Sejmik
A sejmik (Polish pronunciation:
The competencies of sejmiks varied over time, and there were also geographical differences. Often, numerous different types of sejmiks coexisted in the same governance structure. Almost always presided over by the marshal, sejmiks could often elect delegates to the national sejm, and sometimes would give such delegates binding instructions. Sejmiks attained the peak of their importance at the turn of the 18th century, when they effectively supplanted the inefficient national sejm.
Etymology
The words sejm and sejmik are cognates with the
History
The traditions of a sejmik can be traced to the institution of the
With the creation of a national Sejm in 1493, which took over the powers of taxation and the pospolite ruszenie previously granted to sejmiks at Nieszawa, the importance of regional governance somewhat diminished.[4][8] Still, the sejmikis continued to play an important role in the governance of Poland as the most direct form of political enfranchisement of the nobility.[8][9]
In the 1560s, the state organization of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was reformed in accordance with the Polish model.[10] An act of July 1564 established sejmiks in the Grand Duchy.[11]
After the Union of Lublin in 1569, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth had about 70 sejmiks (out of those, 24 were in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania).[8] Jacek Jędruch notes a trend of an increasing number of sejmiks over time, from about 16 in the 15th century to 104 by the late 18th century, as nobility sought to meet in places that required less travel time.[12] Stanisław Płaza also estimates about 100 at the turn of the 18th century.[13] Those sejmiks elected 170 deputies (48 from Lithuania).[8] Most sejmiks elected 2 deputies, but there were exceptions.[nb 1][14] Wojciech Kriegseisen notes that until the late 18th century, there were 44 sejmiks in Poland proper (the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland), 24 in Lithuania, and 1 in Inflanty province.[15]
The sejmik's role grew again in the late 17th century,
Where the middle nobility had been the leading force at the sejmiks in the 16th century, the magnates became increasingly influential in the 18th century.[4][16] This stemmed from their ability to bribe masses of poorly educated, landless nobility (known as magnate's "clients" or "clientele"), as all nobles were eligible to vote in the sejmiks.[16][18][19][20][21] Sejmiks in Lithuania were dominated by the magnates to a greater extent than those in Poland proper, as the Lithuanian magnates were more powerful than their Polish counterparts.[9][22][23] The magnate-dominated sejmiks, which gathered impoverished nobility, have been described as more concerned with eating and drinking than debate; for the poorest of nobility, they were a rare occasion to participate in feasts sponsored by the magnates.[24][25] When they met, the drunken nobility was known to fight among themselves, which on occasion led to fatalities.[25]
Sejmiks were significantly reformed by the Prawo o sejmikach, the act on regional sejms, passed on 24 March 1791 and subsequently recognized as part of the
Although the independent existence of the Commonwealth ended with the
After Poland regained independence, provincial sejms were restored in the
The sejmiks were revived again after the
Sejmiks of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Features
Sejmiks were usually held in a large, open field. The nobility would elect a presiding officer (marszałek sejmiku: sejmik marshal), whose role was analogous to the
It is estimated that most sejmiks drew around 4 to 6% of eligible participants.[40]
Types
Historians distinguish several types of sejmiks, depending on their geographical scope:
- General (Polish: generalny, Latin conventiones generales), held in western Poland (Sejm Walny) and issue instructions for the deputies on how they were supposed to vote during the General Sejm.[8] The competences of the general sejmiks were defined by precedent and custom rather than law; on rare instances when external circumstances prevented a national Sejm from being convened (such as 1511, 1513 and 1577), the general sejmiks were seen as competent to legislate on national matters.[41] In the 15th century some general sejmiks reserved the right to accept or reject national legislation.[41] In the 16th century they were tasked with preparing drafts of legislation to be discussed at Sejms.[41] Around the 17th century general sejmiks were mostly abandoned (with the exceptions of those in Royal Prussia, see Prussian estates); instead, provincial deputies would meet in special sessions during the Sejm proper.[8][42]
- Provincial, Territorial, Voivodeship or County (Polish: ziemski, ziemia sejmiks (territorial sejmiks; sejmiki ziemskie), voivodeship sejmiks (sejmiki wojewódzkie) and provincial sejmiks (sejmiki prowincjonalne).[13] A theoretical hierarchy that almost never existed in practice could be drawn starting from the powiat sejmiks, and moving upwards to ziemia, voivodeship, general (of several voivodeships) and provincial sejmiks ending with the final, national sejm.[13][43] Almost all ziemias had their own sejmiks, but the importance of the sejmik varied based on whether the given ziemia was autonomous (that is, whether it was part of a voivodeship).[13] Powiat sejms were common in Lithuania, but were rare in the Crown of Poland, where instead voivodeship sejms were much more common.[13] Some voivodeships could hold a single voivodeship sejmik, and others might be covered by more than one sejmik.[13][44] The importance of the local sejmiks began to diminish with the formation of the national sejm. Thereafter the local sejmiks were relegated to dealing with local matters and electing deputies to the General Sejms.[8] They rose in importance again in the second half of the 17th century, as the central Sejm grew weaker.[16]
