
[[Image:Szlachcic polski.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Polish Szlachcic. Painting by Jan Piotr Norblin]] Szlachta (International Phonetic Alphabet: Media:Szlachta.ogg) was the nobility social class in Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth). The szlachta were formed in the late Middle Ages and existed through the 18th century and into the 19th century. Traditionally, the szlachta were owners of landed property, often in the form of folwarks. The szlachta enjoyed substantial and almost unrivaled political privileges until the Partitions of Poland in the late 18th century. The nobility was abolished during the Second Polish Republic by the March 1921 Constitution. == Origins and etymology == [[Image:Unia Lubelska.JPG|right|thumb|300px|"Union of Lublin," 1569: painting by Jan Matejko, 1869, National Museum, Warsaw.]] The Polish nobility probably derived from a Slavs warrior class. This is uncertain, however, as there is little documentation on the early history of Poland. A kindred term that might be applied to an early Polish nobleman was "knight" ("rycerz") (derived from the German "Ritter"). The Polish word "szlachta" ("noble class": a specific nobleman was a "szlachcic," a noblewoman was a "szlachcianka") may derive from the name of the legendary proto-Polish chief, Lech, Czech and Rus, mentioned in Polish and Czech writings. "Szlachta" is thought by some simply to mean "Lechitians," or "men of Lech's" (in modern Polish, "z Lecha"), probably denoting the ruling warrior class in Lech's tribe. Even to this day, some Ukrainians refer to Poles as "Lachy" (Lechitians). == ''Szlachta'' history and political privileges == ''See also Polish-Lithuanian_Commonwealth#State_organisation_and_politics'' Nobles were either born into a noble family or Nobilitation for various reasons (bravery in combat, service to the state, etc.). The Polish nobility enjoyed many rights that were not available to the noble class of other countries and typically each new monarch granted further privileges. Those privileges became the basis of the Golden Liberty in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Despite having a king, Poland was called a "republic" (Rzeczpospolita) because the king was election by all interested members of the nobility and Poland was considered to be the property of this class, not of the king or the ruling dynasty. [[Image:Jan Klemens Branicki.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Hetman Jan Klemens Branicki holding the Bulawa in his right hand.]] Poland's successive kings granted privileges to the nobility at the time of their election to the throne (the privileges being specified in the king-elect's pacta conventa) and at other times in exchange for ''ad hoc'' permission to raise an extraordinary tax or a levée en masse (''pospolite ruszenie''). Poland's nobility thus accumulated a growing array of privileges and immunities: In 1355 Casimir III the Great decreed that the nobility would no longer be required to pay taxes, or pay with their own funds for military expeditions outside Poland. In 1374 Louis I of Hungary approved the Privilege of Koszyce (Polish: "przywilej koszycki" or "ugoda koszycka"), broadening the definition of who was a member of the nobility and exempting the entire class from all but one (reduced) tax. Henceforth, also, Offices_in_Polish-Lithuanian_Commonwealth#District_Offices (Polish: "urzędy ziemskie") were reserved exclusively for local nobility. In addition, the King's right to raise taxes was abolished; no new taxes could be raised without the agreement of the nobility. In 1422 Ladislaus II of Poland by the Privilege of Czerwinsk (Polish: "przywilej czerwiński") established the inviolability of nobles' property (their estates could not be confiscated except upon a court verdict) and ceded some jurisdiction over fiscal policy to the Royal Council (later, the Senat), including the right to mint coinage. In 1430 with the Privileges of Jedlnia, confirmed at Kraków in 1433 (Polish: "przywileje jedlneńsko-krakowskie"), King Władysław Jagiełło granted the nobility a guarantee against arbitrary arrest, similar to the English Magna Carta's Habeas corpus, known from its own Latin name as "neminem captivabimus (nisi jure victum)." Henceforth no member of the nobility could be imprisoned without a warrant from a competent court of justice: the king could neither punish nor imprison any noble at his whim. King Władysław's ''quid pro quo'' for this boon was the nobles' guarantee that his throne would be inherited by one of his sons (who would be bound to honor the privileges theretofore granted to the nobility). [[image:Szlachta polska w Gdansku.jpg|200px|thumb|right|"Szlachta in Gdansk" painted by Wilhelm August Stryowski.]] In 1454 Casimir IV the Jagiellonian granted the Nieszawa Statutes (Polish: "statuty cerkwicko-nieszawskie"), clarifying the legal basis of voivodship sejmiks. The king could promulgate new laws, raise taxes, or call for a levée en masse only with the consent of the sejmiks, and the nobility were protected from judicial abuses. The Nieszawa Statutes also curbed the power of the magnates, as the Sejm received the right to elect many officials, including judges, voivods and castellans. The first "free election" (Polish: "wolna elekcja") of a king took place in 1492. (To be sure, some earlier Polish kings had been elected with help from bodies such as that which put Casimir II the Just on the throne, thereby setting a precedent for free elections.) Only senators voted in the 1492 free election, which was won by John I Olbracht. For the duration of the Jagiellon Dynasty, only members of that royal family were considered for election; later, there would be no restrictions on the choice of candidates. In 1493 the national parliament, the Sejm, began meeting every two years at Piotrków. It comprised two chambers: * a Senate of 81 bishops and Offices_in_Polish-Lithuanian_Commonwealth#Senatorial_Offices; and * a Sejm of 54 