Bohdan Khmelnytsky: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively ← Previous edit Next edit →Content deleted Content addedVisual WikitextInline

Revision as of 02:51, 3 March 2004 edit68.10.160.57 (talk)No edit summary← Previous edit		Revision as of 02:55, 3 March 2004 edit undo68.10.160.57 (talk)No edit summaryNext edit →
Line 3:		Line 3:
	He was born in ] in the ]. It is not clear whether in the family of Ruthenian or Polish noble who immigrated to Ukraine from ]. Chmielnicki was educated by ]s. However, unlike many of their other pupils, he did not embrace ], but early in life became a indifferent for the faith. Later he seemed to belong to ] faith to which most of the Cossacks and the Ruthenian peasants belonged. While still in the subordinate position of a "sotski" (an officer over a hundred) of the ], subject to the Polish magnate Koniecpolski, he was deprived by Chaplinski, the bailiff of Chigirin, of his estate of Subotovo. Chaplinski availed himself of Chmielnicki's absence to make a raid on the place, during which the young son of the owner received injuries from which he ultimately died, and Chmielnicki's (second) wife was carried off.		He was born in ] in the ]. It is not clear whether in the family of Ruthenian or Polish noble who immigrated to Ukraine from ]. Chmielnicki was educated by ]s. However, unlike many of their other pupils, he did not embrace ], but early in life became a indifferent for the faith. Later he seemed to belong to ] faith to which most of the Cossacks and the Ruthenian peasants belonged. While still in the subordinate position of a "sotski" (an officer over a hundred) of the ], subject to the Polish magnate Koniecpolski, he was deprived by Chaplinski, the bailiff of Chigirin, of his estate of Subotovo. Chaplinski availed himself of Chmielnicki's absence to make a raid on the place, during which the young son of the owner received injuries from which he ultimately died, and Chmielnicki's (second) wife was carried off.

	For ~~years~~ the people of ] had felt oppressed by the nobles and Jewish traders. Unwilling to attend to the details of administration themself, Polish magnates made the Jewish citizens a go-between in his transactions with the peasants of Ukraine. They sold and leased certain privileges to Jews for a lump sum, and, while enjoying themself at the court, left it to Jewish leaseholders and collectors to become the embodiment of hatred to the oppressed and long-suffering peasant. Although his personal resentment influenced his decision to rid the Ukraine of Polish magnats and Jews, it seems that it was his ambition to become the ruler of Ukraine which was the main motive that led him to instigate the uprising of the ] people against the ] and the Jews.		For centuries after creation of ] the people of ] had felt oppressed by the nobles and Jewish traders. Unwilling to attend to the details of administration themself, Polish magnates made the Jewish citizens a go-between in his transactions with the peasants of Ukraine. They sold and leased certain privileges to Jews for a lump sum, and, while enjoying themself at the court, left it to Jewish leaseholders and collectors to become the embodiment of hatred to the oppressed and long-suffering peasant. Although his personal resentment influenced his decision to rid the Ukraine of Polish magnats and Jews, it seems that it was his ambition to become the ruler of Ukraine which was the main motive that led him to instigate the uprising of the ] people against the ] and the Jews.

	Since many have seen Jews as a source of oppression, a lot of Jews were murdered during the uprising. The number ranges from 10,000 to 100,000(1648 - 1649) by different historians.		Since many have seen Jews as a source of oppression, a lot of Jews were murdered during the uprising. The number ranges from 10,000 to 100,000(1648 - 1649) by different historians.

Revision as of 02:55, 3 March 2004

Bohdan Zinovoy Mykhaylovych Khmel'nyts'ky (that being his Ukrainian name; he was known in Polish as Bohdan Zenobi Chmielnicki, and in Russian as Bogdan Khmelnitsky) (c. 1595 - August 6, 1657) was a Polish noble, leader of Zaporizhzhya (Zaporozhian) Cossack hetman of Ukraine, noted for his revolt against Poland which began in 1648, and for instigating a massacre of the Jews.

He was born in Chigirin in the Ukraine. It is not clear whether in the family of Ruthenian or Polish noble who immigrated to Ukraine from Masovia. Chmielnicki was educated by Jesuits. However, unlike many of their other pupils, he did not embrace Roman Catholicism, but early in life became a indifferent for the faith. Later he seemed to belong to Greek Orthodox faith to which most of the Cossacks and the Ruthenian peasants belonged. While still in the subordinate position of a "sotski" (an officer over a hundred) of the Registered Cossacks, subject to the Polish magnate Koniecpolski, he was deprived by Chaplinski, the bailiff of Chigirin, of his estate of Subotovo. Chaplinski availed himself of Chmielnicki's absence to make a raid on the place, during which the young son of the owner received injuries from which he ultimately died, and Chmielnicki's (second) wife was carried off.

For centuries after creation of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth the people of Ruthenia had felt oppressed by the nobles and Jewish traders. Unwilling to attend to the details of administration themself, Polish magnates made the Jewish citizens a go-between in his transactions with the peasants of Ukraine. They sold and leased certain privileges to Jews for a lump sum, and, while enjoying themself at the court, left it to Jewish leaseholders and collectors to become the embodiment of hatred to the oppressed and long-suffering peasant. Although his personal resentment influenced his decision to rid the Ukraine of Polish magnats and Jews, it seems that it was his ambition to become the ruler of Ukraine which was the main motive that led him to instigate the uprising of the Ruthenian people against the magnats and the Jews.

Since many have seen Jews as a source of oppression, a lot of Jews were murdered during the uprising. The number ranges from 10,000 to 100,000(1648 - 1649) by different historians.

These events also were the start of a series of campaigns that temporarily freed Ukraine from Polish domination. Successes at at Jovti Vody, Korsun' and Pilavtsi led to Chmielnicki being paid-off by the Polish king and gained numerous privileges for the Cossacks at the Treaty of Zborov. However when hostilities resumed Chmielnicki's forces were betrayed by their former allies Tatars and suffered a massive defeat in 1651 at the Battle of Beresteczko and were forced at Bila Tserkva to accept a loser's treaty. A year later the cossacks had their revenge at the [[Battle of Batoh. The Ukraine was still perilously weak and in 1654, Chmielnicki persuaded the Cossacks to ally with the Russian tsars at the Treaty of Pereyaslavl, a treaty that had poor results for the Ukraine after Chmielnicki's death (the Polish-Muscovite Treaty of Andrusov in 1667).

In Poland, Chmielnicki's war was described by Henryk Sienkiewicz in his novel Ogniem i mieczem (With Fire and Sword). This view however is on the far side of radical nationalism rather than unprejudiced.