Landed nobility or landed
aristocracy
Aristocracy (; ) is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocracy (class), aristocrats.
Across Europe, the aristocracy exercised immense Economy, economic, Politics, political, and soc ...
is a category of
nobility
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...
in the history of various countries, for which
landownership was part of their noble privileges. The landed nobility show
noblesse oblige, they have duty to fulfill their social responsibility. Their character depends on the country.
*The notion of
landed gentry in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
varied over time.
*In
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
landed nobles were called ''
pomeshchiks'', with the term literally translated as "
estate owner".
*
Junkers were the landed nobility of
Prussia
Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
and eastern
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
.
*Landadel were the landed nobility of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
.
*In Poland, ''
szlachta
The ''szlachta'' (; ; ) were the nobility, noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Depending on the definition, they were either a warrior "caste" or a social ...
'' were usually landowners, with
magnates being the class of the wealthiest ''szlachta''. Middle and smaller landed szlachta was called ''
ziemiaństwo/ziemianie'' (from the word ''ziemia'', land), usually translated as
landed gentry.
*In some places, e.g., in
Low Countries before Spanish rule, urban nobility with
landed estate
In real estate, a landed property or landed estate is a property that generates income for the owner (typically a member of the gentry) without the owner having to do the actual work of the estate.
In medieval Western Europe, there were two compe ...
s was distinct from landed nobility. In general, relations between landed nobility and towns was very complex in Europe.

*In India,
jagirdars,
zamindars, and
mankaris were the landed aristocracies, which formed
Indian feudalism. Sometimes, they were elevated to the status of 'princes' or 'royalty' owning
princely states. Sometimes royal status was also reduced to the status of zamindars.
*In the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, the
Principalía
The ''principalía'' or Nobility, noble class was the ruling and usually educated upper class in the ''Municipality, pueblos'' of History of the Philippines (1521–1898), Spanish Philippines, comprising the ''gobernadorcillo'' (later called t ...
was the ruling and usually educated upper class in the towns of the
Spanish Philippines. The distinction or status of being part of the principalía was a hereditary right. This upper class was exempted from tribute (tax) to the Spanish crown during the colonial period. The principales (members of the principalía) traced their origin from the pre‑colonial royal and noble class of
Datu and
Lakan of the established kingdoms, rajahnates, confederacies, and principalities, as well as the lordships of the smaller ancient social units called
barangays in
Visayas,
Luzon
Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
, and
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...
. The members of this class enjoyed exclusive privileges, including the right to vote, be elected to public office, and be addressed by the title:
Don or
Doña.
*Within certain communities in
Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
, the reigning monarchs (known as the
traditional rulers) are often vested with inalienable landownership due to their positions, with them either owning tracts of land outright or holding them in trust for their
states. Some communities don't follow this pattern, however. In the
Kingdom of Lagos, for example, landownership is not traditionally vested in the
Oba of Lagos, who is descended from later immigrants from the
Kingdom of Benin
The Kingdom of Benin, also known as Great Benin, is a traditional kingdom in southern Nigeria. It has no historical relation to the modern republic of Benin, which was known as Dahomey from the 17th century until 1975. The Kingdom of Benin's c ...
, but is instead vested in the so-called ''Idejo'' class of titled aristocrats, who all claim descent from the earliest
Yoruba settlers of Lagos.
*In the Americas, the
planter class owned large plantations worked by slaves and indentured servants. While not a legally defined nobility, the
American gentry constituted the planter class in the Thirteen Colonies and, later on, the United States.
*In California, according to
1978 California Proposition 13, the tax basis on real estate is much lower for older property owners than for newcomers. Further, according to 1986 California Proposition 58 and 1996 California Proposition 193, the low tax basis is inherited by the children and grandchildren of property owners.
NIMBY policies and rapidly increasing property values have led to a large socioeconomic gap in both homeownership and property tax burden. This has led some to call California property owners the new landed nobility.
Landlords and Heirs: Why Prop 13 isn’t just unfair, it’s un-American.
Retrieved September 23, 2020.
References
Landowners
Nobility
Feudalism
Oligarchy
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