Poljica Principality and election of the Grand Prince (Poljička kneževina i izbor Velikog Kneza)

Poljica Principality and election of the Grand Prince, tourist promo video. The Principality of Poljica (sometimes called Duchy) was a small elective monarchy on the Easter coast of the Adriatic. It formed with the Duborvnik aristocratic republic the two smaller Croatian aristocratic states on the Adriatic coast. It was formed as a small community which was ruled by old medieval cods of conducts, as well as maintaining a class system. The Principality was ruled by the nobility which was divided into two groups. First was the Vlastela (higher nobility) which had hereditary titles and rights, and was composed out of families descended from two Croatian Dukes Rajčić and Dražoević who were send by the Croatian-Hungarian King to rule over the Duchy. The second were the lower nobility, also called Didići, which didn't have hereditary titles and coat of arms, they lived under old local traditions. Both noble classes held the bašćina (noble property) and participated in higher politics which include the election of the Grand Prince of the Poljica Principality. The politics and diplomacy during the times of Ottoman raids was to be a tributary to larger powers and with it maintain its freedom and self-rule. The second class was the ones of free men which could vote on local representatives (kantuni), among them were soldiers, peasants, craftsmen and the clergy (especially the Glagolitic priests also called popovi glagoljaši). And the last class were serfs which gained a property (house and land) and were obligated to give a proportion of the harvest to their lord, they had total freedom of movement and could leave the lords property in any time. The Principality of Poljica existed from the 13th century until 1807 when Napoleonic troops occupied it and the new French administration under Marshal Marmont abolished it. Today many of the noble families as well as commoner ones tend to the tradition of this long lasting Principality. The unique system of rule or self-rule was an inspiration for St Thomas Moors work, Utopia.

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