Duchy of Samogitia

Coordinates: 55°45′N 21°50′E / 55.750°N 21.833°E / 55.750; 21.833
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the historical region of Samogitia. For the ethnographic region, see Samogitia.
Duchy of Samogitia
Žemaitėjės seniūnėjė
Žemaičių seniūnija
Księstwo żmudzkie
Duchy of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
1219–1795
Flag of Samogitia
Flag
Coat of arms of Samogitia
Coat of arms
Third partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
1795
Political subdivisions28 tracts
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Samogitia
Russian Empire

55°45′N 21°50′E / 55.750°N 21.833°E / 55.750; 21.833

The Duchy of Samogitia (

Elder (Lithuanian: Seniūnas) of Samogitia who was self-elected by the Samogitian nobility.[2]

The Duchy was located in the western part of the present

ethnographic regions
and is not defined administratively.

Name

Samogitia is a Latinized version of the name Žemaitija, meaning "the Lowlands" as opposed to Aukštaitija for "the Highlands". In the Middle Ages, the names Samaiten, Samaitae, Zamaytae, Samogitia, Samattae, Samethi were used in German and Latin sources. They, together with other variants Schmudien, Schamaiten (German) and Żmudź (Polish), are all derived from the Lithuanian Žemaičiai, dial. Žemaitiai / Žemaitei.

Geography

Samogitia and Lithuania proper in a 1712 map by Henri Chatelain

The Duchy was located in what today is several counties (apskritis) in Lithuania: a small part of Kaunas County (Kauno Apskritis), the western part Šiauliai County (Šiaulių Apskritis), Tauragė County (Tauragės Apskritis), Telšiai County (Telšių Apskritis), the northern part of Klaipėda County (Klaipėdos Apskritis) and the northern part of Marijampolė County (Marijampolės Apskritis).

The major part of Samogitia is located on Western Upland. Lowlands which are referred in its name are on the border between Samogitia and Eastern Lithuania, along the

Nevėžis River
.

The Duchy of Samogitia had the size of approximately 25,700 square kilometers.[3]

History

Duchy in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569-1795)
The attacking Bear, the historical Coat of Arms of Samogitia
Samogitia in the 17th century
Map of Samogitia in 1753
French map of the 18th century Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth with Duchy of Samogitia (Samogitie) and Lithuania proper (Vraye Lithuanie) separated with red and green lines

Before the formation of the Lithuanian state, Samogitia was ruled by its local noblemen. A chronicle mentions two dukes from Samogitia in 1219 as signatories of the Treaty with Volhynia.

Since the formation of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 13th century, Samogitia was its dependent territory, however sometimes the influence of the Lithuanian Grand Duke was very limited. During the rule of the first Lithuanian king, Mindaugas, Samogitians pursued an independent foreign policy and continued fighting with the Knights of the Sword even after King Mindaugas had signed a peace treaty with them.

Samogitia for 200 years played a crucial role in halting the expansion of the

Knights of the Sword in the Battle of Saule (1236) and the Livonian Order in the Battle of Skuodas (1259), and the Battle of Durbe
(1260).

In the atmosphere of fierce battles with the Teutonic Knights, the Lithuanian rulers

Jogaila and Vytautas several times ceded Samogitia to the Teutonic Order in 1382, 1398 and 1404. However, the Teutonic Knights were not successful in subjugating the land, and Samogitians revolted in 1401 and 1409. After the defeats in the Battle of Grunwald (1410) and following wars, in 1422 the Teutonic Order ceded Samogitia to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania under the Treaty of Melno
.

Samogitians were the last in Europe to

Samogitian dialect of the Lithuanian language.[4]

The Grand Duke of Lithuania

starost
) in 1441.

Because of its prolonged wars with the Teutonic Order, Samogitia had developed a social and political structure different from the rest of Lithuania. It had a larger proportion of free farmers and smaller estates than in Eastern Lithuania.