deputy (in Polish, "deputy" is "poseł") representing their respective sejmiks. The numbers of senators and deputies later increased. In 1496 King Jan Olbracht granted the Privilege of Piotrków (Polish: "przywilej piotrkowski" or "konstytucja piotrkowska"), increasing the nobility's feudal power over serfs. It bound the peasant to the land, as only one son (not the eldest) was permitted to leave the village; townsfolk (Polish: "mieszczaństwo") were prohibited from owning land; and positions in the Church hierarchy could be given only to nobles. In 1501, at Mielnik, the tradition of the coronation sejm (Polish: "sejm koronacyjny") was founded. Once again the nobility attemped to reduce the power of the magnates with a law that made them impeachment before the Senate for malfeasance. The nobles were conceded the right to refuse to obey the King or his representatives--in the Latin, "non praestanda oboedientia"--and to form Confederation of Szlachta in armed rebellion against the king or state officers if the nobles thought that the law or their legitimate privileges were being infringed. [[Image:Potega_Rzeczypospolitej_u_zenitu_Zlota_wolnosc_Elekcja_1573.JPG|thumb|300px|right|"The Republic at the Zenith of Its Power. Golden Liberty. The Election of 1573": painting by Jan Matejko.]] In 1505 King Alexander the Jagiellon granted the Act of Nihil novi (Latin: "nothing new"). This forbade the king to pass any new law without the consent of the representatives of the nobility, in Sejm and ''Senat'' assembled, and thus greatly strengthened the nobility's political position. In 1520 the Act of Bydgoszcz granted the Sejm the right to convene every four years, with or without the king's permission. About that time the "executionist movement" (Polish: "egzekucja praw"--"execution of the laws") began to take form. Its members would seek to curb the power of the magnates at the Sejm and to strengthen the power of king and country. In 1562 at the Sejm in Piotrków they would force the magnates to return many leased royal lands to the king, and the king to create a standing army (wojsko kwarciane). One of the most famous members of this movement was Jan Zamoyski. After his death in 1605, the movement lost its political force. == Szlachta culture == The Polish nobility differed in many respects from the nobility of other countries. The most important difference was that, while in most European countries the nobility lost power while the ruler strove for absolute monarchy, in Poland the reverse process obtained: the nobility actually gained power at the expense of the monarch, and the political system evolved toward a partial democracy (and eventually, anarchy). Poland's nobility were also more numerous than those of most other European countries, they formed some 8-10% of the population, and in some poorer regions (e.g. Mazowsze, the area centered on Warsaw) nearly 30%. By contrast, the nobilities of other European countries, except for Spain, amounted to a mere 1-3%. There were a number of ways to upward social mobility and the achievement of nobility. Poland's nobility, unlike France's aristocracy, was not a rigidly exclusive, closed class. Many low-born individuals, including townsfolk, peasants and Jews, could and did rise in Polish society. Thus Poland's noble class was more stable than those of other countries, and so was spared the societal tensions and eventual disintegration that characterized the French revolution. Each szlachic had enormous influence over the country's politics, in some form even greater that what is enjoyed by the citizens of modern democracy countries. Between 1652 and 1791 any nobleman could nullify all the proceedings of a given sejm (Commonwealth parliament) or sejmik (Commonwealth local parliament) by exercising his individual right of liberum veto (latin: I don't allow), except in the case of a confederated sejm or confederated sejmik. All children of Polish nobility inherited their noble status from a noble mother and father. Any individual could attain ennoblement (Polish: "nobilitacja") for special services to the state. A foreign noble might be naturalised as a Polish noble (Polish: "indygenat") by the Polish monarch (later, from 1641, only by a general sejm). In theory at least, all Polish noblement were social equals. The poorest enjoyed the same rights as the wealthiest magnate. The exceptions were a few privileged families such as the Radziwill, Lubomirski and Czartoryski, who sported aristocratic titles received from foreign courts, such as "Prince." All other szlachta simply addressed each other by their given name or as "Mr. Brother" (''Panie bracie''). According to their financial standing, the nobility could be divided into: * magnates: the wealthiest class; * middle nobility; * lesser nobility (often referred to by a variety of colorful Polish terms such as **''szaraczkowa'' - 'grey ones', from their grey, woolen, uncolored zupans **''zaściankowa'' - from ''zaścianek'', a name for szlachta village, full of ''zagrody'' **''okoliczna'' - 'nearby', similar to ''zaściankowa'' **''zagrodowa'' - from ''zagroda'', a poor szlachta house, often little different from that of a peasant **''zagonowa'' - from ''zagon'', a small unit of land measure **''cząstkowa'' - 'partial', owners of only part of a single village **''drążkowa'' - when gathered, had no comfortable chairs, so had to sit on fences and the like **''gołota'' - 'naked ones', who owned no land **''panki'' - small 'pan' (small Mister), term used in Kaszuby region **''brukowa'' - 'cobbled ones', for those living in towns like townsfolk === Sarmatism === The szlachta's prevalent mentality and ideology were manifested in "Sarmatism," a name derived from the supposed ancestors of the szlachta, the Sarmatians. This belief system became an important part of szlachta culture and worked its way into all aspects of their lives. It enshrined traditional village life, peace and pacifism; popularized oriental-style apparel (the