Knyaz

Knyaz,alsoknez,knjazorkniaz(Old Church Slavonic:кънѧѕь,romanized:kŭnędzĭ), is a historicalSlavictitle, used both as a royal and noble title in different times. It is usually translated intoEnglishas "prince","king",or"duke"depending on specific historical context and the potentially known Latin equivalents at the time, but the word was originally derived from thecommon Germanic*kuningaz(king).^[1]

The female form transliterated fromBulgarianandRussianisknyaginya(княгиня),kneginjainSloveneandSerbo-Croatian(Serbian Cyrillic:кнегиња),kniahinia(княгіня) inBelarusianandkniazioŭna(князёўна) is the daughter of the prince,kniahynia(княгиня) inUkrainianandkniazivna(князівна) is the daughter of the prince. In Russian, the daughter of a knyaz isknyazhna(княжна). In Russian, the son of a knyaz isknyazhich(княжичin its old form).^[2]

The title is pronounced and written similarly in differentEuropean languages.In Serbo-Croatian and someWest Slavic languages,the word has later come to denote "lord", and inCzech,PolishandSlovakalso came to mean "priest" (kněz,ksiądz,kňaz) as well as "prince/duke" (knez,kníže,książę,knieža).^[3]InSorbianit means simply "Mister" (from "Master". Compare Frenchmonsieurfrommon sieur"my lord" ), and the Catholic title "monsignor"for a priest. Today the termknezis still used as the most common translation of "prince" inSlovenian,Bosnian,CroatianandSerbian literature.Knezis also found as a surname informer Yugoslavia.^[4]

Etymology

The titleknezappeared in the early 12th-centuryGlagolitic Baška tabletinscription, found on the island ofKrk,Croatia.^[5]^[6]

The word is ultimately acognateof theEnglishKing,theGermanKönig,and theSwedishKonung.Theproto-Slavicform was *kъnędzь,kŭnędzĭ;^[7]Church Slavonic:кънѧѕь,^[8]kŭnędzĭ;Bulgarian:княз,knyaz;Old East Slavic:князь,knyazĭ;Polish:książę;Serbo-Croatian Latin:knez/Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic:кнез;Czech:kníže;Slovak:knieža;etc. It is generally considered to bean early borrowingfromProto-Germanickuningaz,a form also borrowed byFinnishandEstonian(kuningas).^[3]^[9]

The tradition of translatingKnyazand other Slavic and Russian titles of same origin not as “King” but as "Duke" or "Prince" can be traced back to Medieval Lithuania and Poland when after invasion of Tartar Empire on the lands of Eastern Europe most part of independent Slavic and Russian Kingdoms were destroyed and their lands divided between Fathers of Rome and Rulers of their side and new, Heathen, Tartar Emperors of the East that’s why Slavic and Russian Rulers became subdued to Latin, European Kings and Emperors of Holy Roman Empire, their titles became equal to semidependent Dukes and Princes.

The rulers of theDuchy of Polandbore the title ofksiążę,which was rendered asduxorprincepsin Latin, and later adoptedkrol(fromKarl,the name ofCharlemagne) and its equivalentrexfollowingBolesław I's coronation in 1025.^[10]^[11]Similarly, the ruler of theDuchy of Lithuania,calledkunigaikštis(also derived fromkuningaz) in Polish, was calledmagnus duxinstead of the Polish word for "king",karalius(also derived fromKarl).^[12]Medieval German records, however, translatedknyazaskoning(king) until at least the 15th century.^[13]

Middle Ages

The meaning of the term changed over the course of history. Initially the term was used to denote thechieftainof aSlavic tribe.Later, with the development of feudal statehood, it became the title of a ruler of a state, and among East Slavs (Russian:княжество(knyazhestvo),Ukrainian:князівство,romanized:kniazivstvo) traditionally translated asduchyorprincipality,for example, ofKievan Rus'.

