Status
For much of the kingdom's existence, the zemans answered only to the king, they were outside any other nobleman's power and did not fall under their county's judiciary. They did not pay taxes, were automatically members of the Diet, elected their county officials, could not be ordered to convert from Lutheranism (mostly Slovaks) and Calvinism (mostly Hungarians) to Catholicism during the Habsburgs' forceful Counter-Reformation, and enjoyed other privileges of people free of feudal oppression.
Read more about this topic: Zeman (nobleman)
Famous quotes containing the word status:
“His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.”
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