zupan, kontusz, sukmana, pas kontuszowy, delia); and made the scimitar-like szabla, too, a near-obligatory item of everyday szlachta apparel. Sarmatism served to integrate the multiethnic nobility as it created an almost nationalism sense of unity and of pride in the szlachta's Golden Freedom (''złota wolność''). Knowledge of Latin was widespread, and most szlachta freely mixed Polish and Latin ("macaronisms" — from "macaroni") in everyday conversation. [[Image:Jan Zamoyski.jpg|thumb|left|Jan Zamoyski, in crimson kontusz and blue silk Zupan tied with pas kontuszowy.]] In its early, idealistic form, Sarmatism seemed like a salutary cultural movement: it fostered religious faith, honesty, national pride, courage, equality and freedom. However, as with any doctrine that puts one social class above others, it eventually became perverted. Late Sarmatism turned belief into bigotry, honesty into political naivete, pride into arrogance, courage into stubborness, equality and freedom within the szlachta class into dissension and anarchy. === Religious beliefs === Prior to the Reformation, the Polish nobility were mostly Catholic or Orthodox. Many families, however, soon adopted the reformed faiths. After the Counter-Reformation, when the Roman Catholic Church regained power in Poland, the nobility became almost exclusively Catholic, despite the fact that Roman Catholicism was not the majority religion in Poland (the Catholic and Orthodox churches each accounted for some 40% of the population, with the remaining 20% being Jews or members of Protestant denominations). Szlachta, as the Commonwealth itself, was extremly tolerant of other religions. There were almost no conflicts based on faith, and szlachta members are known to have intervened several times to pacify religious conflicts in cities and towns. In the 18th century, many followers of Jacob Frank joined the ranks of Jewish-descended Polish gentry. == See also == * History of Poland * King Henry's Articles * List of szlachta * Legitimization of szlachta in Congress Poland (''legitymacja szlachectwa'') * Polish heraldry * Warsaw Confederation == External links == *[http://www.szlachta.org/ Confederation of the Polish Nobility] *[http://www.nobility.by/ Association of the Belarusian Nobility] *[http://www.bajorusajunga.lt/ Association of Lithuanian Nobility] *[http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/Slavonic/staff/Szlachta.html The Inexorable Political Rise of the szlachta] *[http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/polcrt/PolNobility.html Short article on The Polish Nobility ] *[http://www.wbc.poznan.pl/ Digital Library of Wielkpolska] Polish nobility Polish history
== Old talk == Do we really need this term 'szlachta' ??? let's stick to the 'noblemen'. This is about specific Polish-only class, not general Noblemen. --:Taw ---- Hello Polish contributors -- Could you plese try to remember that, in English, we use a ''lot'' of articles -- 'a', 'an', and 'the' -- before nouns? It would help a lot. Also, if you are going to keep a term in its native language (unless it is common English usage) the term should be italicized every time. Finally, it would be very nice if you would provide pronunciation guides for polish words. One of the reasons so many Eastern European cities are known by their German names is that English speakers have long been more familiar with German (plus the fact that German was the Imperial language...). If you want the correct Polish names to gain currency, people need to be able to pronounce them -- otherwise, they'll look for easier, non-Polish equivalents that they can remember! Thanks for the help -- User:JHK ---- Indeed, articles are our problem :D Anyway, the term is used in british publications as well, although it might not be that popular among the general population... Could you possibly post a link that would lead me to some foreign diacrites chart? Does Wiki support phonetical script at all? As a temporary solution I will add the polish-for-dummies name version. BTW, we should consider adding some paragraph describing the differences between polish szlachta and all the other gentry social groups in Europe. User:Halibutt 19:00, 2 Dec 2003 (UTC) ---- "Poland was called the Republic (Rzeczpospolita)" I see it like this: Republika = Republic Rzeczpospolita = Commonwealth Hence, I think commonwealth would suit Rzeczpospolita better in terms of style. == To do == To do list moved to Wikipedia:WikiProject History of Poland/Articles. --User:Piotrus 16:17, 14 Dec 2004 (UTC) ==Obrazki== Od czasu do czasu wrzucam nowe obrazki do mojej galerii - "niewykorzystanych", zwiazanych z historia, jezeli ktos ma pomysl gdzie powstawiac, niech przebiera :) - User:Emax/Image gallery/Portrety.--User:Emax 16:56, 26 Dec 2004 (UTC) ==What??== :Sarmatian concept enshrined traditions, provincial village life, peace and pacifism, popularised eastern (almost oriental) clothing (zupan, kontusz, sukmana, pas kontuszowy, delia) and looks and right to bear weapons (sabre-like szabla was an almost obligatory everyday szlachta item). ::Took a crack at clearing the article up but I have no idea how to rephrase this as I'm not sure what it's supposed to mean.