In Medieval Bulgaria

InFirst Bulgarian Empire,Boris I of Bulgaria(852–889) changed his title to knyaz after his conversion to Christianity in 864, abandoning the pagan title 'khan' of his predecessors. The new titles were applied to his sonsVladimir Rasate(889-893) andSimeon I(893–927), however knyaz Simeon took the higher title oftsarsoon in 913.^[14]^[15]^[16]

According toFlorin Curta,the primary sources have a variety of names for the rulers of the Bulgars before christianisation - such as including ‘rex’, ‘basileus’ and ‘khagan’.Omurtag(814–831) and his sonMalamir(831–836) are mentioned in inscriptions as 'kanasubigi'.^[17]^[18]However, secondary sources are almost always 'khan'.^[19]

In Kievan Rus'

In Kievan Rus', as the degree of centralization grew, the ruler acquired the titleVelikii Knyaz(Великий Князь) (translated asGrand PrinceorGrand Duke,seeRussian Grand Dukes). He ruled aRussian:Великое Княжеcтво,romanized:Velikoye KnyazhestvoorUkrainian:Велике Князiвcтво,romanized:Velyke Knyazivstvo(Grand Duchy), while a ruler of its vassal constituent (udel,udelnoe knyazivstvoorvolost) was calledudelny knyazor simplyknyaz.

When Kievan Rus' became fragmented in the 13th century, the title Knyaz continued to be used inEast Slavicstates, includingKiev's Principality,Chernigov's Principality,Novgorod Republicand itsprinces,Pereiaslavl Principality,Vladimir-Suzdal,Muscovy,Tver's Principality,Kingdom of Ruthenia,and in theGrand Duchy of Lithuania.^[20]

Russia

Kneaze Alexey Michailovitz, 1664 (Tsar Alexis I of Russia)

As theTsardom of Russiagained dominion over much of formerKievan Rus',velikii kniaz(великий князь) (Great Kniaz)Ivan IV of Russiain 1547 was crowned asTsar.From the mid-18th century onwards, the title Velikii Kniaz was revived to refer to (male-line) sons and grandsons of Russian Emperors. Seetitles for Tsar's familyfor details.

Kniaz(Russian:князь,IPA:[ˈknʲæsʲ]) continued as a hereditary title ofRussian nobilitypatrilineally descended fromRurik(e.g.,Belozersky,Belosselsky-Belozersky,Repnin,Gorchakov) orGediminas(e.g.,Galitzine,Troubetzkoy). Members ofRurikidorGedyminidfamilies were called princes when they ruled tiny quasi-sovereign medieval principalities. After their demesnes were absorbed by Muscovy, they settled at the Moscow court and were authorised to continue with their princely titles.

From the 18th century onwards, the title was occasionally granted by the Tsar, for the first time byPeter the Greatto his associateAlexander Menshikov,and then byCatherine the Greatto her loverGrigory Potemkin.After 1801, with the incorporation ofGeorgiainto theRussian Empire,various titles of numerous local nobles were controversially rendered inRussianas "kniazes".

Finally, within theRussian Empireof 1809–1917,Finlandwas officially calledGrand PrincipalityofFinland(Finnish:Suomen suuriruhtinaskunta,Swedish:Storfurstendömet Finland,Russian:Великое Княжество Финляндское,romanized:Velikoye Knyazhestvo Finlyandskoye).

Translation issues
Russian	English analogs, approximately		English analogs after the 18th century
kniaz (князь, [ˈknjæsʲ])	king	duke	prince
kniaginia (княгиня, [knʲɪˈginʲə])	queen	duchess	princess
kniazhich (княжич, [ˈknjaʐɨt͡ɕ])	prince (son of a king)	son of a duke	prince (son of a prince)
kniazhna (княжна, [knʲɪˈʐna])	princess (daughter of a king)	daughter of a duke	princess (daughter of a prince)

Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

As noted above, the titleknyazorkniazbecame a hereditary noble title in theGrand Duchy of Moscowand theGrand Duchy of Lithuania.Followingthe union of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania,kniaźbecame a recognised title in thePolish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.By the 1630s – apart from the titlepan,which indicated membership of the largeszlachtanoble class –kniaźwas the only hereditary title that was officially recognised and officially used in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Notable holders of the titlekniaźincludeJeremi Wiśniowiecki.

South Slavic countries

In the 19th century, the Serbian termknez(кнез) and the Bulgarian termknyaz(княз) were revived to denote semi-independent rulers of those countries, such asAlexander KarađorđevićandAlexander of Battenberg.In parts of Serbia and western Bulgaria,knezwas the informal title of the elder or mayor of a village orzadrugauntil around the 19th century. Those are officially calledgradonačelnik(градоначелник) (Serbia) andgradonachalnik(градоначалник) orkmet(кмет) (Bulgaria).

