Royal servant (Kingdom of Hungary)
Encyclopedia
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. By the end of the 13th century, the use of the expression ceased, and the "royal servants" merged into the nobility of the kingdom
and they formed the basis of the lesser nobility.
In the 11-12th centuries, the ancestors of the "royal servants" can be found among the "freemen" who provided military services to the kings and whose troops were led by the kings and not by the heads of the "royal counties
". "Royal castle's serfs
" also increased the number of "royal servants" if the king liberated them from the services they had been obliged to provide to the heads of the royal castles. Even serf
s could receive their liberties provided that the king not only liberated them personally but also granted them possessions.
The "royal servants'" freedom became endangered during the reign of King Andrew II
(1205-1235) who granted whole "royal counties" (i.e., all the royal domains in the counties) to his partisans. The new lords endeavoured to expand their supremacy over the "royal servants" who owned possessions in the county. However, the "royal servants'" commenced to organize themselves and they persuaded the king to issue the Golden Bull
, a royal decree summarizing and confirming their following liberties:
The provisions of the Golden Bull were later confirmed several times by the kings (it was King Andrew II himself who confirmed them for the first time in 1231) and therefore, they formed the basis of the "cardinal liberties" of the nobility in the Kingdom of Hungary. Although, "royal servants" who lived in some provinces of the Kingdom (e.g., the "royal servants" of Transylvania
and in Slavonia
) could not enjoy all the liberties confirmed by the Golden Bull, because they still were obliged to pay their special taxes, but by the second half of the 14th century, they also became an integrated part of the nobility.
Following the Golden Bull, a deed issued, in 1232, by the "royal servants" living in Zala county
indicated a new step towards the formation of institutes of their self-government: in the deed, they judged the lawsuit of Bartholomew, Bishop of Veszprém, which proved that the counties, that had been formerly the basic units of royal administration, commenced to turn into an administrative unit governed by the developing nobility.
From the 1230s, the terminology used in the royal charters when they referred to "royal servants" began to change and they were more and more frequently mentioned as "noble servants" and later, as "nobles or servants" , while finally, the Decree of 1267 issued by King Béla IV
(1235-1270) identified the "royal servants" with the nobles. Thenceforward, the expression vanished from the documents, and the descendants of the "royal servants" were mentioned as nobiles. Following 1267, only the Hungarian
word for the two or four members of the County Courts elected by the nobiles (i.e., szolgabíró that literally means "servants' judge") reserved the memory of the expression.
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...
in the 13th century who owned possession and was subordinate only to the king
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...
. The expression was documented for the first time in a charter issued in 1217. By the end of the 13th century, the use of the expression ceased, and the "royal servants" merged into the nobility of the kingdom
Nobility in the Kingdom of Hungary
The origin of the nobility in the Kingdom of Hungary can be traced to the Magyar conquest of Pannonia in the 9th century, and it developed over the course of the Middle Ages...
and they formed the basis of the lesser nobility.
In the 11-12th centuries, the ancestors of the "royal servants" can be found among the "freemen" who provided military services to the kings and whose troops were led by the kings and not by the heads of the "royal counties
Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)
A county is the name of a type of administrative units in the Kingdom of Hungary and in Hungary from the 10th century until the present day....
". "Royal castle's serfs
Royal castle's serf (Kingdom of Hungary)
A "royal castle's serf" was a wealthier member of the group of peoples living within the royal castle system in the Kingdom of Hungary in the 11-15th centuries....
" also increased the number of "royal servants" if the king liberated them from the services they had been obliged to provide to the heads of the royal castles. Even 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 could receive their liberties provided that the king not only liberated them personally but also granted them possessions.
The "royal servants'" freedom became endangered during the reign of King Andrew II
Andrew II of Hungary
Andrew II the Jerosolimitan was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was the younger son of King Béla III of Hungary, who invested him with the government of the Principality of Halych...
(1205-1235) who granted whole "royal counties" (i.e., all the royal domains in the counties) to his partisans. The new lords endeavoured to expand their supremacy over the "royal servants" who owned possessions in the county. However, the "royal servants'" commenced to organize themselves and they persuaded the king to issue the Golden Bull
Golden Bull of 1222
The Golden Bull of 1222 was a golden bull, or edict, issued by King Andrew II of Hungary. The law established the rights of the Hungarian nobility, including the right to disobey the King when he acted contrary to law . The nobles and the church were freed from all taxes and could not be forced to...
, a royal decree summarizing and confirming their following liberties:
- "royal servants" could not be arrested without a verdict;
- they were exempt from taxation;
- they were entitled to dispose of their properties in their last will in case they died without a male descendant;
- "royal servants" were exempted from the jurisdiction of the heads of the counties;
- outside the realm, they were obliged to serve in the king's army only for remuneration.
The provisions of the Golden Bull were later confirmed several times by the kings (it was King Andrew II himself who confirmed them for the first time in 1231) and therefore, they formed the basis of the "cardinal liberties" of the nobility in the Kingdom of Hungary. Although, "royal servants" who lived in some provinces of the Kingdom (e.g., the "royal servants" of Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
and in Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
) could not enjoy all the liberties confirmed by the Golden Bull, because they still were obliged to pay their special taxes, but by the second half of the 14th century, they also became an integrated part of the nobility.
Following the Golden Bull, a deed issued, in 1232, by the "royal servants" living in Zala county
Zala (former county)
Zala was a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is currently in southwestern Hungary, northern Croatia and eastern Slovenia...
indicated a new step towards the formation of institutes of their self-government: in the deed, they judged the lawsuit of Bartholomew, Bishop of Veszprém, which proved that the counties, that had been formerly the basic units of royal administration, commenced to turn into an administrative unit governed by the developing nobility.
From the 1230s, the terminology used in the royal charters when they referred to "royal servants" began to change and they were more and more frequently mentioned as "noble servants" and later, as "nobles or servants" , while finally, the Decree of 1267 issued by King Béla IV
Béla IV of Hungary
Béla IV , King of Hungary and of Croatia , duke of Styria 1254–58. One of the most famous kings of Hungary, he distinguished himself through his policy of strengthening of the royal power following the example of his grandfather Bela III, and by the rebuilding Hungary after the catastrophe of the...
(1235-1270) identified the "royal servants" with the nobles. Thenceforward, the expression vanished from the documents, and the descendants of the "royal servants" were mentioned as nobiles. Following 1267, only the Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
word for the two or four members of the County Courts elected by the nobiles (i.e., szolgabíró that literally means "servants' judge") reserved the memory of the expression.
See also
- Royal castle's serfRoyal castle's serf (Kingdom of Hungary)A "royal castle's serf" was a wealthier member of the group of peoples living within the royal castle system in the Kingdom of Hungary in the 11-15th centuries....
- people with limited freedom liable to military service in the medieval Kingdom of Hungary
Sources
- Bán, Péter (editor): Magyar Történelmi Fogalomtár; Gondolat, Budapest, 1989; ISBN 963 282 202 1.
- 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.
- Kristó, Gyula: Magyarország története - 895-1301 (The History of Hungary - 895-1301); Osiris Kiadó, 1998, Budapest; ISBN 963 379 442 0.