~~e : Thank you for your contribs. You may want to register - it is fast, easy, and gives you access to some more editing tools and personal history, talk and watchlist pages. As for the sentence you mentioned - if you would show the words or part that is unclear, it would help. Most of the specific terms are linked to their own articles. --User:Piotrus User_talk:Piotrus 19:09, 27 Jan 2005 (UTC) :Actually, I am registered, but I don't really want to log in from my computer at my job, which is where I was when I was working on it. The unclear part is mainly "and looks and right to bear weapons," Looks? ~~e ::Hmmm, true. I wanted to say 'appereance' - looks as in 'how do they looked like'. Perhaps if we move look to before the parenthesis it would be better? ''Sarmatian concepts enshrined traditions, rural life, peace, popularised eastern (almost oriental) clothing and looks (zupan, kontusz, sukmana, pas kontuszowy, delia) and the right to bear weapons (sabre-like szabla was an almost obligatory everyday szlachta item)'' ? --User:Piotrus User_talk:Piotrus 17:40, 28 Jan 2005 (UTC) ==The Etymology== The word "Szlachta" was borrowed in Romanian as "Şleahtă", with a changed meaning: "a gang or mob of people with dubious intentions" and it's almost always used as a pejorative. Any idea why they became so unfamous ? User:Bogdangiusca | User talk:Bogdangiusca 14:28, 29 Dec 2004 (UTC) :I find it highly doubtful. Usually the word is derived of the German term ''Geschlecht'' meaning a clan or a family. I guess that both the Polish and Romanian words could have simply the same root... User:HalibuttUser talk:Halibutt 15:20, Dec 29, 2004 (UTC) The Polish word szlachta comes most certainly from Middle High German geslaht (today's Geschlecht), meaning ''family''. One can see that none of you except Halibutt has studied Germanic languages. --User:Alexvonf 09:50, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC) :Not really :) I don't speak German at all (only some sentences from war films, so I'd probably be able to command an infantry squad, but finding my way to a supermarket would be a huge problem), but I studied Polish and Old Polish. Anyway, the Romanian root is highly doubtful. User:HalibuttUser talk:Halibutt 10:08, Mar 28, 2005 (UTC) ::The guy above speaks about borrowing into Romanian, not from. User:Mikkalai 02:18, 29 Mar 2005 (UTC) ::most Polish terms of Chivalry came from German through the culture of the Teutonic Order and the territory of what later was called West Prussia, i.e. today's Pomorze Gdanskie. As a Polonist you must know it. I doubt if the Romanian language (of uncivilized people under Turkish rule) has had any influence upon Polish terms. ::Greetings ::--User:Alexvonf 12:42, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC) :"..."Not really :) I don't speak German at all (only some sentences from war films, so I'd probably be able to command an infantry squad, but finding my way to a supermarket would be a huge problem)..." ::Ha ha, I have exactly this same problem! Most of the German words I know, I did, in fact, learn from war movies. I've picked up a few more at university, but I would say the majority of German words I know are still war-movie or war literature-derived. I've been thinking of taking a German class to remedy this problem. It shouldn't be too hard: I don't have to learn a foreign alphabet as with Greek and Arabic, and there are only four types of case-endings to learn, unlike the ''eight'' I hear they have in Polish. Eight! No wonder my grandmother has almost completely forgotten how to speak Polish! ;) Anyway, I think the case for szlactha being German-derived is pretty good; if you consider the preponderance of the evidence: rycerz/ritter, pancerni/panzer etc., it starts to look like to look like most of the feudal terminology was German-derived. The Lech derivation looks like a charming folk etymology. (An interesting comparison would be to see what Bohemian nobles were called. "Czecthta?" I doubt it. Why were the Russian (and I believe Bulgarian) nobility called "boyars," not "Russars" or "Bulgars?" Were they just not as conscious of their roots as the Sons of Lech?)--User:Jpbrenna 17:23, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC) ::The Czech word for Nobility or "Szlachta" in Polish is šlechta, pronounced shlehta. The same in Slovak, although they had only minor nobility of native origin (higher nobles were Hungarian). These two languages are, along with Lausitz-Serbian, very closely related to Polish. Not only feudal terminology , but many Polish words of everyday use, such as "dziekuje" (Czech: dekuji), an expression of chivalrous politeness, are derived from the German language (danke!). All this comes from the mediaeval culture of Chivalry transmitted by noble German and Dutch settlers in the area of Dantzig. An interesting case is the Hungarian term for nobility, nemés, which seems to be derived from the Slavonic expression for "German". ::--User:Alexvonf 20:04, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC) :::Lol. The entire Hungarian language is an interesting case from top to bottom :> --User:Piotrus User_talk:Piotrus 20:29, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC) :You think 8 cases is much? What would you say if I told you that we have 70-and-something declinations? :D :As to the chivalry-related words: indeed, most of them came to Polish either from German or from Latin. However, many of them took the southern route and came to Poland from Bohemia. The very word for a knight - ''rycerz'' is derived from Czech ''rytíř'', which in turn was a barbarisation of German ''ritter'' (compare with English ''rider''). And who says linguistics can't be fun :) User:HalibuttUser talk:Halibutt 00:22, Mar 29, 2005 (UTC) =="Mr. Brother"== It's a matter of usages in Polish and English. English seldom uses "Mr. + [title]." There may be a few rare exceptions, e.g. "Mr. President" or "Mr. Mayor." But one doesn't say "Mr. Doctor," "Mr. Professor," "Mr. Engineer," "Mr. General" or "Mr. Brother." I find it hard to imagine an anglicized Polish nobleman saying, "Mr. Brother." I think he would say, simply, "Brother." (Cf. "Br'er Rabbit.") User:Logologist 23:02, 17 Apr 2005 (UTC) : Same with Polish. But Panie Bracie is an exception, and it is fairly important psychological - and cultural - why szlachta used Panie Bracie instead of just Bracie. For starters, saying just Bracie, would make it indistinguishable from the way priests talk - and I believe same confusion would be found in English. --User:Piotrus User_talk:Piotrus 09:36, 18 Apr 2005 (UTC)
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
Words begining with Szlachta:
Szlachta
Szlachta
Szlachta.ogg
Szlachta