Kriegseisen, quoting Adam Lityński, argues that there was only one type of sejmik and that the only difference between various sejmiks was the purpose for which they were convened.[45] Nonetheless other scholars often distinguish between different types of sejmiks. Juliusz Bardach and Jędruch, for example, divide sejmiks based on their purpose as follows:
- Pre-sejm (Polish: przedsejmowe) sejmiks were convened by the king who sent a writ (legacja królewska) to each sejmik, outlining the reasons the next Sejm would be held.[8] Such sejmiks elected one to six deputies (poslowie), depending on the size and importance of the sejmik's territory, to the ordinary General Sejm (Polish: Sejm Walny) that was held every two years, and to any extraordinary General Sejm that might be called at any time in an emergency.[8] Sometimes pre-sejm sejmiks were referred to as electoral. In some cases, a sejmik could be called for two voivodeships – in that case it could elect more than 6 deputies. Deputies were given instructions on how to vote during the sejm proper, although on occasion the instructions could be vague, or even give the deputies full freedom.[8] These sejmiks arose in the late 15th century.[16]
- Relational or Debriefing (Polish: relacyjne) sejmiks heard the reports of deputies returned from the General Sejm, usually presenting the law (konstytucje sejmowe) decreed by the Sejm.[8] They passed specific instructions with regards to the execution of sejm decrees, and other local resolutions.[16][41] Such sejmiks could also receive special requests from the king; this happened if the sejmik deputy was bound by instructions not to vote on certain issues that subsequently were voted on and passed in the national sejm. In such cases the king would request the sejmik to reconsider their decision and support the national legislation.[8] These sejmiks arose in the 16th century.[16]
- Electoral (Polish: elekcyjne) sejmiks elected higher voivodeship officials, judges in particular.[8][41] They were convened irregularly, as such offices were usually held for life.[8] Several candidates would be nominated, and the king would make the final appointment from among them.[16] These sejmiks arose in the 15th century.[16]
- Deputational or Judicial (Polish: deputackie) sejmiks met on a yearly basis and elected deputies (deputaci) to
- Administrative or Economic (Polish: gospodarcze) sejmiks oversaw voivodeship self-government. Often, they were held on the day following the deputational sejmik. Their decrees were known as laudas. Some of the specific issues that these sejmiks addressed included: dealing with taxation (distribution of national taxes) and tax collectors, managing the local (voivodeship) taxes and treasury, recruiting local military and (from mid-1700s) election of deputies to the Treasury Tribunals. These sejmiks arose in the early 16th century.[16][41]
- Hooded (Polish: kapturowe) sejmiks had special powers during an
Assessment and historiography
Kriegseisen notes that the institution of the sejmik gained a negative reputation following the partitions of Poland, and it has been described as one of the dysfunctional elements of the Polish political system that contributed to the fall of the Commonwealth. He cautions against such simplistic assessments, and traces them to 18th century publications whose negative views of the sejmiks have been rarely challenged since. The stereotype of a group of drunken, fighting nobility, found in some literature, should not be seen as representative, particularly outside the period of the sejmik's decline in the 18th century. He argues that while many sensationalist descriptions of debauchery, brawling or outright bloody violence at sejmiks have survived, they did so because they were just that—sensationalist—and should be seen as exceptions to the long, uneventful, but usually constructive proceedings that were much more common.[46]
Kriegseisen also remarks that there is a myth about the uniqueness of sejmiks to Poland, and notes that similar institutions of self-governance and regional parliamentary participation by nobility can be found in other places, such as in Hungary and various German provinces (Silesia, Prussia, Brandenburg).[46]
Locations of provincial (or territorial) sejmiks
The following is a list of locations at which the provincial (or territorial) sejmiks were held.[47]
Province of Lesser Poland
- Bełz Voivodeship), four envoys elected to the Sejm,
- Landof Chełm), two envoys elected,
- Czernihów Voivodeship), four envoys elected,
- Trembowla), six envoys elected,
- Podole Voivodeship), four envoys elected,
- Łuck (for Wołyń Voivodeship), six envoys elected,
- Opatów (for Sandomierz Voivodeship), six envoys elected,
- Proszowice (for Kraków Voivodeship), six envoys elected,
- Urzędów, also Lublin (for Lublin Voivodeship, three envoys elected,
- Winnica (for Bracław Voivodeship), three envoys elected,
- ), six envoys elected,
- Zator (for the Duchy of Oświęcim, and the Duchy of Zator), one envoy elected,
- Kijów Voivodeship), three envoys elected.
