Nobles of the Church (Kingdom of Hungary)
Encyclopedia
The "nobles of the Church" were a group of privileged people in the Kingdom of Hungary
who possessed lands on the domains of wealthier prelate
s and were obliged to provide military and other services to their lords.
The first references to peoples who lived on the domains of some prelates of the Kingdom of Hungary and served as horsemen in the prelates' retinue
were documented already in the 11th century. By the 13th century, the retinue of several prelates consisted mainly or partly of people who were obliged to provide military service to them in exchange for the possessions they had been granted.
In the beginning, most of the soldiers in the prelates' retinues were serf
s who served their lords not only as horsemen but who were employed also in their household. Several freemen joined voluntarily to the prelates' army and offered their possessions to them in order to enjoy the protection of the Church. In the first decades of the 13th century, the kings of Hungary
granted the higher legal status of "horsmen serf" to people serving in the household of the prelates or authorized royal servants
to join to the prelates' household. From 1250, the prelates themselves received their serfs into their retinue and thus granted them a higher status in their household.
In the 11-15th century, the "nobles of the Church" not only provided military services to their lords, but they were obliged to provide some other services (e.g., they had to deliver stone, wine or reed to the prelates' household). The "nobles of the Church" endeavoured to acquire all the liberties of the "true nobles of the realm", but the prelates, supported by the kings, managed to reserve their authority over them. Nevertheless, the "nobles of the Church" became exempted from taxes payable to the kings in 1439 and they received exemption also from the tithe in 1500. In 1567, the Diet
declared that the size of their weregeld and the value of their oath equaled to those of the "true nobles of the realm".
The "nobles of the Church", in contrast to the "real nobles of the realm", fell under the jurisdiction of the prelates, but they organized their own bodies of self-government called seats
. Their "seats" were presided over by the prelate or his deputy and consisted of officers elected by them; they could appeal against the decicions of their "seats" to the royal courts.
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
who possessed lands on the domains of wealthier prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
s and were obliged to provide military and other services to their lords.
The first references to peoples who lived on the domains of some prelates of the Kingdom of Hungary and served as horsemen in the prelates' retinue
Retinue
A retinue is a body of persons "retained" in the service of a noble or royal personage, a suite of "retainers".-Etymology:...
were documented already in the 11th century. By the 13th century, the retinue of several prelates consisted mainly or partly of people who were obliged to provide military service to them in exchange for the possessions they had been granted.
In the beginning, most of the soldiers in the prelates' retinues were serf
SERF
A spin exchange relaxation-free magnetometer is a type of magnetometer developed at Princeton University in the early 2000s. SERF magnetometers measure magnetic fields by using lasers to detect the interaction between alkali metal atoms in a vapor and the magnetic field.The name for the technique...
s who served their lords not only as horsemen but who were employed also in their household. Several freemen joined voluntarily to the prelates' army and offered their possessions to them in order to enjoy the protection of the Church. In the first decades of the 13th century, the kings of Hungary
King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
granted the higher legal status of "horsmen serf" to people serving in the household of the prelates or authorized royal servants
Royal servant (Kingdom of Hungary)
A royal servant was a freeman in the Kingdom of Hungary in the 13th century who owned possession and was subordinate only to the king. The expression was documented for the first time in a charter issued in 1217...
to join to the prelates' household. From 1250, the prelates themselves received their serfs into their retinue and thus granted them a higher status in their household.
In the 11-15th century, the "nobles of the Church" not only provided military services to their lords, but they were obliged to provide some other services (e.g., they had to deliver stone, wine or reed to the prelates' household). The "nobles of the Church" endeavoured to acquire all the liberties of the "true nobles of the realm", but the prelates, supported by the kings, managed to reserve their authority over them. Nevertheless, the "nobles of the Church" became exempted from taxes payable to the kings in 1439 and they received exemption also from the tithe in 1500. In 1567, the Diet
Diet (assembly)
In politics, a diet is a formal deliberative assembly. The term is mainly used historically for the Imperial Diet, the general assembly of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire, and for the legislative bodies of certain countries.-Etymology:...
declared that the size of their weregeld and the value of their oath equaled to those of the "true nobles of the realm".
The "nobles of the Church", in contrast to the "real nobles of the realm", fell under the jurisdiction of the prelates, but they organized their own bodies of self-government called seats
Seat (territorial-administrative unit)
Seats were territorial-administrative units in the medieval Kingdom of Hungary. The seats were autonomous regions within the Kingdom, and were independent from the feudal county system...
. Their "seats" were presided over by the prelate or his deputy and consisted of officers elected by them; they could appeal against the decicions of their "seats" to the royal courts.
Sources
- Bónis, György: Hűbériség és rendiség a középkori magyar jogban (Vassalage and Feudality in the Medieval Hungarian Law); Osiris Kiadó, 2003, Budapest; ISBN 963 389 426 3.
- Kristó, Gyula (editor): Korai Magyar Történeti Lexikon - 9-14. század (Encyclopedia of the Early Hungarian History - 9-14th centuries); Akadémiai Kiadó, 1994, Budapest; ISBN 963 05 6722 9.