Szlachta facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The szlachta (pronounced: shlah-kh-tah) was a special group of noble people in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and later the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. They held a very powerful position in the state, with many political rights and a lot of influence. The szlachta were different from the nobles in Western Europe because their system wasn't based on feudalism. This group was officially ended in 1921 by Poland's March Constitution.

The exact beginnings of the szlachta are a bit of a mystery. Traditionally, its members owned their own land, often large farms called folwarks. The szlachta gained more and more political power and rights over time. This started with King Casimir III the Great in the Kingdom of Poland (1333-1370). Their power continued until the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth declined in the late 1700s.

Besides providing officers for the army, their main duties included choosing the king. They also filled important advisory roles in the royal court. These roles later became the upper law-making group, the Senate. The szlachta also helped govern the Commonwealth through the Sejm. This was a national parliament with two parts. Representatives were chosen at local meetings called sejmiks. These local assemblies handled many government tasks. They appointed officials, oversaw courts, managed money, and collected taxes. Szlachta members held various leadership positions. These included voivode (a regional governor) and starosta (a local administrator).

In 1413, after some agreements between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland, the Lithuanian and Ruthenian nobles officially joined the szlachta. As the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth grew after the Union of Lublin (1569), its members also included leaders from Ducal Prussia and Livonia. Over time, the szlachta grew to be about 8% to 15% of Polish-Lithuanian society. This made them a much larger group of nobles compared to other countries. For example, nobles in Italy and France were only about 1% of the population during this time.

Even though there were huge differences in wealth and power, the law treated all szlachta members almost equally. This was because their land ownership was "allodial," meaning they owned it completely. It wasn't "feudal," which would mean they had to serve a lord. Unlike kings in other European countries who had absolute power, the Polish king was not an absolute ruler. He was not the szlachta's overlord. Only a few noble titles in Poland were inherited from foreign monarchs. In Lithuania, princely titles were mostly passed down from old ruling families. During the three Partitions of Poland (1772-1795), most szlachta members started to lose their special rights and social standing. However, the most powerful szlachta families became part of the nobility in the countries that took over Polish lands.

History of the Szlachta

What Does "Szlachta" Mean?

In Polish, a nobleman is called a "szlachcic" and a noblewoman a "szlachcianka".

The Polish word szlachta comes from an old German word, slahta. In modern German, Geschlecht means "breeding" or "gender." Many Polish words about nobility come from German. For example, the Polish word for "knight" is rycerz, from the German Ritter (meaning "rider"). The Polish word for "coat of arms" is herb, from the German Erbe ("heritage").

In the 17th century, some Poles thought szlachta came from the German word schlachten, meaning "to slaughter" or "to butcher." They believed it was linked to the German word for battle, Schlacht. Some early Polish historians thought the word might come from the name of a legendary Polish chief, Lech. The szlachta believed they were descended from Lech, who supposedly founded the Polish kingdom around the 5th century.

The term szlachta officially described the noble class of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This class made up the nation itself and ruled without much competition. In official Latin documents, the szlachta were called "nobilitas." Their legal status was similar to English "peers of the realm" or the ancient Roman idea of "cives" (citizens). Until the late 1800s, the Polish word obywatel (now meaning "citizen") could be used for szlachta landowners.

Today, szlachta simply means "nobility." Sometimes, landowners who weren't born noble were called szlachta by mistake. This happened if they owned large estates but weren't actually noble by birth. The term szlachta also includes the Ruthenian and Lithuanian nobility from before the Commonwealth.

Sometimes, "szlachta" was wrongly translated as "gentry" instead of "nobility." This mistake happened because many szlachta members were not as rich as nobles in other European countries. The szlachta included both very rich and powerful "magnates" and poor nobles. These poor nobles had noble ancestors but no land, no castle, no money, and no peasants working for them. In 1835, historian M. Ross wrote that out of 60,000 szlachta families, only about 100 were wealthy. The rest were poor.

A few extremely rich and powerful szlachta members were called magnateria, or "magnates."

Who Were the Szlachta?

Historian Adam Zamoyski says the szlachta were not exactly like European nobility or gentry. They were different in their laws, rights, political power, and origins. Feudalism, a system where land is held in exchange for service, never really took hold in Poland. The szlachta were not below the king. They stood as equals before him. The king was not an absolute ruler or their overlord. This was because the szlachta owned their land outright, not under feudal agreements. The szlachta did not depend on the Polish king in a feudal way. In fact, some powerful szlachta (magnates) from old tribal families saw themselves as co-owners of the Polish lands. They often tried to limit the king's power.

In 1459, a proposal was made to give titles like "prince," "count," and "baron" to different levels of szlachta. This was common in European feudal systems. However, this idea was rejected.

The fact that the szlachta were equal before the king and did not want to become a feudal nobility became a legal rule. The szlachta admired the "republicanism" of ancient Rome. Poland was even called the "Most Serene Republic of Poland." The szlachta, as an elected group and a warrior class, had supreme political power over this republic. They chose kings who they saw as servants of the republic, which they believed represented their rights.

Over time, most of the "lesser" szlachta became poorer. Many were even poorer than commoners who owned land. They were called szlachta zagrodowa, or "farm nobility," because their farms were often like peasant homes. They were also called drobna szlachta, meaning "petty nobles." Very poor szlachta families sometimes had to rent land from richer nobles. They were called szlachta czynszowa, or "tenant nobles."

Where Did the Szlachta Come From?

The origins of the szlachta are very old and not fully clear. They often called themselves odwieczna (perennial), meaning they had always existed. Two popular theories about their origins were believed by the szlachta themselves. One theory said they came from the ancient Iranian tribe called Sarmatians. These people lived in Eastern Europe and the Middle East around the 2nd century AD. The second theory claimed the szlachta were descended from Japheth, one of Noah's sons. In contrast, peasants were said to be from Ham, another son of Noah, and therefore meant to be servants. Jews were thought to be from Shem. Other made-up theories said they were founded by Julius Caesar or Alexander the Great.

