Indigenisation practice in the noblee Republic in the light of the sejm’s constitutions and parliamentary instructions in the years 1588–1793

Abstract

Background: The subject of the research is the institution of indigenate in the noble Republic of Poland. The granting of indigenate by the monarch to a foreign nobleman was tantamount to obtaining noble citizenship. The Indygenous people were not subject to restrictions like the en-nobled. There are two types of indigenate: a) for military orcivil merit; b) honorable on account of political considerations. Approximately 404 people received indygenate, which is between 0.089 and 0.073% of the total nobility, which was estimated as between 450,000 to 550,000 people. This number could not have had much impact on the noble community. The institution attracted the attention of the nobility, who were keenly interested in those who aspired to noble citizenship. The elitist status of state nobility influenced the foreign nobility, who made efforts to join its ranks.

Research purpose: the institution of indigenate has not been fully developed in literature. Prozo­graphic research prevails. Research questions such as: (a) the evolution of the procedure for the acquisition of indigenate; (b) the nature of the royal distribution prerogative during the election period; have not yet been sufficiently developed.

Methods: Indygenat was not an institution regulated by one legal act. Therefore, in order to present this institution, we used the analysis of the provisions of the Sejm constitutions and sejmiks instructions during the 1573–1793 period using a formal-dogmatic method.

Conclusions: The results of the research reveal that in order to receive the indigenate in the Commonwealth, a specific procedure had to be followed, and the person concerned had to meet certain formal and material conditions. The person to whom the indigenate was granted when requirements were fulfilled was issued by the royal office with a diploma certifying the indigen-isation. It was the prerogative of the monarch to grant an indigenous certificate under the control of the Sejm and the Sejmik.