Casimir Jagiellonian’s Land Investitures on the Ukrainian Lands of the Grand Duchy of lithuania by the Lithuanian Metrica

Andrii Blanutsa
Candidate of Historical Sciences (Ph.D. in History), Senior Research Fellow,
Institute of History of Ukraine of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Ukraine, Kyiv),
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/ul2009.01.134

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Abstract

The land investiture policy provided by the grand Lithuanian dukes on the Ukrainian lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (henceforth – the GDL) practically has not been studied in historiography. The main source about peculiarities and character of Casimir Jagiellonian’s land investitures and their confirmations to the gentry of the GDL, including on the Ukrainian lands, is so-called book of «investitures» [«kniga danin»] for 1440–1492 from Lithuanian Metrica.

During the reign of Casimir Jagiellonian his chancellery issued, by the preliminary calculations, more than a hundred and fifty privileges and confirmations concerning Ukrainian lands of the GDL. The grand Lithuanian duke paid special attention to the lands allocation on Volynia. Here, more than in 80 cases, the land estates were granted or confirmed to the local gentry.

The important role in the land investiture policy belongs to Siverschina. It was the strategic region for the GDL because of it adjoining the Moscow state, which constantly threatened the Duchy. That is why Casimir Jagiellonian by means of land investitures and confirmations tried to enlist the maximum support of the local gen try. Casimir Jagiellonian granted a number of investitures during 1470–1477 in the apanage [«udel»] of Lujbutsk.

Quite enough investitures and their confirmations concerned Bratslavschina which also was the strategic region because of its near-boundary location with the steppe zone. The great amount of investitures was granted in Btratslav region and was notable for their scale. The least amount of privileges, which were issued in the chancellery of the grand duke Casimir at the end of his reign, concerned Kievshina.

Thus, Casimir Jagiellonian during his reign provided active land investiture policy on the Ukrainian land of the GDL, especially in Volynia land and regions, which were of strategic importance – apanages of Siverschina and Bratslavschina. In this regard Kievschina was of little importance. It can be explained by the fact, that for a long time this region was under the rule of apanage princes and grand dukes deputies.

 

Keywords

Land investitures, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Casimir Jagiellonian, Volyn, Siverschina, Bratslavschina, Kievschina.

 

Archives

Российский государственный архив древних актов [Russian State Archive of Early Acts].

 

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