Another idea suggests the szlachta came from a non-Slavic warrior group. This group formed a distinct element called the Lechici within the ancient Polish tribes. This theory suggests this upper class was not of Slavic origin. They were different from the Slavic peasants they ruled over.

In old Poland, there were two main groups: the szlachta and the peasants. The szlachta were very different from the rural population. In Polish society, which had strict social levels, the szlachta's sense of being special led to practices that might be called racism today. Wacław Potocki (1621–1696), a szlachta member, said that peasants were "by nature" tied to the land. He believed that even an educated peasant would always remain a peasant, because "it is impossible to transform a dog into a lynx." The szlachta saw themselves as "noble" in contrast to the people they ruled.

The szlachta believed they were descended from Lech, who supposedly founded the Polish kingdom around the 5th century. Poland was called Lechia in ancient times, and the szlachta called themselves Lechici. Some historians have compared the szlachta society to a system in southern India. There, a group of conquerors settled among a different race, forming an equal aristocracy. Some parts of the Polish state were like the Roman Empire. Full citizenship rights were only for the szlachta. According to British historian Alexander Bruce Boswell, the szlachta's ideal in the 16th century was like a Greek city-state. It had a group of citizens, a small merchant class, and many laborers. The laborers were peasants who were tied to the land. The szlachta had the only right to become clergy until Poland was divided. The szlachta and clergy believed they were naturally better than peasants. The szlachta saw peasants as a lower kind of people.

Bishop Wawrzyniec Goślicki (1530s–1607) wrote: "The kingdom of Poland also has three kinds of people: the king, nobility, and common people. But it's important to know that 'common people' here only means knights and gentlemen... The gentlemen of Poland represent the popular state, because they have a big part in governing. They are like a school from which advisors and kings are chosen."

Warriors and Nobles

The szlachta were a warrior group, like a caste in Hindu society. In 1244, Bolesław, Duke of Masovia, identified members of a knight's clan by their family name. This was the earliest record of using a clan name and a "cry" to show a Polish knight's honorable status. These clan names and cries were used to define knightly status even before 1244. Coats of arms became linked to these knightly families later in the Middle Ages.

The use of coats of arms in Poland came from knights arriving from Silesia, Lusatia, Meissen, and Bohemia in the 13th and 14th centuries. However, unlike other European knights, Polish coats of arms were shared by entire clans. These clans fought together in military groups.

Around the 14th century, there was little difference between knights and the szlachta in Poland. Szlachta members had a personal duty to defend the country. This made them a military group and a nobility with political power and many rights. Being part of this warrior group was almost always based on being born into it.

For the early Polish tribes, geography helped create long-standing traditions. The Polish tribes were organized around a shared religious belief. They were governed by the wiec, an assembly of free tribesmen. Later, for safety, power was brought together, and an elected prince was chosen to rule. The right to elect was usually limited to the most important people.

The tribes were ruled by clans (ród). These were groups of people related by blood or marriage, believed to come from a common ancestor. This gave the clan a strong sense of unity. A starosta (or starszyna) had legal and military power over the clan. Strongholds called gród were built where religious ceremonies took place, trials were held, and clans gathered when there was danger. The opole was the territory of a single tribe. The family unit of a tribe is called the rodzina, and a collection of tribes is a plemię.

Mieszko I of Poland (around 935 – 992) created a special group of knights within his army. He relied on them to unite the Lekhitic tribes and keep his state together. His successors also used such a group.

Another group of knights was given land directly by the prince. This land was not held in exchange for feudal service. This allowed them to serve the prince militarily. A Polish warrior from this military group before the 15th century was called a "rycerz," similar to an English "knight." The main difference was that "rycerz" status was almost strictly inherited. This group of warriors, which became the szlachta, slowly grew apart from Mieszko I's elite groups. This rycerstwo (warrior nobility) gained more rights and special status. They were freed from certain duties under the prince's law. This led to the belief that only rycerstwo (those with military skill and noble birth) could serve as state officials.

Some rycerstwo were more important than others. This was because they came from old tribal ruling families, or because early Piast rulers gave them special benefits. These very wealthy rycerstwo were called możni (Magnates). They had the same political and legal status as the other rycerstwo they came from. If they lost their wealth, they would return to that status.

The "Period of Division" (1138-1314) was a time of fragmentation in Poland. It started when Bolesław III divided Poland among his sons. This period led to a political structure where the great landowning szlachta (Magnates), who owned their land outright, became economically more powerful than the rycerstwo they came from. Before this, the political structure was of Polish tribes united under the Piast dynasty, which began around 850 A.D.

Some Magnates from old tribal families saw themselves as co-owners of the Piast lands. They tried to weaken the prince's authority. In a chronicle by Gall Anonym, it is noted that the nobility was alarmed when the Palatine Sieciech "elevated those of a lower class over those who were noble born." He gave them state offices.

Lithuanian Nobles

In Lithuania, before the Kingdom of Lithuania was created, nobles were called die beste leuten in German sources. In Lithuanian, nobles were called ponai. The highest nobles were called kunigai or kunigaikščiai (dukes). These words came from the Scandinavian word konung (king). They were the local leaders and warlords. As the state grew, they slowly became less powerful than higher dukes, and then the King of Lithuania. When Lithuania expanded into Ruthenian lands in the mid-14th century, a new word for nobility appeared: bajorai. This word is still used today in Lithuania for nobility in general.