Bulgaria

Prior to Battenberg, the titleknyazwas born bySimeon Iduring theFirst Bulgarian Empire(9th–10th century). At the height of his power, Simeon adopted the title oftsar( "emperor" ), as did the Bulgarian rulers after the country became officially independent in 1908.
As of Bulgaria's independence in 1908, KnyazFerdinandbecame Tsar Ferdinand, and the wordsknyazandknyaginyabegan to be used instead for the tsar's children – the heir to the throne, for example, held the titleKnyaz Tarnovski(Prince of Tarnovo").

Bosnia

Inearly medieval Bosniaknez(knjaz, књаз) was a title used, alongžupanandduke(vojvoda) titles, for Bosnian rulers.^[21]One of the first such ruler, recorded in historic documents and later historiography, wasStephen, Duke of Bosnia.

Later it was held by several of most powerful magnates (in Bosniavlastelin) of the era, sometime along with an office title given to a person through service to the monarch, such asGrand Duke of Bosnia(Veliki vojvoda bosanski), which was office of the supreme military commander of the realm. Other noble titles included theknez,theduke(vojvoda) and thežupan.The titleknezis equivalent to that ofprince.Among most influential of Bosnian nobleman with the titleknezwasPavle RadinovićofRadinović-Pavlovićnoble family, while other include several noblemen fromRadojević-Mirković family,such asBatić Mirković.Further families that bear this title are for exampleŠantić noble familyand most members ofHrvatinić.

Croatia

knezwas the monarchial title used by the medieval rulers of theDuchy of Pannonian Croatiaand theDuchy of Littoral Croatiafrom the 7th to the 10th century, who were mostly titled asdux^[22]^[23]and rarely asprinceps^[24]^[25]in Latin sources and translated asDukesin English ones.
knez^[21]was, in theLate Middle Ages,a hereditaryfeudaltitle borne by Croatianvassalnoble families who were great territorial magnates of high social class (such asknezovi Bribirski(Counts of Bribir),knezovi Krčki(Counts of Krk) andknezovi Zrinski(Counts of Zrin)) and went by the title ofcomesin Latin andCountin English.

North Macedonia

The title used inMacedonian historiographyfor Medieval local leaders.

Montenegro

knjaz(књаз) was the ruler title used by thePetrović-Njegoš dynastyinPrincipality of Montenegrofrom 1852 until the establishment ofKingdom of Montenegroin 1905, translated as "Prince".

Serbia

knez(кнез) orknjaz(књаз) is a common term used in Serbian historiography for Serbian rulers in the Early Middle Ages, who were titledarchonin Greek.
knez(кнез) orknjaz(књаз) was a noble title used by medieval rulers of thePrincipality of Serbia,Duklja,^{[citation needed]}andMoravian Serbia.
knez(кнез) was a title borne by local Serbian chiefs under theOttoman Empire.It was another name for the Ottoman Turkish rank ofkodjabashi,held by local Christian chiefs.^[26]
obor-knez(обор-кнез) was a title borne by elected local native Serbian chiefs of thenahiyah(district of a group of villages) in the OttomanSanjak of Smederevo(also known as the Belgrade Pashaluk). The obor-knez was senior chief and responsible for his district's people and was their spokesman (intermediary) in direct relations with the Pasha, though usually through thesipahi,and was in charge of the transfer of taxes levied on the villages.
knez(кнез) orknjaz(књаз) was the monarchial title used byMiloš ObrenovićinPrincipality of Serbia,translated as "Prince". Serbia known asKneževina Srbija(Кнежевина Србија) wasde factoindependent since 1817, becomingde jureindependent with the 1869 constitution. The successors of Miloš used the title until 1882 when Serbia was elevated into akingdom.

