Magnate - Magnates in Poland and Lithuania

Magnates in Poland and Lithuania

In Poland and Lithuania all members of the nobility (szlachta) were equal under the law. "Magnate" (Polish: magnat) was thus not an official title but rather a position of social class, based on wealth. Magnates (or higher nobility) vied for political power with the lesser and middle nobility (see Ruch egzekucyjny) and the Król (Monarch). From the second half of the 17th century, the magnates emerged as the victors in the struggle for power in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, as they were able to concentrate most of the land in their own hands and bribe smaller nobles to preserve the appearance of democracy: "Golden Liberty" in the parliaments, not only the local Sejmiks but also in the national Sejm.

There were several other terms for "magnate" in Poland and Lithuania:

• Możny - "powerful one"; used up to the 15th century, later replaced by Magnat;
• królik, plural królewięta - "petty kings", used especially of magnates with large fiefdoms in Lithuania or Ukraine; rather negative (król in Polish means "king", but the diminutive królik also means "rabbit");
• pan - lord (much later, by title devaluation, Mister); this could also apply to members of the common szlachta and was often used by people from other social classes;
• starsi bracia - "older brothers"; all members of the szlachta referred to each other as Pan brat ('lord brother'), but Magnates who were appointed to the Senate of Poland often styled themselves senior brothers, referring to the nobles from the Sejm ("parliament") as młodsi bracia ("junior brothers");
• karmazyn - "the crimson one", from their expensive crimson-coloured clothing (especially the boots).

Several Magnates held high feudal titles or peerage ranks such as prince or count. With few exceptions, mostly dating from the Union of Lublin, and special privileges permitting some Lithuanian magnates to use them, such titles were forbidden by law. Titles from offices however were very popular: see Offices in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.