After the Union of Horodło, Lithuanian nobles gained the same status as Polish nobles. Over time, they became more and more influenced by Polish culture and language. However, they kept their national identity and often remembered their Lithuanian family roots. In the 16th century, some Lithuanian nobles claimed they came from Romans. They even said the Lithuanian language came from Latin. This caused a problem because Polish nobles claimed to be from Sarmatian tribes, who were considered enemies of the Romans. So, a new Roman-Sarmatian theory was created. Strong cultural ties with Polish nobility led to a new term for Lithuanian nobility in the 16th century: šlėkta, directly from the Polish szlachta. Recently, Lithuanian language experts have suggested stopping the use of this Polish loanword.

The process of becoming more Polish took a long time. At first, only the most important nobles were affected. Gradually, more people were influenced. The lesser Lithuanian nobility was greatly affected after Russia imposed various rules. For example, Russia removed "Lithuania" from the names of provinces after the November Uprising. After the January Uprising, the rules became even stricter. Russian officials said that "Lithuanians were actually Russians tricked by Poles and Catholicism." They started to make people more Russian and banned printing books in Lithuanian.

Ruthenian Nobles

After the regions of Halych and Volhynia became part of the Grand Duchy, Ruthenia's nobles slowly became loyal to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. This was a place where many languages and cultures mixed. Many noble Ruthenian families married Lithuanians.

The rights of Orthodox nobles were supposed to be equal to those of Polish and Lithuanian nobles. However, they were pressured to convert to Catholicism. This policy was made much easier in 1596 by the Union of Brest.

Szlachta Surnames

The Polish suffix "-ski" (or "-ska" for females) means "characteristic of" or "typical of." It's like the English "-ic" or "-ish." This suffix is added to surnames that come from a person's job, traits, father's name, or place of residence or origin.

In old times, the szlachta used surnames based on places to identify themselves. The word "z" (meaning "from" or "at") plus the name of one's estate carried the same importance as "de" in French names or "von" in German names. For example, "z Dąbrówki" and "Dąbrowski" both mean "from Dąbrówka." More precisely, "z Dąbrówki" meant owning the estate Dąbrówka, not necessarily being born there. Most genuine Polish szlachta surnames can be traced back to a place. John of Zamość called himself John Zamoyski. Stephen of Potok called himself Potocki.

Since at least the 17th century, szlachta family surnames became fixed. They were passed down through generations and remain the same today. Before that, a family member would use their first name (like Jakub or Jan) and the name of the coat of arms shared by their clan. For example, a person might be called "Jakub z Dąbrówki, herbu Radwan" (Jacob from Dąbrówka, of the Radwan knights' clan).

The Polish state was similar to the Roman Empire because full citizenship rights were only for the szlachta. In Poland, where Latin was widely used, the szlachta used a naming system like the Roman tria nomina (three names) to tell Polish citizens/szlachta apart from peasants and foreigners. This is why many Polish coats of arms are linked to multiple surnames.

Example: Jakub: Radwan Żądło-Dąbrowski

First Name: Jakub
Clan Name: Radwan (the name of the knights' clan)
Family Branch Name: For example, Braniecki, Dąbrowski, Czcikowski, etc.
Nickname: Żądło (before the 17th century, this was a family branch name)

Bartosz Paprocki gave an example of the Rościszewski family. They took different surnames from the names of the various estates they owned. The branch that settled in Chrapunia became the Chrapunski family. The branch in Strykwina became the Strykwinski family. The branch in Borkow became the Borkowski family. Each family shared a common ancestor and belonged to the same knights' clan. So, they all used the same coat of arms as the Rościszewski family.

Each knights' clan had its own coat of arms, and there were only a limited number. Almost always, there were no individual family coats of arms. Each coat of arms had a name, which was the clan's call word. In most cases, the coat of arms belonged to many families within the clan. The Polish state was like the Roman Empire, and the szlachta had a different origin and legal structure than Western Europe's feudal nobility. The clan system lasted throughout Polish history.

Heraldry and Coats of Arms

Coats of arms were very important to the szlachta. Their system of heraldry developed alongside neighboring states in Central Europe. However, it was different in many ways from the heraldry of other European countries. Polish knighthood had connections and roots in places like Moravia and Germany.

Families with a common origin would share a coat of arms. They would also share their crest with families adopted into their clan. Sometimes, unrelated families were wrongly linked to a clan because their crests looked similar. Some noble families also falsely claimed to be part of a clan. The number of coats of arms in this system was quite low. It did not go over 200 in the late Middle Ages. By the late 18th century, there were 40,000.

At the Union of Horodło, forty-seven Catholic Lithuanian noble families were adopted by Polish szlachta families. They were allowed to use Polish coats of arms.

How Coats of Arms Were Inherited

In Poland, the tradition of having different coats of arms for women did not develop. By the 17th century, both men and women always inherited a coat of arms from their father. When mixed marriages happened after the partitions (between commoners and nobles), children could sometimes claim a coat of arms from their mother's side. However, this was only allowed as a courtesy and could not be passed on to the next generation. All children would inherit their father's coat of arms and title. This is partly why a large number of Polish families had a claim to a coat of arms by the 18th century. Another reason was the arrival of foreign nobles, especially from German lands and the Habsburg Empire.

Children born outside of marriage could adopt their mother's surname and title if her father agreed. But sometimes, they were adopted and raised by their biological father's family. This would give them the father's surname, but not the title or coat of arms.

Becoming a Noble

In the Kingdom of Poland

After the 15th century, very few people were legally granted nobility.

In the Kingdom of Poland and later the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, "ennoblement" (nobilitacja) meant an individual was given legal status as a szlachcic. At first, the king could grant this privilege. But from 1641 onward, only the Sejm (parliament) had this right. Most often, the person becoming noble would join an existing szlachta clan and use that clan's coat of arms.

