Samogitian nobility

File:Narutowicz Pilsudski.jpg and Józef Piłsudski are 20th century descendants of the Samogitian nobility]]

Samogitian nobility was nobility originating in the Lithuanian region of Samogitia.{{cite web |title=Žemaitijos šlėktos |url=https://zemaitijospaveldas.eu/lt/zemaitijos-slektos |website=Zemaitijospaveldas.eu |access-date=11 March 2023 |language=lt}}{{cite web |title=Žemaičių diduomenė ir politinė padėtis Žemaitijoje XIV a. pabaigoje – XV a. pradžioje |url=https://zemaitijospaveldas.eu/lt/zemaiciu-diduomene-ir-politine-padetis-zemaitijoje-xiv-pabaigoje-xv-pradzioje |website=Zemaitijospaveldas.eu |access-date=11 March 2023 |language=lt}}{{cite web |title=XVI a. I-osios pusės žemaičių valdžios elitas: kilmė ir tapatumas |url=https://zemaitijospaveldas.eu/lt/xvi-i-osios-puses-zemaiciu-valdzios-elitas-kilme-ir-tapatumas |website=Zemaitijospaveldas.eu |access-date=11 March 2023 |language=lt}}{{cite web |title=Žemaitijos šlėktos 1390-1413 m. |url=https://zemaitijospaveldas.eu/lt/zemaitijos-slektos-1390-1413-m |website=Zemaitijospaveldas.eu |access-date=11 March 2023 |language=lt}} The Samogitian nobility was an integral part of Lithuanian nobility. Historically, the local gentry was formed of people of various ethnic backgrounds, including Lithuanian, Polish, Tartar, German and Ruthenian.{{Cite book| author =Janusz Tazbir| author-link =Janusz Tazbir| title =Państwo bez stosów i inne szkice | year =2000| pages =393 | chapter =Szlachta a teologowie | publisher =Universitas | location =Kraków | isbn=83-7052-751-5 |language=pl}}, also published in English as: {{Cite book| author =Janusz Tazbir |author2=Alexander T. Jordan | title =A State Without Stakes | year =1973 | pages =232 | publisher =Kościuszko Foundation | location =New York | doi=10.2307/2497261 |jstor=2497261 | isbn=0-8057-6137-3 |s2cid=165106520 }}

As the Duchy of Samogitia maintained a certain level of autonomy within the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth,{{Cite web| author=Simas Suziedielis | title=Samogitia | publisher=The State Committee for theCommemoration of the 400th Anniversary of the Postile | year=1999 | work=Postilla 400 | url=http://postilla.mch.mii.lt/Tevuzeme/samogitia.en.htm | access-date=2007-10-31 }} its nobility was considered a separate subject of the laws, on par with the nobility of other Commonwealth lands.{{Cite journal| author =Włodzimierz Budka | year =1921 | title =Kto podpisał Konfederację Warszawską 1573 r.? | journal =Reformacja W Polsce | volume =1 | issue =4 | pages =314–319 |language=pl}} In the Grand Duchy of Lithuania the Samogitian nobles were electing Elders of Samogitia who had voivode rights and were the third highest ranked statesmen in the Lithuanian Council of Lords (after voivodes of Vilnius and Trakai).{{cite web |last1=Gudavičius |first1=Edvardas |title=Žemaitijos seniūnija |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/zemaitijos-seniunija/ |website=Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija |access-date=11 March 2023 |language=lt |quote=Seniūnas turėjo vaivados teises (Ponų Taryboje pagal rangą ėjo po Vilniaus ir Trakų vaivadų). Jį rinko žemaičių bajorai, didysis kunigaikštis tik tvirtino.}} The self-elected Elders of Samogitia were only confirmed by the Grand Duke of Lithuania.

Samogitian nobility, especially its lower class, preserved knowledge of the Lithuanian language very well.{{Cite book| last =Aleksandravičius | first = Egidijus | author-link = Egidijus Aleksandravičius |author2=Antanas Kulakauskas | title = Carų valdžioje | publisher = Baltos lankos| year = 1996 | location = Vilnius| isbn = 9986-403-69-3 }} In fact, the Lithuanian language remained dominant in Samogitia and its nobility throughout the early modern period.{{Sfn|Drungila|2019|p=131}} This is proven by the letter of Stanisław Radziwiłł to his brother Mikołaj Krzysztof Radziwiłł immediately after becoming the Elder of Samogitia that: "While learning various languages, I forgot Lithuanian, and now I see, I have to go to school again, because that language, as I see, God willing, will be needed."{{Sfn|Drungila|2019|p=131}}

Prominent Samogitian noble origin representatives from the 20th century include: Stanisław Narutowicz (member of the Council of Lithuania), Gabriel Narutowicz (the 1st President of Poland, who was assassinated) and Józef Piłsudski (the Chief of State of Poland in 1918–1922 and First Marshal of Poland from 1920).{{cite web |title=Stanislovas Narutavičius |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/stanislovas-narutavicius/ |website=Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija |access-date=11 March 2023 |language=lt}}{{cite web |title=Gabriel Narutowicz |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/gabriel-narutowicz/ |website=Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija |access-date=11 March 2023 |language=lt |quote=Kilęs iš Žemaitijos bajorų šeimos.}}{{cite web |last1=Miknys |first1=Rimantas |title=Józef Piłsudski |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/jozef-pilsudski/ |website=Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija |access-date=11 March 2023 |language=lt |quote=Kilęs iš senos Žemaitijos bajorų Gineičių giminės.}}