[[Image:Szlachcic polski.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Polish Szlachcic. Painting by Jan Piotr Norblin]] Szlachta (International Phonetic Alphabet: Media:Szlachta.ogg) was the nobility social class in Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth). The szlachta were formed in the late Middle Ages and existed through the 18th century and into the 19th century. Traditionally, the szlachta were owners of landed property, often in the form of folwarks. The szlachta enjoyed substantial and almost unrivaled political privileges until the Partitions of Poland in the late 18th century. The nobility was abolished during the Second Polish Republic by the March 1921 Constitution. == Origins and etymology == [[Image:Unia Lubelska.JPG|right|thumb|300px|"Union of Lublin," 1569: painting by Jan Matejko, 1869, National Museum, Warsaw.]] The Polish nobility probably derived from a Slavs warrior class. This is uncertain, however, as there is little documentation on the early history of Poland. A kindred term that might be applied to an early Polish nobleman was "knight" ("rycerz") (derived from the German "Ritter"). The Polish word "szlachta" ("noble class": a specific nobleman was a "szlachcic," a noblewoman was a "szlachcianka") may derive from the name of the legendary proto-Polish chief, Lech, Czech and Rus, mentioned in Polish and Czech writings. "Szlachta" is thought by some simply to mean "Lechitians," or "men of Lech's" (in modern Polish, "z Lecha"), probably denoting the ruling warrior class in Lech's tribe. Even to this day, some Ukrainians refer to Poles as "Lachy" (Lechitians). == ''Szlachta'' history and political privileges == ''See also Polish-Lithuanian_Commonwealth#State_organisation_and_politics'' Nobles were either born into a noble family or Nobilitation for various reasons (bravery in combat, service to the state, etc.). The Polish nobility enjoyed many rights that were not available to the noble class of other countries and typically each new monarch granted further privileges. Those privileges became the basis of the Golden Liberty in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Despite having a king, Poland was called a "republic" (Rzeczpospolita) because the king was election by all interested members of the nobility and Poland was considered to be the property of this class, not of the king or the ruling dynasty. [[Image:Jan Klemens Branicki.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Hetman Jan Klemens Branicki holding the Bulawa in his right hand.]] Poland's successive kings granted privileges to the nobility at the time of their election to the throne (the privileges being specified in the king-elect's pacta conventa) and at other times in exchange for ''ad hoc'' permission to raise an extraordinary tax or a levée en masse (''pospolite ruszenie''). Poland's nobility thus accumulated a growing array of privileges and immunities: In 1355 Casimir III the Great decreed that the nobility would no longer be required to pay taxes, or pay with their own funds for military expeditions outside Poland. In 1374 Louis I of Hungary approved the Privilege of Koszyce (Polish: "przywilej koszycki" or "ugoda koszycka"), broadening the definition of who was a member of the nobility and exempting the entire class from all but one (reduced) tax. Henceforth, also, Offices_in_Polish-Lithuanian_Commonwealth#District_Offices (Polish: "urzędy ziemskie") were reserved exclusively for local nobility. In addition, the King's right to raise taxes was abolished; no new taxes could be raised without the agreement of the nobility. In 1422 Ladislaus II of Poland by the Privilege of Czerwinsk (Polish: "przywilej czerwiński") established the inviolability of nobles' property (their estates could not be confiscated except upon a court verdict) and ceded some jurisdiction over fiscal policy to the Royal Council (later, the Senat), including the right to mint coinage. In 1430 with the Privileges of Jedlnia, confirmed at Kraków in 1433 (Polish: "przywileje jedlneńsko-krakowskie"), King Władysław Jagiełło granted the nobility a guarantee against arbitrary arrest, similar to the English Magna Carta's Habeas corpus, known from its own Latin name as "neminem captivabimus (nisi jure victum)." Henceforth no member of the nobility could be imprisoned without a warrant from a competent court of justice: the king could neither punish nor imprison any noble at his whim. King Władysław's ''quid pro quo'' for this boon was the nobles' guarantee that his throne would be inherited by one of his sons (who would be bound to honor the privileges theretofore granted to the nobility). [[image:Szlachta polska w Gdansku.jpg|200px|thumb|right|"Szlachta in Gdansk" painted by Wilhelm August Stryowski.]] In 1454 Casimir IV the Jagiellonian granted the Nieszawa Statutes (Polish: "statuty cerkwicko-nieszawskie"), clarifying the legal basis of voivodship sejmiks. The king could promulgate new laws, raise taxes, or call for a levée en masse only with the consent of the sejmiks, and the nobility were protected from judicial abuses. The Nieszawa Statutes also curbed the power of the magnates, as the Sejm received the right to elect many officials, including judges, voivods and castellans. The first "free election" (Polish: "wolna elekcja") of a king took place in 1492. (To be sure, some earlier Polish kings had been elected with help from bodies such as that which put Casimir II the Just on the throne, thereby setting a precedent for free elections.) Only senators voted in the 1492 free election, which was won by John I Olbracht. For the duration of the Jagiellon Dynasty, only members of that royal family were considered for election; later, there would be no restrictions on the choice of candidates. In 1493 the national parliament, the Sejm, began meeting every two years at Piotrków. It comprised two chambers: * a Senate of 81 bishops and Offices_in_Polish-Lithuanian_Commonwealth#Senatorial_Offices; and * a Sejm of 54 deputy (in Polish, "deputy" is "poseł") representing their respective