According to historical records, only about 800 legal ennoblements were given between the 14th and mid-18th centuries. This is an average of only about two ennoblements per year. Charles-Joseph, 7th Prince of Ligne, trying to become a Polish noble in 1784, supposedly said, "It is easier to become a duke in Germany than to be counted among Polish nobles."

Towards the end of the 18th century, the number of ennoblements increased. This was likely due to the decline and eventual collapse of the Commonwealth. There was a need for more soldiers and military leaders during the Partitions of Poland.

Types of Ennoblement

About 1,600 legal ennoblements happened throughout the history of Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from the 14th century onward. Half of these took place in the late 18th century.

Here are the types of ennoblement:

Adoption into a Coat of Arms (Adopcja herbowa): This was the "old way" of becoming noble, popular in the 14th century. It involved being adopted into an existing szlachta clan by the king. The king might grant a piece of his own coat of arms, or a knight might adopt someone under their coat of arms, which needed the king's approval. This method was stopped in the 17th century.
Skartabellat: Introduced in the 17th century (since 1669), this was a "conditional" or "graduated nobility." People with this status could not hold public offices or be members of the Sejm. However, after three generations, their descendants would become full szlachta. In 1775, another rule was added: they had to buy a landed estate.
Indygenat: This was the recognition of foreign noble status. A foreign noble, after getting indygenat status, received all the rights of a Polish szlachcic. In Polish history, 413 foreign noble families were recognized this way. Before the 17th century, the King and Sejm did this. After the 17th century, only the Sejm could.
Secret Ennoblement: This was legally questionable and often not recognized by many szlachta members. It was usually granted by the elected king without the Sejm's required legal approval.

In the Grand Duchy of Lithuania

In the late 14th century, Vytautas the Great changed the Grand Duchy of Lithuania's army. Instead of calling all men to fight, he created professional warriors called bajorai ("nobles"). Since there weren't enough nobles, Vytautas trained suitable men. He freed them from farm work and other duties. For their military service to the Grand Duke, they were given land worked by hired people. The new noble families usually took the old Lithuanian pagan names of their noble ancestors as their family names. This happened with families like the Goštautai and Radvilos. These families received their coats of arms under the Union of Horodlo (1413).

In 1506, King Sigismund I the Old confirmed the power of the Lithuanian Council of Lords in state politics. He also limited who could become a noble.

Special Rights of the Szlachta

Specific rights of the szlachta included:

The right to own land completely, not as a fief (land held in exchange for service). The szlachta had a monopoly on land. Peasants did not own land.
The right to join political and military meetings of the regional nobility.
The right to form their own local administrative councils.
The right to vote for Polish Kings.
The right to travel freely anywhere in the Polish and Lithuanian Commonwealth. They could also travel outside it, as foreign policy allowed.
The right to ask for information from government offices.
Special rights in Polish courts, including freedom from unfair arrest and physical punishment.
The right to sell their military or administrative services.
Heraldic rights (rights related to coats of arms).
The right to receive higher pay during a "Levée en masse" (when the szlachta were called to defend the nation).
Educational rights.
The right to import goods often without paying duties.
The exclusive right to become clergy until the three partitions of Poland.
The right to try their peasants for serious crimes (reduced to minor crimes after the 1760s).

Important legal changes for the szlachta included being freed from land tax in 1374. In 1425, they were guaranteed against unfair arrests or property seizure. In 1454, new taxes and military forces needed approval from regional parliaments. Laws passed between 1496 and 1611 set the rights of commoners.

Real and False Nobles

Nobles were either born into a noble family or adopted into a noble clan by the King (this was stopped in 1633). The rarest way to become szlachta was through ennoblement by a king or the Sejm. This happened for reasons like bravery in battle or service to the state. Some people claimed that certain nobles were actually commoners who moved to another area and falsely said they were noble. In the first half of the 16th century, hundreds of such "false nobles" were exposed by Hieronim Nekanda Trepka in his book, "Book of Plebeian Genealogy." Peasants were thought to be descendants of Ham, who was cursed to be a servant. The law said commoners could not own landed estates. It promised these estates as a reward to those who reported false nobles. Trepka was a poor nobleman who lived in a town. He documented hundreds of these false claims, hoping to take over one of the wrongly claimed estates. He doesn't seem to have succeeded, even though he worked as the king's secretary. Many parliaments tried to solve this problem over the centuries, but with little success. We don't know what percentage of Polish nobility came from lower classes. However, some historians say that nobles from such humble beginnings made up a "significant" part of the szlachta.

It wasn't just commoners who tried to improve their status. Often, less wealthy szlachta members tried to get more noble titles from foreign sources. These foreign titles were harder to check. They might buy titles like Baron, Marchese, or Count. Or, they would simply give themselves a title. For example, the last descendant of the Ciechanowiecki family managed to get an old Count title restored. But his true origins are a mystery from the 18th century.

Szlachta Gaining Power

The szlachta gained many rights that nobles in other countries did not have. Over time, each new king gave them more special rights. These rights became the basis of the "Golden Liberty" in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Even though Poland had a king, it was called the "nobility's Commonwealth." This was because the kings were chosen by members of this inherited class. So, Poland was seen as belonging to this class, not to the king or the ruling family. This happened partly because the original royal families (Piasts and then Jagiellons) ran out of male heirs. As a result, the nobility took it upon themselves to choose the "Polish king" from the female descendants of these families.

Poland's kings gave special rights to the nobility when they were elected. These rights were written in the king's "pre-election pact" (Pacta conventa). They also gave rights at other times, in exchange for permission to collect an extra tax or call up the army. So, Poland's nobility gained more and more rights and protections.

In 1355, King Casimir III the Great issued the first country-wide privilege for the nobility in Buda. This was in exchange for their agreement that if Casimir had no male heirs, the throne would go to his nephew, Louis I of Hungary. Casimir also said that the nobility would no longer have to pay "extraordinary" taxes. They also wouldn't have to use their own money for military trips outside Poland. Casimir also promised that when the royal court traveled, the king and court would pay all expenses. They would not require local nobility to provide facilities.

