Lithuanian nobles ruled, Polish serfs obeyed
As with any statehood involving Poles
Lithuanians were irrelevant. Nobility was made up of Poles and Ruthenians, Lithuanians were Samagotian peasants that no one cared about. Majority of Poles descend from nobility as it was the highest number in Europe.
2 years ago
Anonymous
Modern Poles descend almost exclusively from the serfs. Proven by DNA.
2 years ago
Anonymous
Post the source.
2 years ago
Anonymous
Probably because the Germans made a concrete effort to literally exterminate the entire Polish elite in 1939
>king is elected by nobles >whoever can bribe the most nobles wins >so in practice the most corrupt nobles become the most powerful and foreign kings are elected often >every law has to be voted in unanimously by the nobility >everything is vetoed by at least one shitty count who holds 5 acres with 12 sheep on it >nothing gets done ever >neighbors come in and divide their lands
Key factors to understand are:
Land was allodial. The owner had absolute power over their land and did have to pay rent and it was not subjected to any sort of feudal obligation. Poland-Lithuania was never a feudal state.
Nobility did not equate with economic standing. The richest nobles were magnates who controlled vast territories and armies. The poorest sometimes held no land or if they did had work it themselves. It was possible that a non-noble commoner be wealthier than a noble but did not have the same prestige because the noble title was entirely about prestige and special social rights. At its height more than more than 10% of the population were nobles; more than any other state in Europe.
Rebellions were legal. A group ,not necessarily of nobles, could rebel at a perceived trespass of royal authority on their own rights. Originally these actually helped rule in a decentralised manner when the king wasn't around but later were heavily abused by magnates who could gather poor nobles to their cause and exact demands on the king.
The folwark system was their version of serfdom/manoralism. It's basically the same but the important detail to note was how it span out of control especially during the end. King needs help in yet another war > Nobles need money > King increases their rights to exploit peasants and serfs so nobles get money and support him > Repeat. Important caveat is that the situation across all the state was wildly varied, Russian/Ruthenian serfs were very heavily exploited while in Poland less so and in Prussia even less.
The entire system was very decentralised and relied on the health of nobility to defend and govern. When wealth started to dry up it led to heavy political infighting within the government either for or against the king.
Lithuanian nobles ruled, Polish serfs obeyed
As with any statehood involving Poles
Lmao what it was the other way around. Szlachta were polish and lithuanian nobles didnt even speak lithuanian lmao
My explanation is that Poles are born serfs
Lithuanians were irrelevant. Nobility was made up of Poles and Ruthenians, Lithuanians were Samagotian peasants that no one cared about. Majority of Poles descend from nobility as it was the highest number in Europe.
Modern Poles descend almost exclusively from the serfs. Proven by DNA.
Post the source.
Probably because the Germans made a concrete effort to literally exterminate the entire Polish elite in 1939
>Lithuanian nobles
There were Polish nobles too in charge.
My great great grandmother was szlachta.
>There were Polish nobles too in charge.
Nice fanfiction
>Anon is not Polish
>Anon is not Lithuanian
>Nor Belarusian
>Doesn't know shit about family names in these cultures
You couldn't be more wrong
Cкypвиeлeм
Nobles were of both Polish and Lithuanian origin. Most of Lithuanian nobility polonised itself later on.
Same here, my family stems from Hungarian šľachta (zemania).
Szlachta ruled like gods, israelites profited and collected the taxes, serfes owned nothing.
>king is elected by nobles
>whoever can bribe the most nobles wins
>so in practice the most corrupt nobles become the most powerful and foreign kings are elected often
>every law has to be voted in unanimously by the nobility
>everything is vetoed by at least one shitty count who holds 5 acres with 12 sheep on it
>nothing gets done ever
>neighbors come in and divide their lands
A israelite infested shithole. Should have been destroyed sooner, can't wait for the destruction of muttland too
Key factors to understand are:
Land was allodial. The owner had absolute power over their land and did have to pay rent and it was not subjected to any sort of feudal obligation. Poland-Lithuania was never a feudal state.
Nobility did not equate with economic standing. The richest nobles were magnates who controlled vast territories and armies. The poorest sometimes held no land or if they did had work it themselves. It was possible that a non-noble commoner be wealthier than a noble but did not have the same prestige because the noble title was entirely about prestige and special social rights. At its height more than more than 10% of the population were nobles; more than any other state in Europe.
Rebellions were legal. A group ,not necessarily of nobles, could rebel at a perceived trespass of royal authority on their own rights. Originally these actually helped rule in a decentralised manner when the king wasn't around but later were heavily abused by magnates who could gather poor nobles to their cause and exact demands on the king.
The folwark system was their version of serfdom/manoralism. It's basically the same but the important detail to note was how it span out of control especially during the end. King needs help in yet another war > Nobles need money > King increases their rights to exploit peasants and serfs so nobles get money and support him > Repeat. Important caveat is that the situation across all the state was wildly varied, Russian/Ruthenian serfs were very heavily exploited while in Poland less so and in Prussia even less.
The entire system was very decentralised and relied on the health of nobility to defend and govern. When wealth started to dry up it led to heavy political infighting within the government either for or against the king.
finally, a good fricking post