Province of Greater Poland
- Bielsk (for the County of Bielsk), two envoys elected,
- Ciechanów (for the Land of Ciechanów), two envoys elected,
- Czersk (for the Land of Czersk), two envoys elected,
- Drohiczyn (for the County of Drohiczyn), two envoys elected,
- Gąbin (for the Land of Gostynin), two envoys elected,
- Land of Dobrzyń), two envoys elected,
- Liw (for the Land of Liw), two envoys elected,
- Łomża (for the Land of Łomża), two envoys elected,
- Mielnik (for the County of Mielnik), two envoys elected,
- Nur (for the Land of Nur), two envoys elected,
- Parzęczew (for Łęczyca Voivodeship), two envoys elected,
- Raciąż (for Płock Voivodeship), four envoys elected,
- Radziejów (for Brześć Kujawski Voivodeship and Inowrocław Voivodeship), four envoys elected,
- Rawa Mazowiecka (for the Land of Rawa), two envoys elected,
- Różan (for the Land of Różan), two envoys elected,
- Sochaczew (for the Land of Sochaczew), two envoys elected,
- Szadek (for Sieradz Voivodeship), two envoys elected,
- Poznań Voivodeship), twelve envoys elected,
- Warszawa(for the Land of Warszawa), two envoys elected,
- Wieluń (for the Land of Wieluń and the County of Ostrzeszów), two envoys elected,
- Wizna (for the Land of Wizna), two envoys elected,
- Wyszogród (for the Land of Wyszogród), two envoys elected,
- Zakroczym (for the Land of Zakroczym), two envoys elected.
Royal Prussia
- Człuchów (for the County of Człuchów), two envoys elected,
- Kowalewo Pomorskie ( for Chełmno Voivodeship), two envoys elected,
- Malbork (for Malbork Voivodeship), two envoys elected,
- Mirachowo (for the County of Mirachowo), two envoys elected,
- Puck (for the County of Puck), two envoys elected,
- Starogard Gdański (for the Counties of Gdańsk, Tczew, Nowe, and in 1642–1655 for the Lębork – Bytów Land), two envoys elected; in 1642–1655, four envoys elected,
- Świecie (for the County of Świecie), two envoys elected,
- Tuchola (for the County of Tuchola), two envoys elected.
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
- Brasław(for the County of Brasław), two envoys elected,
- Brześć(for the County of Brześć), two envoys elected,
- Grodno (for the County of Grodno), two envoys elected,
- Kowno(for the County of Kowno), two envoys elected,
- Lida (for the County of Lida), two envoys elected,
- Mińsk (for the County of Mińsk), two envoys elected,
- Mozyrz(for the County of Mozyrz), two envoys elected,
- Mścisław (for Mścisław Voivodeship), two envoys elected,
- Nowogródek(for the County of Nowogródek), two envoys elected,
- Orsza(for the County of Orsza), two envoys elected,
- Oszmiana(for the County of Oszmiana), two envoys elected,
- Pińsk(for the County of Pińsk), two envoys elected,
- Połock (for Połock Voivodeship), two envoys elected,
- Upita), two envoys elected,
- Rosienie (for the Duchy of Samogitia), two envoys elected,
- Rzeczyca (for the County of Rzeczyca), two envoys elected,
- Słonim(for the County of Nowogródek), two envoys elected,
- Smoleńsk(for the County of Smoleńsk), two envoys elected,
- Starodub (for the County of Starodub), two envoys elected,
- Troki(for the County of Troki), two envoys elected,
- Wilno(for the County of Wilno), two envoys elected,
- Wiłkomierz(for the County of Wiłkomierz), two envoys elected,
- Witebsk(for the County of Witebsk), two envoys elected,
- Wołkowysk(for the County of Wołkowysk), two envoys elected.
Duchy of Livonia
- According to the 1598 bill of the , formally equal to the nobility of the Commonwealth, did not elect any envoys to the Sejm.
See also
Notes
- Sejm walny#Composition
References
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