Important Privileges

In 1374, King Louis of Hungary approved the Privilege of Koszyce. This was to make sure his daughter, Jadwiga, would get the Polish throne. He expanded who counted as nobility. He freed the entire class from all but one tax. This tax was limited to 2 groszes per unit of land. Also, the King's right to raise taxes was effectively removed. No new taxes could be collected without the nobility's agreement. From then on, local government positions were only for local nobility. The Privilege of Koszyce stopped the king from giving official jobs and major Polish castles to foreign knights. Finally, the privilege made the king pay money to nobles who were hurt or captured during a war outside Poland.

In 1422, King Władysław II Jagiełło was forced to accept the Privilege of Czerwińsk. This law made nobles' property safe. Their estates could not be taken away unless a court decided so. It also made him give some control over money matters to the Royal Council, which later became the Senate. This included the right to mint coins.

In 1430, with the Privileges of Jedlnia (confirmed in Kraków in 1433), King Władysław II Jagiełło gave the nobility a guarantee against unfair arrest. This was similar to England's Magna Carta, known as "neminem captivabimus nisi jure victum." This meant no noble could be put in prison without a court order. The king could not punish or imprison any noble just because he wanted to. In return for this, the nobles promised that the throne would be inherited by one of his sons. These sons would have to honor the privileges given to the nobility. On May 2, 1447, the same king issued the Wilno Pact. This gave Lithuanian nobles the same rights as the Polish szlachta.

In 1454, King Casimir IV granted the Nieszawa Statutes. These laws clarified the legal basis of local parliaments called sejmiks. The king could only make new laws, raise taxes, or call for a mass military call-up with the consent of the sejmiks. The nobility was protected from unfair court decisions. The Nieszawa Statutes also limited the power of the magnates. The Sejm, the national parliament, had the right to elect many officials, including judges and governors. The szlachta demanded these privileges in exchange for their help in the Thirteen Years' War.

First Royal Election

The first "free election" of a king happened in 1492. Some earlier Polish kings had been elected with help from assemblies, setting a precedent. Only senators voted in the 1492 election, which John I Albert won. During the Jagiellonian Dynasty, only members of that royal family were considered for election. Later, there were no limits on who could be chosen.

In 1493, the Sejm started meeting every two years in Piotrków Trybunalski. It had two parts:

A Senate of 81 bishops and other important people.
A Chamber of Deputies with 54 representatives from their regions.

The number of senators and deputies grew later.

On April 26, 1496, King John I Albert granted the Privilege of Piotrków. This law increased the nobility's power over peasants. It tied peasants to the land, and only one son (not the eldest) was allowed to leave the village. Townspeople were not allowed to own land. Positions in the Catholic Church were only for nobles.

On October 23, 1501, the Polish-Lithuanian union was changed by the Union of Mielnik. This is where the tradition of a "coronation Sejm" began. Here, the less wealthy nobility tried to reduce the power of the Magnates. They proposed a law that would allow Magnates to be removed from office by the Senate if they did wrong. However, the Act of Mielnik (October 25) mostly strengthened the Magnate-controlled Senate. Nobles as a whole were given the right to disobey the King or his representatives if the law or their rights were broken. They could also form armed groups against the king or state officials.

On May 3, 1505, King Alexander I Jagiellon granted the Act of Nihil novi nisi commune consensu – "I accept nothing new except by common consent." This stopped the king from passing new laws without the agreement of the nobility's representatives in the Sejm. This greatly increased the nobility's power. This act marked the transfer of law-making power from the king to the Sejm. It also marks the start of the First Rzeczpospolita, the period of a szlachta-run "Commonwealth."

In 1520, the Act of Bydgoszcz gave the Sejm the right to meet every four years, with or without the king's permission. Around that time, the "Executionist Movement" began. This group wanted to make sure laws were followed. Its members tried to limit the Magnates' power in the Sejm and strengthen the king's power. In 1562, at the Sejm in Piotrków, they forced the Magnates to return many leased crown lands to the king. They also made the king create a standing army. Jan Zamoyski was one of the most famous members of this movement.

End of the Jagiellonian Dynasty

Until the death of Sigismund II Augustus, the last Jagiellonian king, all monarchs had to be elected from the royal family. However, from 1573, almost any Polish noble or foreign royal could become a Polish-Lithuanian monarch. Every new king had to sign two documents: the Pacta conventa (the king's "pre-election pact") and the Henrican articles. The latter document was like a Polish constitution and contained the basic laws of the Commonwealth:

Free election of kings.
Religious tolerance.
The Sejm to meet every two years.
Foreign policy controlled by the Sejm.
A royal advisory council chosen by the Sejm.
Official positions only for Polish and Lithuanian nobles.
Taxes and monopolies set up only by the Sejm.
Nobles' right to disobey the Monarch if he or she broke any of these laws.

In 1578, King Stefan Batory created the Crown Tribunal. This was to reduce the huge workload on the Royal Court. This gave much of the king's legal power to the elected szlachta representatives. This further strengthened the nobility as a class. In 1581, the Crown Tribunal was joined by a similar court in Lithuania, the Lithuanian Tribunal.

Magnate Oligarchy

For many centuries, wealthy and powerful szlachta members tried to gain legal advantages over their peers. In 1459, a proposal was made to give titles like "prince," "count," and "baron" to different levels of szlachta. All these proposals were rejected.

