Crown of the Kingdom of Poland

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For the crown used by Polish kings, see Polish crown jewels.

Crown of the Kingdom of Poland
Korona Królestwa Polskiego (
Latin
)
1385–1795
Flag of Crown of the Kingdom of Poland
Royal Banner (c. 1621)
Coat of arms of Crown of the Kingdom of Poland
Coat of arms
Anthem: "
May 3 Constitution
May 3, 1791
January 7 1795
Currency
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Kingdom of Poland
Kingdom of Prussia
Habsburg Monarchy
Russian Empire

The Crown of the Kingdom of Poland (

free election of the ruler.[4] At the same time, the idea of the crown went beyond existing political boundaries; lands lost in the past were considered to belong to it.[5]

The idea of the Crown in Central Europe first appeared in Bohemia and Hungary, from where the model was taken by kings

Ladislaus the Short and Casimir III the Great to strengthen their power. During the reign of Louis the Great in Poland, who spent most of his time in Hungary, as well as during the interregnum following his death and the regency during the minority of his daughter Jadwiga, the idea was adopted by the lords of the kingdom to emphasize their own role as co-responsible for the state.[6]

The development of the concept of corona regni in Poland

The concept of corona regni appeared earliest in the early 12th century in England. In the thirteenth century, when it was well-formed, the term corona regni Angliae denoted non-transferable and imperishable royal dignity, power and rights, primarily the king's judicial power, but also the state as such, also understood as a defined territory, including lost lands.[7] In the 14th century, the concept of the Crown standing above the King emerged; the King had no right to infringe on the rights of the Crown and deplete its possessions. The crown, hitherto the crown jewel, becomes a self-contained and permanent legal entity.[8] Similar processes have occurred in other European countries.

In France, the term appears a little later, and refers primarily to the royal domain, but also to the lands of royal vassals. This is of particular importance in the process of incorporation of fief lands into the royal domain. The principle of non-transferablity and imperishability of the crown's rights, served in the 14th century to cancel many land grants in the previous period.[9] The concept of corona regni appears in many kingdoms of Europe, in each in a slightly different sense, related to local specifics. In Aragon, for example, the Crown is basically a common name for a range of kingdoms and territories linked virtually only by the person of a common ruler, the King of Aragon.[10]

For Poland, however, the most important is the emergence of the concept of corona regni in Hungary, where it happens already at the end of the 12th century. Originally, it is primarily the concept of the kingdom as a territorial entity, directly related to the Arpad dynasty, as heirs to the crown of St. Stephen and his descendants.

Sigismund of Luxembourg, when there is a clear separation of the Holy Crown of the Kingdom from the person of the King, when the Hungarian estates clearly declare that the ruler has obligations to the Crown, which they will demand to be respected.[13] Over the course of the 15th century in Hungary, the Crown acquires a distinct legal personality, standing above the king and the estates and becoming the de facto sovereign. What distinguishes Hungary from other countries is that the concept of corona regni there is inseparably linked to the physically existing royal jewel, the Holy Crown of Saint Stephen, which thereby acquires a unique significance.[14]

In Bohemia, the emergence of the concept of corona regni comes relatively late, as in the mid-14th century, and is primarily associated with the territorial expansion of the state and the drive to consolidate it. Above all, the loss of the Bohemian kings of the

Luxembourg dynasty's hopes for the throne of Poland gave rise to the need to unite the Silesian principalities with the Bohemian throne. In 1348 Charles IV established the feudal organization of the state and introduced the notions of corona regni Bohemiae, into which the Silesian and Upper Lusatian lands were incorporated as directly dependent on it. Thus, they were henceforth bound not only to the person of the King, but to the perpetual Crown.[15] Later, the development of estate representation, resistance to Wenceslaus IV's desire to diminish its importance, and finally the period of interregnums and the Hussite wars, led to the formation of the Crown as standing above the king and the estates.[16]

Major political events

Banner of the Kingdom of Poland until the 15th century

The history of Poland as an entity has been traditionally traced to c. 966, when the

Duke of Poland
, became the first crowned King of Poland in 1025.