As with most of the

Swedish invasion of Commonwealth (the Deluge, mid-17th century). Its population dropped from close to 400,000 to about 250,000; only to return to 400,000 by the late 18th century.[5]

After the annexation of Lithuania by

Lithuanian national revival, which stressed the importance of the Lithuanian language and opposed russification and polonization
.

Elders of Samogitia

The General Elders of Samogitia (equivalents of voivodes) included:

No. Portrait or Coat of Arms Elder of Samogitia Took office Left office Time in office Notes
1
Rumbaudas Valimantaitis
Rumbaudas Valimantaitis
(?–1432)		140914112 years, 0 days
2
Mykolas Kęsgaila
Mykolas Kęsgaila
(?–c. 1450)		1412143220 years, 0 days
3
Jurgis Galminas [lt]
Jurgis Galminas [lt]
(1409–1438)		143214342 years, 0 days
4
Mykolas Kantautas
Mykolas Kantautas
(born ?)		143514405 years, 0 days
5
Mykolas Kęsgaila
Mykolas Kęsgaila
(?–c. 1450)		144014411 year, 0 days
6
Petras Gedgaudas
Petras Gedgaudas
(born ?)		144114432 years, 0 days
7
Mykolas Kęsgaila
Mykolas Kęsgaila
(?–c. 1450)		144314507 years, 0 days
8
Jonas Kęsgaila
Jonas Kęsgaila
(?–1485)		1451148534 years, 0 days
9
Stanislovas Kęsgaila
Stanislovas Kęsgaila
(?–1527)		1486152640 years, 0 days
10
Stanislovas Kęsgaila
Stanislovas Kęsgaila
(1503–1532)		152715325 years, 0 days
11
Petras Kiška (Polish: Piotr Kiszka)
Petras Kiška (Polish: Piotr Kiszka)
(?–1534)		153215342 years, 0 days
12
Jonas Radvila (Polish: Jan Radziwiłł)
Jonas Radvila (Polish: Jan Radziwiłł)
(1492–1542)		153515427 years, 0 days
13
Motiejus Vaitiekaitis Kločka [lt] (Polish: Maciej Janowicz Kłoczko)
Motiejus Vaitiekaitis Kločka [lt] (Polish: Maciej Janowicz Kłoczko)
(?–1543)		154215431 year, 0 days
14
Jurgis Bilevičius (Polish: Jerzy Billewicz)
Jurgis Bilevičius (Polish: Jerzy Billewicz)
(born ?)		154315441 year, 0 days
15
Stanislovas Mikolajaitis Kęsgaila [lt] (Polish: Stanisław Kieżgajło)
Stanislovas Mikolajaitis Kęsgaila [lt] (Polish: Stanisław Kieżgajło)
(1520–1554)		154415551 year, 0 days
16
Jeronimas Chodkevičius (Polish: Hieronim Chodkiewicz)
Jeronimas Chodkevičius (Polish: Hieronim Chodkiewicz)
(c. 1515–1561)		1545156116 years, 0 days
-
Vacant
Vacant
Acting		156115632 years, 0 days
17
Jonas Chodkevičius (Polish: Jan Hieronimowicz Chodkiewicz)
Jonas Chodkevičius (Polish: Jan Hieronimowicz Chodkiewicz)
(1537–1579)		1563157916 years, 0 days
18
Jonas Kiška (Polish: Jan Kiszka)
Jonas Kiška (Polish: Jan Kiszka)
(1547–1592)		1579159213 years, 0 days
19
Jurgis Chodkevičius [lt] (Polish: Jerzy Chodkiewicz)
Jurgis Chodkevičius [lt] (Polish: Jerzy Chodkiewicz)
(1570–1595)		159015955 years, 0 days
20
Stanislovas Radvila (Polish: Stanisław Radziwiłł)
Stanislovas Radvila (Polish: Stanisław Radziwiłł)
(1570–1595)		159515994 years, 0 days
21
Jonas Karolis Chodkevičius (Polish: Jan Karol Chodkiewicz)
Jonas Karolis Chodkevičius (Polish: Jan Karol Chodkiewicz)
