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The magnates of Poland and Lithuania (, ) were an
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 ...
of Polish-Lithuanian
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 ...
(''
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 ...
'') that existed in the
Crown of the Kingdom of Poland The Crown of the Kingdom of Poland (; ) was a political and legal concept formed in the 14th century in the Kingdom of Poland, assuming unity, indivisibility and continuity of the state. Under this idea, the state was no longer seen as the Pat ...
, in the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...
and, from the 1569
Union of Lublin The Union of Lublin (; ) was signed on 1 July 1569 in Lublin, Poland, and created a single state, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest countries in Europe at the time. It replaced the personal union of the Crown of the Kingd ...
, in the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
, until the Third Partition of Poland in 1795. The magnate social class arose around the 16th century and, over time, gained more and more control over Commonwealth politics. The most powerful magnates were known as "little kings" due to the extent of their power and independence. Their influence diminished with the Third Partition of Poland (1795), which ended the Commonwealth's independent existence, and came to an end with the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and the
communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
-ruled
People's Republic of Poland The Polish People's Republic (1952–1989), formerly the Republic of Poland (1947–1952), and also often simply known as Poland, was a country in Central Europe that existed as the predecessor of the modern-day democratic Republic of Poland. ...
. Famous magnate families in the territories of the Crown of Poland included the
Czartoryski The House of Czartoryski (feminine form: Czartoryska, plural: Czartoryscy; ) is a Princely Houses of Poland, Polish princely family of Lithuanian-Ruthenians, Ruthenian origin, also known as the Familia (political party), Familia. The family, whic ...
, Kalinowski, Koniecpolski, Krasinski,
Ostrogski The House of Ostrogski (; ; ) was one of the more prominent families in the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The family spanned from the 14th century Rut ...
, Potocki, Tarnowski,
Wiśniowiecki The House of Wiśniowiecki () was a Princely houses of Poland and Lithuania, Polish-Lithuanian princely family of Ruthenian origin, notable in the history of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. They were powerful magnates with estates predo ...
, Zasławski and Zamoyski families; and in the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...
, the Kieżgajłow, Olelkowicz, Radziwiłł, Pac and Sapieha families.


History and characteristics

The magnates arose as the wealthiest and most politically powerful
social class A social class or social stratum is a grouping of people into a set of Dominance hierarchy, hierarchical social categories, the most common being the working class and the Bourgeoisie, capitalist class. Membership of a social class can for exam ...
, part of the nobility (''
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 ...
''), of the
Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland (; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a monarchy in Central Europe during the Middle Ages, medieval period from 1025 until 1385. Background The West Slavs, West Slavic tribe of Polans (western), Polans who lived in what i ...
and
Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...
, around 16th century. Some traced their ancestry to
Gediminas Gediminas ( – December 1341) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1315 or 1316 until his death in 1341. He is considered the founder of Lithuania's capital Vilnius (see: Iron Wolf legend). During his reign, he brought under his rule lands from t ...
, a
Grand Duke of Lithuania This is a list of Lithuanian monarchs who ruled Lithuania from its inception until the fall of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1795. The Lithuanian monarch bore the title of Grand duke, Grand Duke, with the exception of Mindaugas, who was crown ...
from 1316, the Gediminids. Their powers waned after the Commonwealth loss of independence following its final partition in 1795, but they would remain a significant power in the culture, politics and economy of the Polish territories until
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Magnates (or higher nobility) vied for political power with the lesser and middle nobility ('' Ruch egzekucyjny'' in the late 16th century, and the reform movement of the
Great Sejm The Great Sejm, also known as the Four-Year Sejm (Polish language, Polish: ''Sejm Wielki'' or ''Sejm Czteroletni''; Lithuanian language, Lithuanian: ''Didysis seimas'' or ''Ketverių metų seimas'') was a Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwea ...
in the late 18th century) and the
King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
. To be counted among the magnates, one should have a large estate, and political influence at least on the scale of a
province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
, if not national. Regional differences abounded, with the estates being much larger in the east, where the wealthier magnates were also much more likely to have their own private armies. The eastern territories were more independent from the central power, and the large estates there, known as latifundia, with private cities and armies of the magnates, gave rise there to the term ''królewięta'' ("little kings") used for the wealthiest of them - the developing
aristocracy 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 ...
. The magnates in the Royal Prussia had their fortunes build not around their own lands, but the royal grants ('' królewszczyzny''). The magnates tried to avoid splitting up of their lands, and some of the wealthiest families were able to protect their lands from division through the '' ordynacja'' system. Magnate residences often became cultural and economic centers for a given region.
Social mobility Social mobility is the movement of individuals, families, households or other categories of people within or between social strata in a society. It is a change in social status relative to one's current social location within a given socie ...
was present, in a limited fashion, as while the magnates preferred to marry within their own ranks, particularly wealthy of famous lesser nobles were able to join their ranks over time; this was the case with the Koniecpolski family, Ossoliński family and the Zamoyski family. From the late 16th century the influence of the magnates on Commonwealth politics rose sharply, through their participation in the administrative system (see offices of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth) and their control over the lesser nobility, which allowed them to influence the parliaments (local '' sejmiks'' and the national '' sejm walny'') of the country. From the second half of the 17th century, the magnates emerged as the victors in the struggle for power in the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
, leading some scholar to refer to this period as a time of the magnate
oligarchy Oligarchy (; ) is a form of government in which power rests with a small number of people. Members of this group, called oligarchs, generally hold usually hard, but sometimes soft power through nobility, fame, wealth, or education; or t ...
. As Norman Davies noted, at that time "political life f Polandwas reduced to the feuds, fortunes, and the follies of a few families". Faced with the weakness of the king and parliament, the magnates were even able on occasion to start border wars ( Magnate Moldavian Wars, the Dimitriads) or civil wars (Radziwiłł's rebellion during The Deluge, and the Sapieha's-centered Lithuanian Civil War of 1700). Some magnates were also elected as kings of the Commonwealth; namely Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki and
Stanisław August Poniatowski Stanisław II August (born Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski; 17 January 1732 – 12 February 1798), known also by his regnal Latin name Stanislaus II Augustus, and as Stanisław August Poniatowski (), was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuani ...
(a relative of the Czartoryski family). All members of the szlachta were equal under the law, therefore " magnate" (, ) was not an official title but rather a position of
social class A social class or social stratum is a grouping of people into a set of Dominance hierarchy, hierarchical social categories, the most common being the working class and the Bourgeoisie, capitalist class. Membership of a social class can for exam ...
, based on
wealth Wealth is the abundance of valuable financial assets or physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the originating Old English word , which is from an ...
. Several magnates held high feudal titles or peerage ranks such as
prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
or
count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
. With few exceptions, mostly dating from the
Union of Lublin The Union of Lublin (; ) was signed on 1 July 1569 in Lublin, Poland, and created a single state, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest countries in Europe at the time. It replaced the personal union of the Crown of the Kingd ...
, and special privileges permitting some Lithuanian magnates to use them, such titles were forbidden by law. Titles from the offices in Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth however were very popular. The wealthiest of magnates would wear
crimson Crimson is a rich, deep red color, inclining to purple. It originally meant the color of the kermes dye produced from a scale insect, '' Kermes vermilio'', but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red col ...
and scarlet items of clothing, leading to a nickname for that elite group, ''karmazyni'' (the "crimson ones").