Union of Krewo

Main article: Union of Krewo

The Union of Krewo was a set of prenuptial agreements made in the Kreva Castle on August 13, 1385. Once Jogaila confirmed the prenuptial agreements on August 14, 1385, Poland and Lithuania formed a personal union. The agreements included the adoption of Christianity, repatriation of lands "stolen" from Poland by its neighbours, and terras suas Lithuaniae et Russiae Coronae Regni Poloniae perpetuo applicare, the clause which formed the personal union. After being baptized at the Wawel Cathedral in Kraków on February 15, 1386, Jogaila began to formally use the name Władysław. Three days after his baptism, the marriage between Jadwiga and Władysław II Jagiełło took place.

Union of Lublin

Main article: Union of Lublin
Banner of Poland and Lithuania in the chronicle of the Council of Constance (1416)

The Union of Lublin created the single state of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth on July 1, 1569 with a real union between the Crown and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Before then, the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania only had a personal union. The Union of Lublin also made the Crown an elective monarchy; this ended the Jagiellonian dynasty once Henry de Valois was elected on May 16, 1573 as monarch.

On May 30, 1574, two months after Henry de Valois was crowned King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania on February 22, 1574, he was made King of France, and was crowned King of France on February 13, 1575. He left the throne of the Crown on May 12, 1575, two months after he was crowned King of France. Anna Jagiellon was elected after him.

Constitution of 1791

Main article: Constitution of 3 May 1791
First page of the original Constitution

The Constitution of May 3, 1791 is the second-oldest, codified national constitution in history, and the oldest codified national constitution in Europe; the oldest being the

Stanisław II Augustus was the principal author of the Constitution, and he wanted the Crown to be a constitutional monarchy, similar to the one in Great Britain. On May 3, 1791, the Great Sejm convened, and they read and adopted the new constitution. It enfranchised the bourgeoisie, separated the government into three branches, abolished liberum veto, and stopped the abuses of the Repnin Sejm
.

It made Poland a constitutional monarchy with the King as the head of the executive branch with his

Sejm Marshal. The Crown Tribunal, the highest appellate court in the Crown, was reformed. The Sejm would elect their judges for the Sejm Court (the Crown's parliamentary court) from their deputies (posłowie
).

The Government Act angered

Jacobinism that was prominent in France at the time. Russia invaded the Commonwealth in 1792.[17][18] The Constitution was in place for less than 19 months; it was annulled by the Grodno Sejm.[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]

Politics

Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, 1635
fiefdom).
  Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, Lithuanian fief.
  Duchy of Livonia
.

The creation of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland was a milestone in the evolution of Polish statehood and the European identity. It represented the concept of the Polish kingdom (nation) as distinctly separate from the person of the monarch.

patrimonial monarchy (a hereditary monarchy) to a "quasi-constitutional monarchy" (monarchia stanowa)[27] in which power resided in the nobility, the clergy and (to some extent) the working class, also referred to as an "elective monarchy"
.

A related concept that evolved soon afterward was that of

Polish coat of arms and the flag of Poland.[27]

Geography

The concept of the Crown also had geographical aspects, particularly related to the indivisibility of the Polish Crown's territory.

Kingdom of Poland, then, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
until its final collapse in 1795.

At the same time, the Crown also referred to all lands that the Polish state (not the monarch) could claim to have the right to rule over, including those that were not within Polish borders.[27]

The term distinguishes those territories federated with the

Duchy of Courland
(     ).

Prior to the 1569

Kingdom of Poland proper, inhabited by Poles, or as other areas under the sovereignty of the Polish king (such as Royal Prussia) or the szlachta. With the Union of Lublin, however, most of present-day Ukraine (which had a negligible Polish population and had until then been governed by Lithuania
), passed under Polish administration, thus becoming Crown territory.

During that period, a term for a Pole from the Crown territory was koroniarz (plural: koroniarze) – or Crownlander(s) in English – derived from Korona – the Crown.

Depending on context, the Polish "Crown" may also refer to "

Polish magnates
(confederates).