References

^de Madariaga, Isabel(1997). "Tsar into Emperor: the title of Peter the Great". In Oresko, R.; Gibbs, G. C.;Scott, H. M.(eds.).Royal and Republican Sovereignty in Early Modern Europe: Essays in Memory of Ragnhild Hatton.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 354.ISBN 9780521419109.
^Даль В. Толковый словарь живого великорусского языка в 4-х т. М., 1956. Т. 2, с. 126; Рабинович М. Г. Очерки этнографии феодального города. М., 1978, с. 228.
^^a ^b"князь". "Vasmer's Etymological Dictionary" online
^Фроянов И. Я. Киевская Русь. Л., 1980. С. 17
^Fučić, Branko(September 1971)."Najstariji hrvatski glagoljski natpisi"(PDF).Slovo(in Croatian).21.Old Church Slavonic Institute:227–254.Retrieved2024-10-21.
^Galović, Tomislav (December 2018)."Milan Moguš i Bašćanska ploča"(PDF).Senjski zbornik(in Croatian).45(1): 265–285.doi:10.31953/sz.45.1.3.Retrieved2024-10-21.
^Skok, Petar.Etimologijski Rječnik Hrvatskoga ili Srpskoga Jezika.1972.
^Ed. Kurz, Josef.Slovnik Jazyka Staroslověnskeho: Lexicon Linguae Palaeoslavonicae.1958.
^"knez".Oxford English Dictionary,1989, online[1](subscription required)
^Frost, Robert I. (2018).The Oxford History of Poland-Lithuania: Volume I.Oxford University Press. p. 5.ISBN 978-0-19-256814-4.
^Davies, Norman (2005).God's Playground A History of Poland.OUP Oxford. p. 60.ISBN 978-0-19-925339-5.
^Suziedelis, Saulius A. (2011).Historical Dictionary of Lithuania.Scarecrow Press. p. 119.ISBN 978-0-8108-7536-4.
^Chernetsov, A. V. (1978).Types on Russian Coins of the XIV and XV Centuries.BAR International Series. Translated by H. Bartlett Wells.British Archaeological Reports.p. 25.ISBN 978-0-86054-214-8.This is attested in particular by diplomatic documents. In treaties between Novgorod and the Livonian citiesveli[k]ii knyaz(grand prince) is translated as "great king" - in German,grote koning- treaties of 1342, 1371, 1372, 1420 and elsewhere.
^Fine, John Van Antwerp (1991).The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century.University of Michigan Press. p. 143.ISBN 978-0-472-08149-3.
^Павлов, Пламен (24 May 2009)."СЪРБИЯ В ПОЛИТИКАТА НА КНЯЗ КНЯЗ БОРИС-МИХАИЛ (852 – 889) И ЦАР СИМЕОН ВЕЛИКИ (893 – 927)".LiterNet(in Bulgarian).5(114).
^Constantine Porphyrogenitus,De Administrando Imperio,Chapter 32.
^Николов, Г., Централизъм и регионализъм в ранносредновековна България (края на VII – началото на XI в.), Академично издателство „Марин Дринов “, София 2005,ISBN 954-430-787-7,с. 107.
^Гюзелев, В., Кавханите и ичиргу-боилите на българското ханство-царство (VII – XI в.), Фондация Българско историческо наследство; Пловдив 2007,ISBN 978-954-91983-1-7,с. 40, 61;
^Nagy, Balázs; Schmieder, Felicitas; Vadas, András, eds. (2019).The medieval networks in East Central Europe: commerce, contacts, communication.London: Routledge. p. 21.ISBN 978-1-351-37116-2.OCLC 1097111080.
^Великий князь // Слова давно минувших дней. Энциклопедия русской старины (speakrus.ru)
^^a ^b"knez".Croatian EncyclopediabyMiroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography(online edition).Retrieved2017-10-17.
^"Borna".Croatian Biographical LexiconbyMiroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography(online edition).Retrieved2017-10-17.
^"Trpimir I".Croatian Biographical LexiconbyMiroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography(online edition).Retrieved2017-10-17.
^"Domagoj".Croatian Biographical LexiconbyMiroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography(online edition).Retrieved2017-10-17.
^"Branimir".Croatian Biographical LexiconbyMiroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography(online edition).Retrieved2017-10-17.
^Stavrianos, Leften Stavros(2000) [1958].The Balkans Since 1453.C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. p. 224.ISBN 1850655510.

Sources

Mihaljčić, R. (1999) Knez. in: Ćirković S.i R.Mihaljčić [ed.] Leksikon srpskog srednjeg veka, Beograd, str. 299–301

External links

Media related toKnyazat Wikimedia Commons

[1] Madariaga, Isabel(1997). "Tsar into Emperor: the title of Peter the Great". In Oresko, R.; Gibbs, G. C.;Scott, H. M.(eds.).Royal and Republican Sovereignty in Early Modern Europe: Essays in Memory of Ragnhild Hatton.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 354.ISBN 9780521419109.