(1561–1621)		1599161617 years, 0 days
-
Vacant
Vacant
Acting		161616193 years, 0 days
22
Jeronimas Valavičius (Polish: Hieronim Wołłowicz)
Jeronimas Valavičius (Polish: Hieronim Wołłowicz)
(1573–1636)		1619163617 years, 0 days
-
Vacant
Vacant
Acting		163616437 years, 0 days
23
Jonas Alfonsas Liackis [lt] (Polish: Jan Alfons Lacki)
Jonas Alfonsas Liackis [lt] (Polish: Jan Alfons Lacki)
(?–1646)		164316463 years, 0 days
24
Jonušas Radvila (Polish: Janusz Radziwiłł)
Jonušas Radvila (Polish: Janusz Radziwiłł)
(1612–1655)		164616537 years, 0 days
25
Jurgis Glebavičius [lt] (Polish: Jerzy Hlebowicz)
Jurgis Glebavičius [lt] (Polish: Jerzy Hlebowicz)
(1605?–1669)		1653166815 years, 0 days
26
Aleksandras Palubinskis [lt] (Polish: Aleksander Połubiński)
Aleksandras Palubinskis [lt] (Polish: Aleksander Połubiński)
(1626–1679)		166816691 year, 0 days
27
Viktorinas Mlečka [lt] (Polish: Wiktoryn Mleczko)
Viktorinas Mlečka [lt] (Polish: Wiktoryn Mleczko)
(?–1679)		167016799 years, 0 days
-
Vacant
Vacant
Acting		167916812 years, 0 days
28
Kazimieras Jonas Sapiega (Polish: Kazimierz Jan Sapieha)
Kazimieras Jonas Sapiega (Polish: Kazimierz Jan Sapieha)
(1637–1720)		168116821 year, 0 days
-
Vacant
Vacant
Acting		168216842 years, 0 days
29
Petras Mykolas Pacas [lt] (Polish: Piotr Pac)
Petras Mykolas Pacas [lt] (Polish: Piotr Pac)
(1645–1696)		1684169615 years, 0 days
-
Vacant
Vacant
Acting		169616982 years, 0 days
30
Grigalius Antanas Oginskis (Polish: Grzegorz Antoni Ogiński)
Grigalius Antanas Oginskis (Polish: Grzegorz Antoni Ogiński)
(1654–1709)		169817091 year, 0 days
31
Kazimieras Garbauskis [lt] (Polish: Kazimierz Horbowski)
Kazimieras Garbauskis [lt] (Polish: Kazimierz Horbowski)
(?–1729)		1710172919 years, 0 days
-
Vacant
Vacant
Acting		1729174213 years, 0 days
32
Juozapas Tiškevičius [lt] (Polish: Józef Tyszkiewicz)
Juozapas Tiškevičius [lt] (Polish: Józef Tyszkiewicz)
(1694–1754)		1742175412 years, 0 days
-
Vacant
Vacant
Acting		1754176713 years, 0 days
33
Jonas Chodkevičius (Polish: Jan Chodkiewicz)
Jonas Chodkevičius (Polish: Jan Chodkiewicz)
(1738–1781)		1767178114 years, 0 days
-
Vacant
Vacant
Acting		178117832 years, 0 days
34
Antanas Anupras Gelgaudas [lt] (Polish: Antoni Onufry Giełgud)
Antanas Anupras Gelgaudas [lt] (Polish: Antoni Onufry Giełgud)
(1720–1795)		1783179512 years, 0 days

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Błaszczyk 1985, pp. 1–2.
  2. ^ Gudavičius, Edvardas. "Žemaitijos seniūnija". Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  3. ^ Błaszczyk 1985, pp. 19.
  4. ISBN 978-9986-592-71-6
    . Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  5. ^ Błaszczyk 1985, pp. 70, 140.

Sources

  • Błaszczyk, Grzegorz (1985). Żmudź w XVII i XVIII wieku: zaludnienie i struktura społeczna (in Polish).
    ISSN 0554-8217
    .

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duchy_of_Samogitia&oldid=1207769633"