Jagiellonian age

The Jagiellonian age

As the merchandise and monetary economy developed, Poland started suffering from lack of access to the Baltic Sea, and so the necessity of regaining the Gdańsk Pomerania from the Teutonic Order became clear. Lithuania became Poland’s supporter in this matter as they wanted to force the danger of the Order back and strengthen themselves against the Great Moscow Duchy which started to capture the Russian lands using a beneficial treaty. In 1385 in Krew Poland and Lithuania have concluded a union. Jagiełło obligated himself to incorporate Lithuania, regain the lands lost by both of the countries, receive catholic baptism and marry Hedvig of Anjou. During 1409-1411 an armed confrontation with the order happened. While Władysław Jagiełło was marching on Marienburg, the great master Ulrich von Jungingen crossed his way in Grunwald (Tannenburg, July 15th 1410). Despite the polish victory, the treaty in Toruń (1411) brought insignificant benefits: Lithuania gained Żmudź, Poland gained Dombrzyńska land and Pomerania remained in the hands of the Order.

The recapture of the Pomerania was achieved by the younger son of Jagiełło – Kazimierz Jagiellończyk (Casimir of Poland) , who on the strength of the Toruń treaty (1466), which ended the Thirteen Years War (1453-1466) recaptured Chełmińska land with Toruń, Michałowska land, the Gdańsk Pomerania, the Drużno lake, Elbląg with the Tolkmicki district, the western part of the Pasłęcki district and Dzierzgo. Despite the fact that Warmia and Chełm Bishoprics were subjected to the superiority of the Gniezno metropolis, the Warmia chapter, with the support of the great master Albrecht Hohenzollern tried to become independent from Poland. Albrecht formed a coalition against the Jagiellonians which included Brandenburg, the Reich and Moscow. During the war with the Order (1519-1521), Poland succeeded, but because of lack of finances was unable to defeat the Teutonic Order. Albrecht without the Reich’s support, which was consumed by religious wars, proclaimed the secularization of Prussia i.e. creation of a secular country and accepted the superiority of Poland by paying homage to Zygmunt Stary in 1525.

In the 15th century the Statute of Kosice, which restricted the monarch’s initiative in the range of foreign policy and the fact that the Polish throne was in the hands of the might, caused the importance of the nobility to increase. In order to ensure the throne for his sons – Jagiełło issued the warecki -1423 and jedleński -1430 statutes, allowing the nobility to remove the village administrators from their households and cancelling the ability to imprison a nobility member without a court sentence. Kazimierz in the cerekwicko – nieszawski statute (1454) obligated himself not to call a general levy and not to impose taxes without the nobilities permission. Jan Olbracht (1496) restricted the peasant emigration from the villages, he ensured the nobility (and in 1504 granted to the clergy by Alexander) custom reliefs in cereal trade. During 15th-17th century the dimension of serfdom (payless peasant work on the lord’s land) was constantly being increased, from one day a week to 12-15 days weekly. Simultaneously the bourgeoisie was forbidden to mediate in the cereal trade, hold higher national and church offices, all possibilities of this state’s emancipation were restricted. Economic privileges enabled fast development of the farms, and the beneficial trade encouraged the nobility to conduct extensive economy. The cereal export from 30 thousand tons at the beginning of the 16th century increased to 200 thousand in 1618.

New rules of political system were introduced: the government would include plenipotentiary representatives of the nobility from all lands – parliament members (House of Parliament) and senators i.e. the former royal council as well. During the reign of Alexander Jagiellonian the might forced the milnicki statute (1501), which gave them power in the country. Under the nobility’s pressure this statute has been cancelled, and in 1505 the nihil novi principle was enacted, which stated that nothing can be change in the matter of the nobility’s laws and privileges without permission of both of the Houses – Parliament and the Senators. The nihil novi constitution, which gave equal rights to both of the houses to decide in matters of internal and foreign policy, has started a system of regime called the democracy of the nobility. The execution movement contributed to the strengthening of the nobility’s position. It aimed at weakening the power of the might through re-vindication of the royal land, improving the country’s management, controlling actions of the monarch, reforming the judicature, treasury, army, restricting the church’s power and tightening the relations with Lithuania. The decision about concluding a union between Poland and Lithuania was reached in Lublin in 1569, it established the Republic of Both Nations, joined together by one monarch (chosen by election) with a common parliament, common laws and nobility’s privileges in Poland and Lithuania. Central offices (marshals, chancellors, treasurers, hetmans), army, treasure remained separate. Owing to the union, the economic and military potential (800 thousand km2, 8 million inhabitants, including c.a. 3,5 million inhabitants of the Great Lithuanian Duchy) of both countries has improved, they were able to resist the neighbor’s expansion efficiently. On the other hand, incorporating Russian land to the crown brought conflict with Turkey, Tatars and Moscow, as well as civil wars (e.g. the Chmielnicki revolt). Great oligarch estates were forming in Wołyń, Podolole and Ukraine, the economic power of the owners soon destroyed the democracy of the nobility.

Simultaneously the union proved that a peaceful coexistence of different nations is possible: the Polish, Lithuanians, Belorussians, Jews, Armenians, Tatars, and their religions: Catholicism, Orthodox church and Protestant church.

At the beginning of the 16th century reformation ideas penetrated Poland and in 1551 the church lost their right to judge the citizens in matters of faith, in 1562 the parliament cancelled the Starościan execution of the clergy’s court sentences. Calvinism, treated as a political program, which supported the execution movement with the cheap church slogan, gained support from 20% of the nobility. In the parliament 30% of the members were protestants, among which almost half came from Greater Poland. Calvinists from Minor Poland were another strong group. The Warsaw confederacy (1573) proved to be success for the dissenters as a bill which guaranteed freedom of religion to the nobility was passed there.

After the death of the last of Jagiellons – Zygmunt August foreign rulers competed for the polish crown, the nobility in fear of an absolute monarch, who might destroy the achievements of their democracy, forced the elects to accept the so called Henry’s Articles (from Henryk Walezy, who signed them first). These determined the principles of the political system, the position and the role of the sovereign in the country. The king had to uphold the hitherto prevailing privileges of the nobility, comply to the eligibility of the throne, call the parliament every two years, allow the senators’ political control. The articles allowed to refuse obedience to the king. The last step in privileging the nobility was made by Stefan Batory who established the Royal Tribunal and the Lithuanian Tribunal which consisted of the nobility’s representatives, chosen on local seyms, and representatives of the catholic clergy. The king was left only with the right of parliamentary judgment.

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Jagiellonian age