Few szlachta were rich enough to be called Magnates, or karmazyni, meaning "Crimsons" (from the crimson color of their boots). A true Magnate had to be able to trace his family back many generations. He also had to own at least 20 villages or estates. He also had to hold a high office in the Commonwealth. So, out of about one million szlachta, only 200-300 people could be called Magnates with country-wide property and influence. Of these, about 30-40 were considered to have a big impact on Poland's politics. Magnates often received gifts from kings, which greatly increased their wealth. Even though these gifts were only temporary leases, Magnates often never returned them. This led to a movement in the 16th century called ruch egzekucji praw (movement for the enforcement of the law). This movement aimed to force Magnates to return leased lands back to the king, their rightful owner.

One of the Magnates' most important victories was gaining the right in the late 16th century to create Ordynacjas. These were like English "fee tails," which made it easier for a family to keep its landed wealth. The Ordynacjas belonging to families like the Radziwiłł, Zamoyski, Potocki, or Lubomirski often rivaled the king's own estates. They were important power bases for these families.

The main difference between the magnateria and the rest of the szlachta was wealth and lifestyle. Both belonged to the same legally defined class and were members of the same clans. Any power taken from the king by the magnates then spread to all the szlachta. This often meant that the rest of the szlachta tended to work with the magnates rather than against them.

Szlachta Losing Influence

The time of the szlachta's rule ended earlier than in other countries (except France), in 1795 (see Partitions of Poland). From then on, their legal standing depended on the laws and policies of the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg monarchy. Their privileges became more and more limited. They were finally removed by the March Constitution of Poland in 1921.

In the 1840s, Nicholas I of Russia changed the status of 64,000 lesser szlachta. They became a commoner status called odnodvortsy (meaning "single-householders"). Despite this, 62.8% of all Russia's nobles were Polish szlachta in 1858, and still 46.1% in 1897. Serfdom was abolished in Russian Poland on February 19, 1864. This was done to deliberately harm the szlachta. Only in the Russian Partition did peasants pay the market price for land. In the rest of the Russian Empire, the average was 34% above market rates. All land taken from Polish peasants since 1846 was to be returned to them without payment. Former serfs could only sell land to other peasants, not to the szlachta. 90% of the former serfs in the empire who actually gained land after 1861 lived in the 8 western provinces. Along with Romania, Polish landless or domestic serfs were the only ones to be given land after serfdom was abolished. All this was to punish the szlachta for their role in the uprisings of 1830 and 1863. By 1864, 80% of szlachta had lost their social standing. One quarter of petty nobles were worse off than the average serf. While 48.9% of the land in Russian Poland was in peasant hands, nobles still held onto 46%.

In the Second Polish Republic, the special rights of the nobility were legally ended by the March Constitution in 1921. They were not brought back by any later Polish law.

Culture and Connections

Even with their focus on war, politics, and status, the szlachta in Poland contributed to many areas. These included literature, art, architecture, philosophy, education, farming, science, technology, and industry. One of the most important cultural influences on the Polish nobility was their ongoing connection with the Catholic Church in Rome. Until the 20th century, the church's main leaders came from the szlachta. Other international influences came from Christian and non-religious groups like the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. This order focused on hospitals and charity work. The most famous Polish Maltese Knight was Bartłomiej Nowodworski. He founded the oldest school in Poland in 1588. John III Sobieski was one of its students.

In the 18th century, Freemasonry became popular among the higher ranks of the szlachta. Even though some clergy were members, the Catholic Church often opposed it. After the partitions, it became a way to secretly oppose the occupying powers. Also in the 18th century, there was a big growth in support for the arts during the reign of Stanisław August Poniatowski, who was a freemason himself. As people became more aware of social issues, charity also grew.

Women and Culture

Important women in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had political and cultural influence. They were queens, princesses, and the wives or widows of magnates. Their cultural activities became more noticeable in the 18th century when they hosted "salons" like those in France. They also published translations and writings. They helped with educational and social projects.

Notable szlachta women who had political or cultural influence include:

Queen Jadwiga (1373 or 1374–1399)
Bona Sforza (1494-1557), second wife of Sigismund I the Old
Zofia Lubomirska
Anna Jabłonowska
Elzbieta Lubomirska
Eleonora Czartoryska
Izabela Czartoryska
Barbara Sanguszko (1718–1791), poet, translator, and moralist
Tekla Teresa Lubienska (1767–1810), poet, playwright, and translator

Food and Dining

The szlachta, like everyone else, cared a lot about food. It was central to court and estate gatherings. In good times, it was also important to village life. During the Age of Enlightenment, King Stanislaw August Poniatowski copied French "salons." He held his famous "Thursday Lunches" for thinkers and artists, mostly from the szlachta. His "Wednesday Lunches" were for people who made decisions in science, education, and politics.

There was a tradition, especially in Mazovia, that lasted until the 20th century. Estate owners would hold a feast for their staff after the harvest. This was called Dożynki, and it was a way to thank them for their work. It was like a harvest festival. Polish food varied by region, like in other parts of Europe. It was also influenced by settlers, especially Jewish cuisine, and by occupying armies.

Hunting

One of the szlachta's favorite pastimes was hunting. Before Poland became a state, everyone could hunt. With the introduction of rulers and rules, hunting large animals like bison, deer, and boar became only for kings and princes. Poachers could even face death. From the 13th century, the king would appoint a high-ranking courtier as the Master of the Hunt. Over time, the punishments for poaching became fines. From around the 14th century, landowners gained the right to hunt on their own land. Small animals like foxes and hares were fair game for everyone. Hunting became one of the most popular social activities for the szlachta until the partitions. After that, different rules were put in place in the three territories to limit social interaction among Poles. Over the centuries, at least two breeds of special hunting dogs were bred in Poland: the Polish Hunting Dog (the brach) and the Ogar Polski.

Szlachta Population and Groups

The szlachta were different from nobles in other countries in many ways. The most important difference was that in most European countries, nobles lost power as rulers tried to gain absolute power. But in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the opposite happened: the nobility actually gained power at the expense of the king. This led to a political system where a small group (the oligarchy) held most of the power.

