more and more control over Commonwealth politics The most powerful magnates were known as little kings due to the extent of their power and independence Their influence diminished with the Third Partition of Poland 1795 which ended the Commonwealth s independent existence and came to an end with the Second World War and the communist ruled People s Republic of Poland Famous magnate families in the territories of the Crown of Poland included the Czartoryski Kalinowski Koniecpolski Ostrogski Potocki Tarnowski Wisniowiecki Zaslawski and Zamoyski families and in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania the Kiezgajlow Olelkowicz Radziwill Pac and Sapieha families Contents 1 History and characteristics 2 Families 3 Residences 4 See also 5 ReferencesHistory and characteristics EditThe magnates arose as the wealthiest and most politically powerful social class part of the nobility szlachta of the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania around 16th century 1 Their powers waned after the Commonwealth loss of independence following its final partition in 1795 but they would remain a significant power in the culture politics and economy of the Polish territories until World War II 1 Magnates or higher nobility vied for political power with the lesser and middle nobility Ruch egzekucyjny in the late 16th century and the reform movement of the Great Sejm in the late 18th century and the King 1 To be counted among the magnates one should have a large estate and political influence at least on the scale of a province if not national 1 Regional differences abounded with the estates being much larger in the east where the wealthier magnates were also much more likely to have their own private armies 1 2 The eastern territories were more independent from the central power and the large estates there known as latifundia with private cities and armies of the magnates gave rise there to the term krolewieta little kings used for the wealthiest of them the developing aristocracy 3 4 The magnates in the Royal Prussia had their fortunes build not around their own lands but the royal grants krolewszczyzny 1 The magnates tried to avoid splitting up of their lands and some of the wealthiest families were able to protect their lands from division through the ordynacja system 1 Magnate residences often became cultural and economic centers for a given region 1 Social mobility was present in a limited fashion as while the magnates preferred to marry within their own ranks particularly wealthy of famous lesser nobles were able to join their ranks over time this was the case with the Koniecpolski family Ossolinski family and the Zamoyski family 1 From the late 16th century the influence of the magnates on Commonwealth politics rose sharply through their participation in the administrative system see offices of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth and their control over the lesser nobility which allowed them to influence the parliaments local sejmiks and the national sejm walny of the country 1 From the second half of the 17th century the magnates emerged as the victors in the struggle for power in the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth leading some scholar to refer to this period as a time of the magnate oligarchy 1 As Norman Davies noted at that time political life of Poland was reduced to the feuds fortunes and the follies of a few families 5 Faced with the weakness of the king and parliament the magnates were even able on occasion to start border wars Magnate Moldavian Wars the Dimitriads or civil wars Radziwill s rebellion during The Deluge and the Sapieha s centered Lithuanian Civil War of 1700 1 Some magnates were also elected as kings of the Commonwealth namely Michal Korybut Wisniowiecki and Stanislaw August Poniatowski a relative of the Czartoryski family 6 7 All members of the szlachta were equal under the law therefore magnate Polish magnat was not an official title but rather a position of social class based on wealth 4 8 9 Several magnates held high feudal titles or peerage ranks such as prince or count 4 8 With few exceptions mostly dating from the Union of Lublin and special privileges permitting some Lithuanian magnates to use them such titles were forbidden by law Titles from the offices in Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth however were very popular 4 8 The wealthiest of magnates would wear crimson and scarlet items of clothing leading to a nickname for that elite group karmazyni the crimson ones 10 Families EditFamous magnate families from the Crown of Poland territories included the Czartoryski family Kalinowski family Koniecpolski family Mielzynski family Ostrogski family Potocki family Wisniowiecki family Zaslawski family and the Zamoyski family and from the Grand Duchy the Branicki Korczak family Kiezgajlow family Olelkowicze family Radziwill family Sapieha family and the Tyszkiewicz family 1 11 Residences EditMajor magnate residences usually in the form of dwors or outright palaces were found in Pawlowice Iwno Birze Birzai Kiejdany Kedainiai Nieswiez Nesvizh Sluck Slutsk Kleck Kletsk Slonim Slonim Bialystok Sierakow Leszno Rydzyna Goluchow Biezun Jablonna Siedlce Nieborow Otwock Pawlowice Iwno Wolczyn Voŭcyn Biala Koden Pulawy Bialaczow Konskie Ujazd Opole Rytwiany Baranow Zamosc Krystynopol Chervonohrad Lancut Rozana Ruzhany Przeworsk Zolkiew Zhovkva Wisnicz Rzeszow Dukla Krasiczyn Stanislawow Ivano Frankivsk Zloczow Zolochiv Brody Podhorce Pidhirtsi Wisniowiec Vyshnivets Olyka Olyka Korzec Korets Ostrog Ostroh Zaslaw Iziaslav Buczacz Buchach Zbaraz Zbarazh Biala Cerkiew Bila Tserkva Sieniawa Korsun Korsun Shevchenkivskyi and Tulczyn Tulchyn 12 13 See also EditList of szlachta this article lists the families of the magnate class or higher nobility Golden Liberty Polish heraldry Sarmatism Princely Houses of PolandReferences Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nobility of Poland a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Magnaci Magnates Encyklopedia PWN 2010 Retrieved 2012 12 12 Richard Brzezinski 1 June 1988 Polish Armies 1569 1696 2 Osprey Publishing pp 12 13 ISBN 978 0 85045 744 5 Piotr Stefan Wandycz 1980 The United States and Poland Harvard University Press p 18 ISBN 978 0 674 92685 1 a b c d Aleksander Gella 1989 Development of Class Structure in Eastern Europe Poland amp Her Southern Neighbors SUNY Press pp 92 94 ISBN 978 0 88706 833 1 Norman Davies 24 February 2005 God s Playground A History of Poland Volume 1 The Origins to 1795 Oxford University Press p 379 ISBN 978 0 19 925339 5 Daniel Stone 2001 The Polish Lithuanian State 1386 1795 University of Washington Press p 233 ISBN 978 0 295 98093 5 Andrejs Plakans 24 February 2011 A Concise History of the Baltic States Cambridge University Press p 120 ISBN 978 0 521 83372 1 a b c Richard Brzezinski 23 April 1987 Polish Armies 1569 1696 1 Osprey Publishing pp 6 ISBN 978 0 85045 736 0 Jeannie Labno 1 May 2011 Commemorating the Polish Renaissance Child Funeral Monuments and Their European Context Ashgate Publishing Ltd pp 26 ISBN 978 0 7546 6825 1 Klub Kostiumologii i Tkaniny Artystycznej Warsaw Poland Sesja Stowarzyszenie Historykow Sztuki Oddzial Warszawski 1994 Ubiory w Polsce Kopia p 183 S J Starykon Kasprzycki Polska Encyklopedia Szlachecka Warszawa Instytutu Kultury Historycznej 1935 1938 Print Tadeusz Cegielski Katarzyna Zielinska Historia Dzieje nowozytne Podrecznik dla klasy II liceum ogolnoksztalcacego Warszawa Wydawnictwa Szkole i Pedagogiczne 1998 p 191 ISBN 83 02 04757 0 Michael Pratt The Great Country Houses of Poland New York Abbeville 2007 Print Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Magnates of Poland and Lithuania amp oldid 1083919390, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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