Families

Famous magnate families from the Crown of Poland territories included: the
Czartoryski The House of Czartoryski (feminine form: Czartoryska, plural: Czartoryscy; ) is a Princely Houses of Poland, Polish princely family of Lithuanian-Ruthenians, Ruthenian origin, also known as the Familia (political party), Familia. The family, whic ...
, Kalinowski, Koniecpolski, Ossoliński,
Ostrogski The House of Ostrogski (; ; ) was one of the more prominent families in the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The family spanned from the 14th century Rut ...
, Potocki, Wiśnowiecki, Zasławski, Zamoyski, Krasiński, Mielżyński, and Branicki families. From the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...
, notable families included: the Alšėniškis, Astikai, Goštautai, Kęsgaila,
Manvydas Manvydas or Monwid (; died in 1348?) was the eldest son of Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and inherited Kernavė and Slonim after his father's death in 1341. Nothing else is known about his life. Matthias of Neuenburg mentioned that two so ...
, Olelkovich, Pac, Radziwiłł, Sapieha, and Tyszkiewicz families.


Residences

Major magnate residences, usually in the form of '' dwórs'' or ''dvaras'' and even outright
palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...
s were found in: Pawłowice, Iwno, Biržai,
Kėdainiai Kėdainiai () is one of the oldest List of cities in Lithuania, cities in Lithuania. It is located north of Lithuania's second largest city Kaunas on the banks of the Nevėžis River. Kėdainiai were first mentioned in the 1372 Livonian Chronicle ...
, Nesvizh,
Slutsk Slutsk is a town in Minsk Region, in central Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Slutsk District, and is located on the Sluch (Belarus), Sluch River south of the capital Minsk. As of 2025, it has a population of 59,450. Geography ...
,
Kletsk Klyetsk or Kletsk is a town in Minsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Klyetsk District. Klyetsk is located on the Lan (river), Lan River. As of 2025, it has a population of 11,169. History The town was founded in the ...
,
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,
Białystok Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the List of cities and towns in Poland, tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area. Biał ...
,
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,
Leszno Leszno (, , ) is a historic city in western Poland, seat of Leszno County within the Greater Poland Voivodeship. It is the seventh-largest city in the province with an estimated population of 62,200, as of 2021. Leszno is a former residential cit ...
, Rydzyna, Gołuchów, Bieżuń, Jabłonna,
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, Nieborów,
Otwock Otwock (Yiddish: אָטוואָצק) is a city in the Masovian Voivodeship in east-central Poland, some south-east of Warsaw, with 43,895 inhabitants (2024). Otwock is part of the Warsaw metropolitan area. It is situated on the right bank of the ...
, Pawłowice, Iwno, Vowchyn (Voŭčyn), Biała, Kodeń, Puławy, Białaczów, Końskie, Ujazd, Opole, Rytwiany, Baranów,
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, Chervonohrad, Łańcut, Ruzhany, Przeworsk,
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, Wiśnicz,
Rzeszów Rzeszów ( , ) is the largest city in southeastern Poland. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River in the heartland of the Sandomierz Basin. Rzeszów is the capital of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship and the county seat, seat of Rzeszów C ...
,
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, Krasiczyn,
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, Zolochiv,
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,
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, Vyshnivets, Olyka, Korets, Ostroh, Iziaslav,
Buchach Buchach (, ; ; or ; ; ; ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city located on the Strypa River (a tributary of the Dniester) in Chortkiv Raion of Ternopil Oblast (Oblast, province) of Western Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Buchach urban h ...
, Zbarazh,
Bila Tserkva Bila Tserkva ( ; , ) is a city in central Ukraine. It is situated on the Ros (river), Ros River in the historical region of right-bank Ukraine. It is the largest city in Kyiv Oblast (which does not include the city of Kyiv) and serves as the ...
, Sieniawa, Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi and Tulchyn.Michael Pratt. The Great Country Houses of Poland. New York: Abbeville, 2007. Print.


