Boyar

Boyars or Boljaren ( Боляри Bulgarian, Russian Бояре, Romanian Boii, Serbian Бољари / Boljari ) were nobles below the rank of a Prince ( Knyaz ) or Tsar.

The title was in Bulgaria, Kievan Rus, in the old Russia, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (now Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and Lithuania ) and used in Moldova, Romania and Serbia. The boyars were in these countries partly since the 8th century and in Romania partially until 1945, the ruling class of landowners.

Etymology

The etymology of the word is unclear, but it is probably of Turkish origin, especially since it Then came in all likelihood by the Bulgarians on the Danube reached the Rus .. There the members of the highest social class Boljarin (plural Boljari ) identified the word as learned a name into the Old Russian. The historical roots of the Bojarentums was everywhere the feudal allegiance.

Max Vasmer holds under all doubtful theories a derivation from alttürk. bai, rich, noble ' är man male ' under the influence of Slavic - bol, better, more ' most probable.

Boljaren with the Bulgarians

The oldest Slavic form of the concept Bojar, Boljarin ( болярин ), was dated the beginning of the 10th century and associated with the First Bulgarian Empire. It is believed that it was formed from urbulgarischen peerage Boil, as they called the aristocracy in the kingdom in Boilar or Biljar. In support of this theory, the work De Imperio administrando of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII is used, where the Bulgarian nobles to be mentioned with the title Boliades. From Bulgaria the term Boljaren widespread in Serbia, Moldova, Russia and Bosnia.

In the First Bulgarian Empire, the members of the highest social class to Christianity in the 9th century Boil were then called and during the Second Bulgarian Empire Boljar or Boljarin. Boljar as well Boil were hereditary title.

During the First Bulgarian Empire, the Boilen (later Boljaren ) in Veliki ( big ) and Mali (small ) shared. It was often next to the title of Boila nor the position occupied by the nobles in the kingdom, added. For example, the Itschirgu -Boil was the administrator of the capital and commander of the capital's garrison, Kawkhan Boil - Supreme Commander of the armed forces and first diplomat or Logothetes Boil - similar to the current Secretary of State. The work De administrando Imperio mentions that there was during the reign of Tsar Simeon I the Bulgarian kingdom six Large Boilas, who belonged to the Council of the large Boilen. The Council took important decisions, advised the ruler or led the country when the rulers were still underage. In the latter case, a Supreme Boil was mentioned, who ruled the country on behalf of the young ruler, and often waged wars, as Vice Isbul Khan at his reign of Khan and Khan Malamir Presian I.

The Supreme Council of Boljaren was an important body even during the Second Bulgarian Empire. In the kingdom, which was after a rebellion of Boljarenbrüder Asen, Petar Theodor and Kaloyan in 1187 recognized by Byzantium, the political and military power was concentrated in some Boljarenfamilien. The most powerful of these occurred as a pretender to the throne on, operated intrigues against the Tsar or allied among themselves, could assassinate Tsar ( Ivan Asen I., Theoder Petar, Kaloyan, etc.) or rush to appoint himself to the czars ( Boril, Ivanko, Mitso Asen, Constantine Tich Asen etc.). The main Boljarenfamilien were the house Asen, the house Schischman, Komitopuli house and the house Tartar. Often powerful Boljaren split with one part of the country on how Strez, Balica Rostislav Jacob Svetoslav, Smilets, Alexius slaw etc.

The many small Bulgarian principalities that occurred in the 14th century instead of the Bulgarian Empire (see Dobrudja Despotate, Kingdom of Vidin ) and largely fought among themselves, facilitated the new power in the Balkans conquest. With the fall of the Bulgarian Empire in 1396 under Ottoman Turkish rule, the title and the privileges of the Boljaren system in Bulgaria vanished.

Boieri in Romania

The title of the Boii in Romania had the highest aristocratic rank, they stood just below the Voievod or Domnitor and formed the layer of large landowners ( moşieri ). They had their greatest significance in the Danubian Principalities ( Wallachia and Moldavia ) from the 10th to the 18th century. They were originally elected to this office and had to be confirmed by the reigning prince. The Boieri formed in the Middle Ages, the ruling class, which took over the jurisdiction and administration in rural areas and at the court occupied the most important offices in the administration and the military.

In Transylvania the Boieri lost, however important and as far as they were not aufgingen to simple peasants in the Hungarian nobility.

Boyars in the Rus

In the Kievan Rus had become the Bojarenstand in the 8th - 9th Century originally developed from the Druschinas, the bodyguards of princes, who were again recruited from the communities oath of Varangians. They were first documented in the Nestor Chronicle of 862 in the vicinity of Prince Rurik. However, it is unclear whether the term in the Rus was as a designation of a particular social stratum of society before the mid-12th century in use. In later times, the boyars had a different social and political position in the different parts of the Rus. In the Northeast, they formed the highest and most influential social layer within the for- Tens, to the southwest the low land-owning aristocracy. During this time, the Bojarenversammlung, called Boyars, who could summon a Grand Duke was formed. He could be advised by a Bojarenrat.

Tsar Ivan IV had to kill or deport after this, had their privileges fearing, conspired against him many boyars in the 16th century. Peter I managed to Bojarenstand as part of its reforms in the early 18th century from final.

Boyars in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania

However, when the Duke of Lithuania in the 13th century conquered most of the former kingdom of Kiev, they found next to the princes, the child of their supremacy, a layer of landowners, usually stadtsässige boyars before. The Lithuanians beließen the boyars their property and their legal status. Soon the Lithuanian nobles as boyars were ( Lithuanian bajorai, in Latin sources also baiores, bojari or Boyar ) refers.