sejmiks. The numbers of senators and deputies later increased. In 1496 King Jan Olbracht granted the Privilege of Piotrków (Polish: "przywilej piotrkowski" or "konstytucja piotrkowska"), increasing the nobility's feudal power over serfs. It bound the peasant to the land, as only one son (not the eldest) was permitted to leave the village; townsfolk (Polish: "mieszczaństwo") were prohibited from owning land; and positions in the Church hierarchy could be given only to nobles. In 1501, at Mielnik, the tradition of the coronation sejm (Polish: "sejm koronacyjny") was founded. Once again the nobility attemped to reduce the power of the magnates with a law that made them impeachment before the Senate for malfeasance. The nobles were conceded the right to refuse to obey the King or his representatives--in the Latin, "non praestanda oboedientia"--and to form Confederation of Szlachta in armed rebellion against the king or state officers if the nobles thought that the law or their legitimate privileges were being infringed. [[Image:Potega_Rzeczypospolitej_u_zenitu_Zlota_wolnosc_Elekcja_1573.JPG|thumb|300px|right|"The Republic at the Zenith of Its Power. Golden Liberty. The Election of 1573": painting by Jan Matejko.]] In 1505 King Alexander the Jagiellon granted the Act of Nihil novi (Latin: "nothing new"). This forbade the king to pass any new law without the consent of the representatives of the nobility, in Sejm and ''Senat'' assembled, and thus greatly strengthened the nobility's political position. In 1520 the Act of Bydgoszcz granted the Sejm the right to convene every four years, with or without the king's permission. About that time the "executionist movement" (Polish: "egzekucja praw"--"execution of the laws") began to take form. Its members would seek to curb the power of the magnates at the Sejm and to strengthen the power of king and country. In 1562 at the Sejm in Piotrków they would force the magnates to return many leased royal lands to the king, and the king to create a standing army (wojsko kwarciane). One of the most famous members of this movement was Jan Zamoyski. After his death in 1605, the movement lost its political force. == Szlachta culture == The Polish nobility differed in many respects from the nobility of other countries. The most important difference was that, while in most European countries the nobility lost power while the ruler strove for absolute monarchy, in Poland the reverse process obtained: the nobility actually gained power at the expense of the monarch, and the political system evolved toward a partial democracy (and eventually, anarchy). Poland's nobility were also more numerous than those of most other European countries, they formed some 8-10% of the population, and in some poorer regions (e.g. Mazowsze, the area centered on Warsaw) nearly 30%. By contrast, the nobilities of other European countries, except for Spain, amounted to a mere 1-3%. There were a number of ways to upward social mobility and the achievement of nobility. Poland's nobility, unlike France's aristocracy, was not a rigidly exclusive, closed class. Many low-born individuals, including townsfolk, peasants and Jews, could and did rise in Polish society. Thus Poland's noble class was more stable than those of other countries, and so was spared the societal tensions and eventual disintegration that characterized the French revolution. Each szlachic had enormous influence over the country's politics, in some form even greater that what is enjoyed by the citizens of modern democracy countries. Between 1652 and 1791 any nobleman could nullify all the proceedings of a given sejm (Commonwealth parliament) or sejmik (Commonwealth local parliament) by exercising his individual right of liberum veto (latin: I don't allow), except in the case of a confederated sejm or confederated sejmik. All children of Polish nobility inherited their noble status from a noble mother and father. Any individual could attain ennoblement (Polish: "nobilitacja") for special services to the state. A foreign noble might be naturalised as a Polish noble (Polish: "indygenat") by the Polish monarch (later, from 1641, only by a general sejm). In theory at least, all Polish noblement were social equals. The poorest enjoyed the same rights as the wealthiest magnate. The exceptions were a few privileged families such as the Radziwill, Lubomirski and Czartoryski, who sported aristocratic titles received from foreign courts, such as "Prince." All other szlachta simply addressed each other by their given name or as "Mr. Brother" (''Panie bracie''). According to their financial standing, the nobility could be divided into: * magnates: the wealthiest class; * middle nobility; * lesser nobility (often referred to by a variety of colorful Polish terms such as **''szaraczkowa'' - 'grey ones', from their grey, woolen, uncolored zupans **''zaściankowa'' - from ''zaścianek'', a name for szlachta village, full of ''zagrody'' **''okoliczna'' - 'nearby', similar to ''zaściankowa'' **''zagrodowa'' - from ''zagroda'', a poor szlachta house, often little different from that of a peasant **''zagonowa'' - from ''zagon'', a small unit of land measure **''cząstkowa'' - 'partial', owners of only part of a single village **''drążkowa'' - when gathered, had no comfortable chairs, so had to sit on fences and the like **''gołota'' - 'naked ones', who owned no land **''panki'' - small 'pan' (small Mister), term used in Kaszuby region **''brukowa'' - 'cobbled ones', for those living in towns like townsfolk === Sarmatism === The szlachta's prevalent mentality and ideology were manifested in "Sarmatism," a name derived from the supposed ancestors of the szlachta, the Sarmatians. This belief system became an important part of szlachta culture and worked its way into all aspects of their lives. It enshrined traditional village life, peace and pacifism; popularized oriental-style apparel (the zupan, kontusz, sukmana, pas kontuszowy, delia); and made the scimitar-like szabla, too, a