Šeimynykštis
Encyclopedia
Šeimynykštis was a class of patriarchal slaves, who did the same job and lived under the same conditions as his master and family, in the early Grand Duchy of Lithuania
. They had no personal freedoms and were completely dependent on the master. Unlike kaimynas
, šeimynykštis did not rent land and earn their living independently. Rather, they were members of the noble's household (the term is related to the word šeima – family).
Some members of šeimynykščiai, called bernai or parobkai, would receive a small piece of land, called banda, and would be allowed to established their own farm. Such arrangement was very similar to that of kaimynas
, but bernai and their families were treated as individuals and not as a single group and thus could be separated and sold individually. By the end of the 16th century, when Wallach reform
established full serfdom
in Lithuania, few šeimynykščiai were left as they merged with other classes of serfs. Slavery officially ended in 1588. The households relied more on free paid laborers. Šeimynykščiai were important in the early stages of feudalism
(13th – mid 14th centuries) as they helped to differentiate peasants from large landowners, the future nobles.
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
. They had no personal freedoms and were completely dependent on the master. Unlike kaimynas
Kaimynas
Kaimynas was a class of non-free peasants in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania before full-scale serfdom was established by the Wallach reform . The term describes a former prisoner of war, who was allowed to live in a village and rent a piece of land from a noble...
, šeimynykštis did not rent land and earn their living independently. Rather, they were members of the noble's household (the term is related to the word šeima – family).
Some members of šeimynykščiai, called bernai or parobkai, would receive a small piece of land, called banda, and would be allowed to established their own farm. Such arrangement was very similar to that of kaimynas
Kaimynas
Kaimynas was a class of non-free peasants in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania before full-scale serfdom was established by the Wallach reform . The term describes a former prisoner of war, who was allowed to live in a village and rent a piece of land from a noble...
, but bernai and their families were treated as individuals and not as a single group and thus could be separated and sold individually. By the end of the 16th century, when Wallach reform
Wallach reform
Wallach reform was a land reform in parts of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania . Main goal of the reform was to increase revenue to the state treasury, and to distribute feodal services to the peasants...
established full serfdom
Serfdom
Serfdom is the status of peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to Manorialism. It was a condition of bondage or modified slavery which developed primarily during the High Middle Ages in Europe and lasted to the mid-19th century...
in Lithuania, few šeimynykščiai were left as they merged with other classes of serfs. Slavery officially ended in 1588. The households relied more on free paid laborers. Šeimynykščiai were important in the early stages of feudalism
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
(13th – mid 14th centuries) as they helped to differentiate peasants from large landowners, the future nobles.