Magnate

The termmagnate,from thelate Latinmagnas,a great man, itself fromLatinmagnus,"great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or other qualities inWestern Christiancountries since the medieval period. It also includes the members of the higher clergy, such asbishops,archbishopsandcardinals.In reference to themedieval,the term is often used to distinguish higher territoriallandownersandwarlords,such ascounts,earls,dukes,and territorial-princesfrom thebaronage,and in Poland for the richestszlachta.

England[edit]

InEngland,the magnate class went through a change in the later Middle Ages. It had previously consisted of alltenants-in-chiefof the crown, a group of more than a hundred families. The emergence ofParliamentled to the establishment of a parliamentary peerage that received personal summons, rarely more than sixty families.^[1]A similar class in theGaelicworld were theFlatha.In the Middle Ages, abishopsometimes held territory as a magnate, collecting the revenue of themanorsand the associatedknights' fees.^{[citation needed]}

In the Tudor period, afterHenry VIIdefeatedRichard IIIatBosworth Field,Henry made a point of executing or neutralising as many magnates as possible. Henry would make parliamentattaintundesirable nobles and magnates, thereby stripping them of their wealth, protection from torture, and power. Henry also used theCourt of the Star Chamberto have powerful nobles executed.Henry VIIIcontinued this approach in his reign; he inherited a survivalistic mistrust of nobles from his father. Henry VIII ennobled very few men, and the ones he did were all "new men":novi homines,greatly indebted to him and with very limited power.

Hungary[edit]

The term was specifically applied to the members of the Upper House of theDiet of Hungaryin theApostolic Kingdom of Hungary,theFőrendiház,that can be translated as theHouse of Magnates,an equivalent to the British Peers.

Japan[edit]

In feudal Japan, the most powerful landholding magnates were known asdaimyo.In the 11th and 12th centuries, the daimyo became military lords ofsamuraiclans with territorial and proprietary control over private estates.^[2]

Poland and Lithuania[edit]

Magnates were asocial classof wealthy and influentialnobilityin theCrown of the Kingdom of PolandandGrand Duchy of Lithuania,and later thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Serbia and Croatia[edit]

Velikašis the Serbo-Croatian word for 'magnate', derived from veliko ('great, large, grand'). It was used to refer to the highest nobility of Serbia in the Middle Ages and Croatia in the Middle Ages.

Spain[edit]

In Spain, since the late Middle Ages, the highest class of nobility hold the appellation ofGrandee of Spainand was known earlier asricohombres.

Sweden[edit]

In Sweden, the wealthiest medieval lords were known asstorman(pluralstormän), "great men", a similar description and meaning as the English term magnate.

References[edit]

^Pugh, T. B. (1972)."The magnates, knights and gentry".In S. B. Chrimes, C. D. Ross and R. A. Griffiths (ed.).Fifteenth-Century England, 1399–1509: Studies in Politics and Society.Manchester University Press. p. 86.ISBN 9780064911269.Retrieved17 July2013.
^Daimyo.Britanica.

Sources[edit]

This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Magnate".Encyclopædia Britannica(11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

[ChrimesRoss1972-1] Pugh, T. B. (1972)."The magnates, knights and gentry".In S. B. Chrimes, C. D. Ross and R. A. Griffiths (ed.).Fifteenth-Century England, 1399–1509: Studies in Politics and Society.Manchester University Press. p. 86.ISBN 9780064911269.Retrieved17 July2013.

[2] Daimyo.Britanica.

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