Szlachta members were also a much larger percentage of the population than nobles in other European countries. They made up 6–12% of the total population. In contrast, nobles in other European countries (except Spain) were only 1–3%. Most of the szlachta were "minor nobles" or small landowners. In Lithuania, minor nobility made up to three-quarters of the total szlachta population. By the mid-16th century, the szlachta class had at least 500,000 people (about 25,000 families). Polish historian Tadeusz Korzon estimated the szlachta population at 725,000 out of a total population of 8.8 million in the 1770s-1780s.

The percentage of nobles in the population varied by region. In the 16th century, the highest percentage of nobles lived in the Płock Voivodeship (24.6%) and Podlachia (26.7%). Galicia had the largest number of szlachta. In areas like Wizna and Łomża, the szlachta made up almost half of the population. Regions with the lowest percentage of nobles were the Kraków Voivodeship (1.7%), Royal Prussia (3%), and the Sieradz Voivodeship (4.6%). Before the Union of Lublin, the differences in wealth and power among nobles were much greater in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania than in Poland. The further south and east one went, the more the area was controlled by magnate families and other nobles. In Lithuanian and Ruthenian regions, poor nobles were more likely to rent small plots of land from magnates than to own land themselves.

It is said that only the ruling elites had a sense of national identity. All szlachta members, no matter their cultural background, were considered part of a single "political nation" within the Commonwealth. A shared culture, the Catholic religion, and the Polish language were seen as the main things that united the dual state. Before the Partitions, there wasn't really a Polish national identity. Only szlachta members, regardless of their origin, were considered "Poles."

Even with the influence of Polish culture in Lithuania and Ruthenia in the 17th-18th centuries, many of the lower szlachta kept their cultural identity. Because of poverty, most local szlachta had never had formal education or Polish language lessons. So, they couldn't be expected to see themselves as "Poles." It was common even for wealthy szlachta, who were influenced by Polish culture, to still call themselves Lithuanian or Ruthenian.

Janusz Radziwiłł wrote to his brother Krzysztof: "Although born a Lithuanian and a Lithuanian I shall die, I must use the Polish idiom in my homeland."

According to Polish estimates from the 1930s, 300,000 members of the common nobles (szlachta zagrodowa) lived in the Subcarpathian region of the Second Polish Republic. This was out of 800,000 in the whole country. 90% of them spoke Ukrainian, and 80% were Ukrainian Greek Catholics. In other parts of Ukraine with many szlachta, like Bar or Ovruch, the situation was similar despite Russian and earlier Polish influence. For example:

"... The first official records of the Chopovsky family, as clan members of the Korwin coat of arms, date back to the mid-17th century. As the Chopovsky family grew, by 1861 they were already 3063 people. They were considered szlachta members, but their way of life and clothing were no different from the neighboring peasants, except that they were more successful and owned more of their own land [...]. When Uniates started joining the Orthodox church in 1839 – the Russian government ended the Uniate church after the Polotsk Convocation – 43 people switched to the Roman Catholic faith, while the rest of the Chopovsky (86%) returned to Orthodoxy. The Heraldic Office of the Russian Senate refused to confirm the Chopovsky family's noble status, but the land remained theirs. The exception was the Prokopenko-Chopovsky branch of the family, who were accepted into the Russian nobility in 1858."

However, the time of the szlachta's rule ended earlier than in other countries (except France), in 1795 (see Partitions of Poland). From then on, their legal standing depended on the laws and policies of the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg monarchy. Their privileges became more and more limited. They were finally removed by the March Constitution of Poland in 1921.

There were ways for people from lower classes, including townspeople and peasants (but not Jews), to become officially noble in Commonwealth society. However, according to historical records, only about 1,600 legal ennoblements happened throughout the history of Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from the 14th century onward. Half of these happened in the final years of the late 18th century. Hutton and Bagehot noted: "... for the barrier of exclusion was partly thrown down in the last days of the monarchy..."

Between 1652 and 1791, any nobleman could potentially cancel all the decisions of a given parliament (sejm or sejmik) by using his individual right of liberum veto. This Latin phrase means "I do not allow." This was not allowed in the case of a "confederated sejm" or "confederated sejmik."

In old Poland, a nobleman could only marry a noblewoman. Marriage between different social groups was difficult. However, children of a legal marriage inherited the father's status, never the mother's. So, only the father passed on his nobility to his children. A noblewoman married to a commoner could not pass her nobility to her husband or their children. Any person could gain nobility for special services to the state. A foreign noble could become a Polish noble through a process called Indygenat, confirmed by the king. Later, from 1641, only the general Sejm could do this. By the 18th century, all these trends led to a large increase in the number of szlachta in the total population.

In theory, all szlachta members were socially equal and legally equal. Those who held government jobs had more privileges, but their roles were not inherited. Those who held honorary positions were higher in rank, but these positions were only for life. Some land rentals became inherited and came with both privilege and title. Nobles who did not directly rent from the Crown but held land from other lords were only legally equal. The poorest nobles had the same rights as the wealthiest magnate. The exceptions were a few symbolically privileged families like the Radziwiłł, Lubomirski, and Czartoryski. They held honorary noble titles given by foreign courts and recognized in Poland, which gave them titles like "Prince" or "Count." All other szlachta simply addressed each other by their first name or as "Brother, Sir" (Panie bracie). Other forms of address included "Illustrious and Magnificent Lord" or "Noble Lord."

The idea that all Polish nobles were socially equal, no matter their money or jobs, is shown in a traditional Polish saying: Szlachcic na zagrodzie równy wojewodzie. This means: "The noble on the croft is the voivode's equal." Or, keeping the rhyme: "The noble behind his garden wall is the province governor's equal."