See also

* List of szlachta (this article lists the families of the magnate class, or higher nobility). *
Golden Liberty Golden Liberty (; , ), sometimes referred to as Golden Freedoms, Nobles' Democracy or Nobles' Commonwealth ( or ''Złota wolność szlachecka'') was a political system in the Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569), Kingdom of Poland and, after the Unio ...
*
Polish heraldry Polish heraldry is the study of the coats of arms that have historically been used in Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It treats of specifically Polish heraldic traits and of the Polish heraldic system, contrasted with heraldic sys ...
* Sarmatism * Princely Houses of Poland * Paradisus Judaeorum


Further reading

*


References

{{reflist, refs= Tadeusz Cegielski, Katarzyna Zielińska: Historia. Dzieje nowożytne. Podręcznik dla klasy II liceum ogólnokształcącego. Warszawa: Wydawnictwa Szkole i Pedagogiczne, 1998, p. 191. {{ISBN, 83-02-04757-0. {{cite book, author1=Klub Kostiumologii i Tkaniny Artystycznej (Warsaw, Poland). Sesja, author2=Stowarzyszenie Historyków Sztuki. Oddział Warszawski, title=Ubiory w Polsce, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A9ISAQAAIAAJ, year=1994, publisher=Kopia, page=183 {{cite book, author=Piotr Stefan Wandycz, title=The United States and Poland, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_XaFaNshCrkC&pg=PA18, year=1980, publisher=Harvard University Press, isbn=978-0-674-92685-1, page=18 {{cite book, author=Richard Brzezinski, title=Polish Armies 1569-1696 (1), url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HTBei5ocWosC&pg=PA6, date=23 April 1987, publisher=Osprey Publishing, isbn=978-0-85045-736-0, pages=6– {{cite book, author=Richard Brzezinski, title=Polish Armies 1569-1696 (2), url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6KrUDhbGDVcC&pg=PA12, date=1 June 1988, publisher=Osprey Publishing, isbn=978-0-85045-744-5, pages=12–13 {{cite book, author=Norman Davies, title=God's Playground A History of Poland: Volume 1: The Origins to 1795, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b912JnKpYTkC&pg=PA379, date=24 February 2005, publisher=Oxford University Press, isbn=978-0-19-925339-5, page=379 {{cite book, author=Aleksander Gella, title=Development of Class Structure in Eastern Europe: Poland & Her Southern Neighbors, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8keIXDyF_EoC&pg=PA92, year=1989, publisher=SUNY Press, isbn=978-0-88706-833-1, pages=92–94 {{cite book, author=Jeannie Labno, title=Commemorating the Polish Renaissance Child: Funeral Monuments and Their European Context, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=62amW8RD02EC&pg=PA26, date=1 May 2011, publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., isbn=978-0-7546-6825-1, pages=26– {{cite book, author=Andrejs Plakans, title=A Concise History of the Baltic States, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w6W2cHgJE2sC&pg=PA120, date=24 February 2011, publisher=Cambridge University Press, isbn=978-0-521-83372-1, page=120 {{cite web, url=http://encyklopedia.pwn.pl/haslo.php?id=3936056 , title=Magnaci (Magnates), publisher= Encyklopedia PWN, year=2010 , access-date=2012-12-12, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411103823/https://encyklopedia.pwn.pl/haslo/magnaci;3936056.html , archive-date=11 April 2016 {{cite book, author=Daniel Stone, title=The Polish-Lithuanian State: 1386-1795, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LFgB_l4SdHAC&pg=PA233, year=2001, publisher=University of Washington Press, isbn=978-0-295-98093-5, page=233 Polish nobility Lithuanian nobility Social class in Poland Social history of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Social history of Ukraine