near-obligatory item of everyday szlachta apparel. Sarmatism served to integrate the multiethnic nobility as it created an almost nationalism sense of unity and of pride in the szlachta's Golden Freedom (''złota wolność''). Knowledge of Latin was widespread, and most szlachta freely mixed Polish and Latin ("macaronisms" — from "macaroni") in everyday conversation. [[Image:Jan Zamoyski.jpg|thumb|left|Jan Zamoyski, in crimson kontusz and blue silk Zupan tied with pas kontuszowy.]] In its early, idealistic form, Sarmatism seemed like a salutary cultural movement: it fostered religious faith, honesty, national pride, courage, equality and freedom. However, as with any doctrine that puts one social class above others, it eventually became perverted. Late Sarmatism turned belief into bigotry, honesty into political naivete, pride into arrogance, courage into stubborness, equality and freedom within the szlachta class into dissension and anarchy. === Religious beliefs === Prior to the Reformation, the Polish nobility were mostly Catholic or Orthodox. Many families, however, soon adopted the reformed faiths. After the Counter-Reformation, when the Roman Catholic Church regained power in Poland, the nobility became almost exclusively Catholic, despite the fact that Roman Catholicism was not the majority religion in Poland (the Catholic and Orthodox churches each accounted for some 40% of the population, with the remaining 20% being Jews or members of Protestant denominations). Szlachta, as the Commonwealth itself, was extremly tolerant of other religions. There were almost no conflicts based on faith, and szlachta members are known to have intervened several times to pacify religious conflicts in cities and towns. In the 18th century, many followers of Jacob Frank joined the ranks of Jewish-descended Polish gentry. == See also == * History of Poland * King Henry's Articles * List of szlachta * Legitimization of szlachta in Congress Poland (''legitymacja szlachectwa'') * Polish heraldry * Warsaw Confederation == External links == *[http://www.szlachta.org/ Confederation of the Polish Nobility] *[http://www.nobility.by/ Association of the Belarusian Nobility] *[http://www.bajorusajunga.lt/ Association of Lithuanian Nobility] *[http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/Slavonic/staff/Szlachta.html The Inexorable Political Rise of the szlachta] *[http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/polcrt/PolNobility.html Short article on The Polish Nobility ] *[http://www.wbc.poznan.pl/ Digital Library of Wielkpolska] Polish nobility Polish history
Szlachta
== Old talk == Do we really need this term 'szlachta' ??? let's stick to the 'noblemen'. This is about specific Polish-only class, not general Noblemen. --:Taw ---- Hello Polish contributors -- Could you plese try to remember that, in English, we use a ''lot'' of articles -- 'a', 'an', and 'the' -- before nouns? It would help a lot. Also, if you are going to keep a term in its native language (unless it is common English usage) the term should be italicized every time. Finally, it would be very nice if you would provide pronunciation guides for polish words. One of the reasons so many Eastern European cities are known by their German names is that English speakers have long been more familiar with German (plus the fact that German was the Imperial language...). If you want the correct Polish names to gain currency, people need to be able to pronounce them -- otherwise, they'll look for easier, non-Polish equivalents that they can remember! Thanks for the help -- User:JHK ---- Indeed, articles are our problem :D Anyway, the term is used in british publications as well, although it might not be that popular among the general population... Could you possibly post a link that would lead me to some foreign diacrites chart? Does Wiki support phonetical script at all? As a temporary solution I will add the polish-for-dummies name version. BTW, we should consider adding some paragraph describing the differences between polish szlachta and all the other gentry social groups in Europe. User:Halibutt 19:00, 2 Dec 2003 (UTC) ---- "Poland was called the Republic (Rzeczpospolita)" I see it like this: Republika = Republic Rzeczpospolita = Commonwealth Hence, I think commonwealth would suit Rzeczpospolita better in terms of style. == To do == To do list moved to Wikipedia:WikiProject History of Poland/Articles. --User:Piotrus 16:17, 14 Dec 2004 (UTC) ==Obrazki== Od czasu do czasu wrzucam nowe obrazki do mojej galerii - "niewykorzystanych", zwiazanych z historia, jezeli ktos ma pomysl gdzie powstawiac, niech przebiera :) - User:Emax/Image gallery/Portrety.--User:Emax 16:56, 26 Dec 2004 (UTC) ==What??== :Sarmatian concept enshrined traditions, provincial village life, peace and pacifism, popularised eastern (almost oriental) clothing (zupan, kontusz, sukmana, pas kontuszowy, delia) and looks and right to bear weapons (sabre-like szabla was an almost obligatory everyday szlachta item). ::Took a crack at clearing the article up but I have no idea how to rephrase this as I'm not sure what it's supposed to mean.