Provinces

After the Union of Lublin (1569) Crown lands were divided into two provinces: Lesser Poland (Polish: Małopolska) and Greater Poland (Polish: Wielkopolska). These were further divided into administrative units known as voivodeships (the Polish names of the voivodships and towns are shown below in parentheses).

Greater Poland Province

Main article:
Greater Poland Province of the Polish Crown
(in Polish) Voivodeships of the Commonwealth of the Two Nations
(in Polish and English) Map showing voivodeships of the Commonwealth of the Two Nations

Lesser Poland Province

Main article:
Lesser Poland Province of the Polish Crown

Royal Prussia Province (1569–1772)

Main article: Royal Prussia

Royal Prussia (Polish: Prusy Królewskie) was a semi-autonomous province of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1569 to 1772. Royal Prussia included Pomerelia, Chełmno Land (Kulmerland), Malbork Voivodeship (Marienburg), Gdańsk (Danzig), Toruń (Thorn), and Elbląg (Elbing). Polish historian Henryk Wisner writes that Royal Prussia belonged to the Province of Greater Poland.[28]

Other holdings or fiefs

The Crown and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania 1386–1434

Principality of Moldavia (1387–1497)

Main article:
Principality of Moldavia

The history of Moldavia has long been intertwined with that of Poland. The Polish chronicler

Władysław I, against the Margraviate of Brandenburg.[29]
The Polish state was powerful enough to counter the Hungarian Kingdom which was consistently interested in bringing the area that would become Moldavia into its political orbit.

Ties between Poland and Moldavia expanded after the Polish

Carpathian mountains in 1359, took control of Moldavia, and succeeded in transforming it into an independent political entity. Despite being disfavored by the brief union of Angevin Poland and Hungary (the latter was still the country's overlord), Bogdan's successor Lațcu, the Moldavian ruler also likely allied himself with the Poles. Lațcu also accepted conversion to Roman Catholicism
around 1370, but his gesture was to remain without lasting consequences.

Vytautas the Great of Lithuania. Under Stephen I, growing Polish influence was challenged by Sigismund of Hungary, whose expedition was defeated at Ghindăoani
in 1385; however, Stephen disappeared in mysterious circumstances.

Although

Alexăndrel to the throne in Suceava. Petru Aron's rule also signified the beginning of Moldavia's Ottoman Empire allegiance, as the ruler agreed to pay tribute to Sultan Mehmed II
.

The principality of Moldavia covered the entire geographic region of Moldavia. In various periods, various other territories were politically connected with the Moldavian principality. This is the case of the province of

Pokuttya, the fiefdoms of Cetatea de Baltă and Ciceu (both in Transylvania
) or, at a later date, the territories between the Dniester and the Bug rivers.

Towns in Spisz (Szepes) County (1412–1795)

The Spiš (Zips) region. Light blue and green areas show the pawned territories, red line shows current borders, yellow former border between then Hungary and Poland and the black borders between counties
Main article:
Szepes county § The pawning of Szepes towns and the Province of 13 Szepes Towns

As one of the terms of the

Maciejowce, Twarożne
.

Duchy of Siewierz (1443–1795)

Main article: Duchy of Siewierz

ecclesiastical duchy in Lesser Poland. The junction of the duchy with the Lesser Poland Province was concluded in 1790 when the Great Sejm formally incorporated the Duchy, as part of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, into the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
.

Prince-Bishopric of Warmia (1466–1772)

Main article: Prince-Bishopric of Warmia

The Prince-Bishopric of Warmia

Kingdom of Poland, later part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth after the Peace of Thorn (1466–1772)[34]

Lauenburg and Bütow Land

Main article: Lauenburg and Bütow Land

After the childless death of the last of the

Frederick II of Prussia incorporated the territory into Prussia and the subsequent Treaty of Warsaw in 1773[35]
made the former conditions obsolete.

Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (Courland) (1562–1791)

Main article: Duchy of Courland and Semigallia

The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia is a

Tobago
and Gambia

Duchy of Prussia (1569–1657)

Main article: Duchy of Prussia

The Duchy of Prussia was a

Treaty of Wehlau in Wehlau (Polish: Welawa; now Znamensk), whereby Frederick William renounced a previous Swedish-Prussian alliance and John Casimir recognised Frederick William's full sovereignty over the Duchy of Prussia.[36] Full sovereignty was a necessary prerequisite for upgrading the Duchy to Kingdom of Prussia
in 1701.

Duchy of Livonia (Inflanty) (1569–1772)

Main article: Duchy of Livonia

The Duchy of Livonia[37] was a territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania – and later a joint domain (Condominium) of the Polish Crown and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Protectorates

Caffa

Main article: Feodosia § Kaffa

In 1462, during the expansion of the

Casimir IV of Poland. The proposition of protection was accepted by the Polish king but when the real danger came, help for Caffa never arrived.[38]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "Gaude Mater Polonia Creation and History". Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  2. ISBN 9780199253395
    .
  3. ^ Frost 2015, p. 15.
  4. ^ Frost 2015, p. 14.
  5. ^ Frost 2015, p. 12.
  6. ^ Frost 2015, pp. 11–12.
  7. ^ Dąbrowski 1956, pp. 21–22.
  8. ^ Dąbrowski 1956, pp. 30–31.
  9. ^ Dąbrowski 1956, pp. 22–24.
  10. ^ Dąbrowski 1956, p. 24.
  11. ^ Dąbrowski 1956, pp. 27–31.
  12. ^ Dąbrowski 1956, p. 31.
  13. ^ Dąbrowski 1956, pp. 32–33.
  14. ^ Dąbrowski 1956, p. 38.
  15. ^ Dąbrowski 1956, pp. 34–36.
  16. ^ Dąbrowski 1956, pp. 36–38.
  17. ^ Henry Smith Williams (1904). The Historians' History of the World: Poland, The Balkans, Turkey, Minor eastern states, China, Japan. Outlook Company. pp. 88–91. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  18. ISBN 978-0-521-55917-1
    . Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  19. ISBN 978-0-307-38773-8
    . Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  20. ISBN 978-90-481-2400-8
    . Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  21. ISBN 0-19-820171-0
    .
  22. JSTOR 564654
    .
  23. ISBN 978-0-7818-0637-4
    . Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  24. ISBN 978-1-4411-4812-4
    . Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  25. ISBN 978-0-7818-0637-4
    . Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  26. ISBN 978-1-881284-09-3
    .
  27. ^ a b c d e f Juliusz Bardach, Boguslaw Lesnodorski, and Michal Pietrzak, Historia panstwa i prawa polskiego (Warsaw: Paristwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1987, pp. 85–86
  28. ^ Henryk Wisner, Rzeczpospolita Wazów. Czasy Zygmunta III i Władysława IV. Wydawnictwo Neriton, Instytut Historii PAN, Warszawa 2002, p. 26 [ISBN missing]
  29. ^ The Annals of Jan Długosz, p. 273
  30. ISBN 978-0-231-12817-9
    .
  31. ^ Zygmunt Gloger Geografia historyczna ziem dawnej Polski "Właściwą Małopolskę stanowiły województwa: Krakowskie, Sandomierskie i Lubelskie, oraz kupione (w wieku XV) przez Zbigniewa Oleśnickiego, biskupa krakowskiego, u książąt śląskich księstwo Siewierskie"
  32. ISBN 978-0-8006-7085-6
    .
  33. ^ Biskupie Księstwo Warmińskie @ Google books
  34. ISBN 978-0-521-85332-3
    .
  35. ^ Translation of a treaty between the King of Prussia and the King and Republic of Poland. In: The Scots Magazine, vol. XXXV, Edinburgh 1773, pp. 687–691.
  36. ISBN 83-223-1984-3
  37. ISBN 90-6550-881-3
    , p 17
  38. ^ Historia Polski Średniowiecze, Stanisław Szczur, Kraków 2002, s. 537.

References

  • Stanisław Szczur, Historia Polski Średniowiecze (History of Poland – Middle Ages), Wydawnictwo Literackie 2002,
    ISBN 83-08-03272-9
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