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Bohdan Zinovii Mykhailovych Khmel'nyts'kyi ( Богдан Зиновій Михайлович Хмельницький-- 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 (arguably) noble, leader of Zaporizhzhya (Zaporozhian) Cossacks, hetman of Ukraine, noted for his revolt against Poland (1648 - 1654), and a Treaty of Pereyaslav which led to annexing Ukraine by the Russian Empire.

He was born in Chigirin (arguably) 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 Stanislaw 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. Although Ruthenian nobility enjoyed full rights, they quickly polonised and therefore were alienated from common people; the advent of Counter-Reformation meant troubles in relationship between orthodox and catholic faith. Unwilling to attend to the details of administration themselves, Polish magnates made the Jewish citizens a go-between in the 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 Chmielnicki's personal resentment influenced his decision to rid the Ukraine of Polish and Ruthenian magnates 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 magnates 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 (which started period known as The Deluge in Polish history) that temporarily freed Ukraine from Polish domination. Successes at Jovti Vody, Korsun' and Pilavtsi (Żółte Wody, Korsuń and Piławce in Polish, respectively) 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 (Biała Cerkiew) 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 tragic results for the Ukraine after Chmielnicki's death (the Polish-Muscovite Treaty of Andrusov in 1667).

In Poland, Chmielnicki's war was described in 19th century by Henryk Sienkiewicz in his famous novel Ogniem i mieczem (With Fire and Sword). It should be noted, however, that this book shows the story from the point of view of Polish nobles (szlachta), and does not fairly portrait Chmielnicki nor the Cossacks.

See also: Cossacks, The Deluge

• Ukrainian history
• Polish history
• Jewish history