~~e : Thank you for your contribs. You may want to register - it is fast, easy, and gives you access to some more editing tools and personal history, talk and watchlist pages. As for the sentence you mentioned - if you would show the words or part that is unclear, it would help. Most of the specific terms are linked to their own articles. --User:Piotrus User_talk:Piotrus 19:09, 27 Jan 2005 (UTC) :Actually, I am registered, but I don't really want to log in from my computer at my job, which is where I was when I was working on it. The unclear part is mainly "and looks and right to bear weapons," Looks? ~~e ::Hmmm, true. I wanted to say 'appereance' - looks as in 'how do they looked like'. Perhaps if we move look to before the parenthesis it would be better? ''Sarmatian concepts enshrined traditions, rural life, peace, popularised eastern (almost oriental) clothing and looks (zupan, kontusz, sukmana, pas kontuszowy, delia) and the right to bear weapons (sabre-like szabla was an almost obligatory everyday szlachta item)'' ? --User:Piotrus User_talk:Piotrus 17:40, 28 Jan 2005 (UTC) ==The Etymology== The word "Szlachta" was borrowed in Romanian as "Şleahtă", with a changed meaning: "a gang or mob of people with dubious intentions" and it's almost always used as a pejorative. Any idea why they became so unfamous ? User:Bogdangiusca | User talk:Bogdangiusca 14:28, 29 Dec 2004 (UTC) :I find it highly doubtful. Usually the word is derived of the German term ''Geschlecht'' meaning a clan or a family. I guess that both the Polish and Romanian words could have simply the same root... User:HalibuttUser talk:Halibutt 15:20, Dec 29, 2004 (UTC) The Polish word szlachta comes most certainly from Middle High German geslaht (today's Geschlecht), meaning ''family''. One can see that none of you except Halibutt has studied Germanic languages. --User:Alexvonf 09:50, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC) :Not really :) I don't speak German at all (only some sentences from war films, so I'd probably be able to command an infantry squad, but finding my way to a supermarket would be a huge problem), but I studied Polish and Old Polish. Anyway, the Romanian root is highly doubtful. User:HalibuttUser talk:Halibutt 10:08, Mar 28, 2005 (UTC) ::The guy above speaks about borrowing into Romanian, not from. User:Mikkalai 02:18, 29 Mar 2005 (UTC) ::most Polish terms of Chivalry came from German through the culture of the Teutonic Order and the territory of what later was called West Prussia, i.e. today's Pomorze Gdanskie. As a Polonist you must know it. I doubt if the Romanian language (of uncivilized people under Turkish rule) has had any influence upon Polish terms. ::Greetings ::--User:Alexvonf 12:42, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC) :"..."Not really :) I don't speak German at all (only some sentences from war films, so I'd probably be able to command an infantry squad, but finding my way to a supermarket would be a huge problem)..." ::Ha ha, I have exactly this same problem! Most of the German words I know, I did, in fact, learn from war movies. I've picked up a few more at university, but I would say the majority of German words I know are still war-movie or war literature-derived. I've been thinking of taking a German class to remedy this problem. It shouldn't be too hard: I don't have to learn a foreign alphabet as with Greek and Arabic, and there are only four types of case-endings to learn, unlike the ''eight'' I hear they have in Polish. Eight! No wonder my grandmother has almost completely forgotten how to speak Polish! ;) Anyway, I think the case for szlactha being German-derived is pretty good; if you consider the preponderance of the evidence: rycerz/ritter, pancerni/panzer etc., it starts to look like to look like most of the feudal terminology was German-derived. The Lech derivation looks like a charming folk etymology. (An interesting comparison would be to see what Bohemian nobles were called. "Czecthta?" I doubt it. Why were the Russian (and I believe Bulgarian) nobility called "boyars," not "Russars" or "Bulgars?" Were they just not as conscious of their roots as the Sons of Lech?)--User:Jpbrenna 17:23, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC) ::The Czech word for Nobility or "Szlachta" in Polish is šlechta, pronounced shlehta. The same in Slovak, although they had only minor nobility of native origin (higher nobles were Hungarian). These two languages are, along with Lausitz-Serbian, very closely related to Polish. Not only feudal terminology , but many Polish words of everyday use, such as "dziekuje" (Czech: dekuji), an expression of chivalrous politeness, are derived from the German language (danke!). All this comes from the mediaeval culture of Chivalry transmitted by noble German and Dutch settlers in the area of Dantzig. An interesting case is the Hungarian term for nobility, nemés, which seems to be derived from the Slavonic expression for "German". ::--User:Alexvonf 20:04, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC) :::Lol. The entire Hungarian language is an interesting case from top to bottom :> --User:Piotrus User_talk:Piotrus 20:29, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC) :You think 8 cases is much? What would you say if I told you that we have 70-and-something declinations? :D :As to the chivalry-related words: indeed, most of them came to Polish either from German or from Latin. However, many of them took the southern route and came to Poland from Bohemia. The very word for a knight - ''rycerz'' is derived from Czech ''rytíř'', which in turn was a barbarisation of German ''ritter'' (compare with English ''rider''). And who says linguistics can't be fun :) User:HalibuttUser talk:Halibutt 00:22, Mar 29, 2005 (UTC) =="Mr. Brother"== It's a matter of usages in Polish and English. English seldom uses "Mr. + [title]." There may be a few rare exceptions, e.g. "Mr. President" or "Mr. Mayor." But one doesn't say "Mr. Doctor," "Mr. Professor," "Mr. Engineer," "Mr. General" or "Mr. Brother." I find it hard to imagine an anglicized Polish nobleman saying, "Mr. Brother." I think he would say, simply, "Brother." (Cf. "Br'er Rabbit.") User:Logologist 23:02, 17 Apr 2005 (UTC) : Same with Polish. But Panie Bracie is an exception, and it is fairly important psychological - and cultural - why szlachta used Panie Bracie instead of just Bracie. For starters, saying just Bracie, would make it indistinguishable from the way priests talk - and I believe same confusion would be found in English. --User:Piotrus User_talk:Piotrus 09:36, 18 Apr 2005 (UTC)
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SB | SC | SD | SE | SF | SG | SH | SI | SJ | SK | SL | SM | SN | SO | SP | SR | SS | ST | SU | SW | SX | SY | SZ |Words begining with Szlachta:
Szlachta
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