Szlachta Groups

The nobility was divided by wealth into:

Magnates: The wealthiest group. They owned huge lands, towns, many villages, and thousands of peasants.
Middle nobility (średnia szlachta): Owners of one or more villages. They often held official titles or were representatives from local parliaments (sejmiks) to the national parliament (Sejm).
Petty nobility (drobna szlachta): Owners of only part of a village or no land at all. They were often called by many colorful Polish names, including:
- szlachta zaściankowa – "neighborhood/village nobility." These were poorer szlachta who lived together in related families in one village.
- szaraczkowa – "grey nobility," from their grey, woollen, undyed coats.
- okoliczna – "local nobility," similar to zaściankowa.
- zagrodowa – from zagroda, a small farm, often little more than a peasant's home.
- zagonowa – "hide nobility," from zagon, a small unit of land measure.
- cząstkowa – "partial," owners of only part of a single village.
- panek – "little lordling," a term used in the Kashubian region. It was also a legal term for legally separated lower nobility in late medieval and early modern Poland.
- hreczkosiej – "buckwheat sowers." These were nobles who had to work their fields themselves because they had no peasants.
- szlachta służebna – petty nobility who owned land on the condition of military service (mostly of Ruthenian origin, in Eastern Poland).
- quit-rent szlachta (szlachta czynszowa) – a group of poor szlachta who rented estates in the vast lands of magnates (mostly in Ruthenian lands).
- szlachta poddańcza – a step below the quit-rent szlachta. They had to work for the landlord who gave them some land.
- szlachta-gołota – "naked nobility," meaning the landless szlachta. They were the poorest szlachta, considered the "lowest of the high."
- brukowa – "town-street nobility." These were landless szlachta who earned a living in towns like other townspeople.

The Polish landed gentry (ziemianie, or ziemiaństwo) was a social class of landowners with large estates. Most of them were szlachta, including lesser nobility, and owned at least part of a village. Since noble land titles were also open to citizens of certain privileged royal cities, not all landed gentry had inherited noble status. The term ziemiaństwo was also used for wealthier peasants who owned land. Magnates, as owners of huge lands, were generally seen as a separate social class.

Landless szlachta were sometimes not allowed to take part in sejmiks. Their political rights were completely removed by the Constitution of 3 May 1791. This was done to stop magnates from buying the votes of the szlachta-gołota in sejmiks.

Półpanek ("half-lord") was a disrespectful term for a petty szlachcic who pretended to be wealthy.

In the Russian Partition of Poland, Tsar Nicholas I signed a law on October 19, 1831. It was called "On the Division and Disposition of Nobility in the Western Governorates." This law required those claiming noble status to show proof to the Russian Office of Heraldry. This led to a huge decrease in the number of petty szlachta. They were demoted to commoner status and had to pay taxes.

Sarmatism

The main belief system of the szlachta, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries, was called "Sarmatism." This word came from the legend that their ancestors were the ancient Sarmatians, an Iranian people. This nostalgic belief system, which included ideas of chivalry and courtly manners, became a big part of szlachta culture. It influenced all parts of their lives. Poets made it popular by praising traditional village life, peace, and non-violence. It also showed up in their oriental-style clothing, like the żupan and kontusz. The scimitar-like szabla (saber) became an almost required item of everyday szlachta clothing. Sarmatism helped unite nobles from different backgrounds. It tried to create a feeling of national unity and pride in the szlachta's "Golden Liberty." It was also known for the szlachta mixing Polish and Latin words in their everyday conversations.

Images for kids

Szlachta in traditional clothes from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Journey of a Polish Lord During the Times of King Augustus III, by Jan Chełmiński, 1880.
Michał Kazimierz Ogiński, a nobleman from 18th century Poland.
Szlachcic Tadeusz Rejtan (bottom right) stopping the Sejm from leaving the Senate chamber in 1773. He was protesting the First Partition of Poland. Painting by Jan Matejko, 1866.
A Polish peasant in stocks in a 16th-century woodcut.
Lech I.
Polish Armor.
Bolesław I the Tall (1127–1201) with his shield, by Jan Matejko.
Jogaila (Władysław II).
Epitaph of szlachcic John of Ujazd, with the Srzeniawa coat of arms, 1450.
Szlachta from 1228–1333.
Polish coats of arms in the Gelre Armorial (before 1396).
Election of Stanisław August Poniatowski in 1764.
Franciszek Salezy Potocki, wearing the Order of the White Eagle.
Samuel Zborowski on his way to his execution, 1584. Sketch by Jan Matejko, 1860.
Ennoblement of the Odrowąż family in the 12th century by the Holy Roman Emperor. Painting by Stanisław Samostrzelnik.
Magnates of Poland and Lithuania. Drawing by Jan Matejko, circa 1893.
The Commonwealth's Power at Its Zenith, Golden Liberty, the Election of 1573. Painting by Jan Matejko.
Henry of Valois, first elected monarch of Poland-Lithuania.
Prince Konstanty Ostrogski on a Lithuanian stamp.
Elżbieta Czartoryska as Bacciarelli's Blue Marquise.
Polish Nobleman with a Parrot, by Józef Simmler, 1859.
Branicki Palace, Białystok

Magnate palace: Branicki family palace.
Middle nobility manor house: Żądło-Dąbrowski family manor.
"In Front of the Manor House" by Wojciech Gerson, 1856. This painting shows a lesser szlachta homestead.
Jan Zamoyski, a leader and example of Sarmatism.
A Polish Nobleman, by Rembrandt (1637).
Dożynki by Alfred Wierusz-Kowalski, 1910.
Ogar Polski.
Elżbieta Potocka by Wojciech Kossak.
"Brach", Polish Hunting Dog.
Karol Stanisław Radziwiłł, the richest noble of his time.
Prot Potocki, banker and industrialist.

All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:

Szlachta Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.