[2] Даль В. Толковый словарь живого великорусского языка в 4-х т. М., 1956. Т. 2, с. 126; Рабинович М. Г. Очерки этнографии феодального города. М., 1978, с. 228.

[Vasmer-3] "князь". "Vasmer's Etymological Dictionary" online

[4] Фроянов И. Я. Киевская Русь. Л., 1980. С. 17

[5] Fučić, Branko(September 1971)."Najstariji hrvatski glagoljski natpisi"(PDF).Slovo(in Croatian).21.Old Church Slavonic Institute:227–254.Retrieved2024-10-21.

[6] Galović, Tomislav (December 2018)."Milan Moguš i Bašćanska ploča"(PDF).Senjski zbornik(in Croatian).45(1): 265–285.doi:10.31953/sz.45.1.3.Retrieved2024-10-21.

[7] Skok, Petar.Etimologijski Rječnik Hrvatskoga ili Srpskoga Jezika.1972.

[8] Ed. Kurz, Josef.Slovnik Jazyka Staroslověnskeho: Lexicon Linguae Palaeoslavonicae.1958.

[9] "knez".Oxford English Dictionary,1989, online[1](subscription required)

[10] Frost, Robert I. (2018).The Oxford History of Poland-Lithuania: Volume I.Oxford University Press. p. 5.ISBN 978-0-19-256814-4.

[11] Davies, Norman (2005).God's Playground A History of Poland.OUP Oxford. p. 60.ISBN 978-0-19-925339-5.

[12] Suziedelis, Saulius A. (2011).Historical Dictionary of Lithuania.Scarecrow Press. p. 119.ISBN 978-0-8108-7536-4.

[13] Chernetsov, A. V. (1978).Types on Russian Coins of the XIV and XV Centuries.BAR International Series. Translated by H. Bartlett Wells.British Archaeological Reports.p. 25.ISBN 978-0-86054-214-8.This is attested in particular by diplomatic documents. In treaties between Novgorod and the Livonian citiesveli[k]ii knyaz(grand prince) is translated as "great king" - in German,grote koning- treaties of 1342, 1371, 1372, 1420 and elsewhere.

[14] Fine, John Van Antwerp (1991).The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century.University of Michigan Press. p. 143.ISBN 978-0-472-08149-3.

[15] Павлов, Пламен (24 May 2009)."СЪРБИЯ В ПОЛИТИКАТА НА КНЯЗ КНЯЗ БОРИС-МИХАИЛ (852 – 889) И ЦАР СИМЕОН ВЕЛИКИ (893 – 927)".LiterNet(in Bulgarian).5(114).

[16] Constantine Porphyrogenitus,De Administrando Imperio,Chapter 32.

[17] Николов, Г., Централизъм и регионализъм в ранносредновековна България (края на VII – началото на XI в.), Академично издателство „Марин Дринов “, София 2005,ISBN 954-430-787-7,с. 107.

[18] Гюзелев, В., Кавханите и ичиргу-боилите на българското ханство-царство (VII – XI в.), Фондация Българско историческо наследство; Пловдив 2007,ISBN 978-954-91983-1-7,с. 40, 61;

[19] Nagy, Balázs; Schmieder, Felicitas; Vadas, András, eds. (2019).The medieval networks in East Central Europe: commerce, contacts, communication.London: Routledge. p. 21.ISBN 978-1-351-37116-2.OCLC 1097111080.

[20] Великий князь // Слова давно минувших дней. Энциклопедия русской старины (speakrus.ru)

[:0-21] "knez".Croatian EncyclopediabyMiroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography(online edition).Retrieved2017-10-17.

[22] "Borna".Croatian Biographical LexiconbyMiroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography(online edition).Retrieved2017-10-17.

[23] "Trpimir I".Croatian Biographical LexiconbyMiroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography(online edition).Retrieved2017-10-17.

[24] "Domagoj".Croatian Biographical LexiconbyMiroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography(online edition).Retrieved2017-10-17.

[25] "Branimir".Croatian Biographical LexiconbyMiroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography(online edition).Retrieved2017-10-17.

[26] Stavrianos, Leften Stavros(2000) [1958].The Balkans Since 1453.C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. p. 224.ISBN 1850655510.

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