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}} The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, after 1791 the Commonwealth of Poland, was a dualistic state, a bi-confederation, of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch, who was both the king of Poland and the grand duke of Lithuania. It was one of the largest〔Norman Davies, ''Europe: A History'', Pimlico 1997, p. 554: ''Poland-Lithuania was another country which experienced its 'Golden Age' during the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. The realm of the last Jagiellons was absolutely the largest state in Europe''〕〔 and most populous countries of 16th- and 17th-century Europe. At its peak in the early 17th century, the Commonwealth spanned some 〔 and sustained a multi-ethnic population of 11 million.〔 The union was formalized by the Union of Lublin in July 1569, but the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were in a de-facto personal union since 1386 with the marriage of the Polish queen Jadwiga of Poland and Lithuania's Grand Duke Jogaila, who was crowned King ''jure uxoris'' Władysław II Jagiełło of Poland. The First Partition of Poland in 1772 and the Second Partition of Poland in 1793 greatly reduced the nation's size and the Commonwealth disappeared as an independent state following the Third Partition of Poland in 1795.〔("Poland." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 20 Feb. 2009 )〕〔(Heritage: Interactive Atlas: Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth ). For population comparisons, see also those maps: (), ()〕〔(Yale Richmond, ''From Da to Yes: Understanding the East Europeans'' ), Intercultural Press, 1995, p. 51〕 The Union possessed many features unique among contemporary states. Its political system was characterized by strict checks upon monarchical power. These checks were enacted by a legislature (sejm) controlled by the nobility (szlachta). This idiosyncratic system was a precursor to modern concepts of democracy,〔Maciej Janowski, ''Polish Liberal Thought'', Central European University Press, 2001, ISBN 963-9241-18-0, Google Print: (p3 ), (p12 )〕 constitutional monarchy,〔Paul W. Schroeder, ''The Transformation of European Politics 1763–1848'', Oxford University Press, 1996, ISBN 0-19-820654-2, (Google print p84 )〕〔Rett R. Ludwikowski, ''Constitution-Making in the Region of Former Soviet Dominance'', Duke University Press, 1997, ISBN 0-8223-1802-4, (Google Print, p34 )〕〔George Sanford, ''Democratic Government in Poland: Constitutional Politics Since 1989'', Palgrave, 2002, ISBN 0-333-77475-2, (Google print p11—constitutional monarchy ), (p3—anarchy )〕 and federation.〔Aleksander Gella, ''Development of Class Structure in Eastern Europe: Poland and Her Southern Neighbors'', SUNY Press, 1998, ISBN 0-88706-833-2, (Google Print, p13 )〕 The two component states of the Commonwealth were formally equal, yet Poland was the dominant partner in the union.〔"Formally, Poland and Lithuania were to be distinct, equal components of the federation… But Poland, which retained possession of the Lithuanian lands it had seized, had greater representation in the Diet and became the dominant partner."()〕 The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was marked by high levels of ethnic diversity and by relative religious tolerance, guaranteed by the Warsaw Confederation Act 1573;〔〔Halina Stephan, ''Living in Translation: Polish Writers in America'', Rodopi, 2003, ISBN 90-420-1016-9, (Google Print p373 ). Quoting from Sarmatian Review academic journal mission statement: ''Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was () characterized by religious tolerance unusual in premodern Europe〕〔This quality of the Commonwealth was recognized by its contemporaries. Robert Burton, in his ''The Anatomy of Melancholy'', first published in 1621, writes of Poland: "Poland is a receptacle of all religions, where Samosetans, Socinians, Photinians (), Arians, Anabaptists are to be found"; "In Europe, Poland and Amsterdam are the common sanctuaries (Jews )".〕 however, the degree of religious freedom varied over time.〔Feliks Gross, ''Citizenship and Ethnicity: The Growth and Development of a Democratic Multiethnic Institution'', Greenwood Press, 1999, ISBN 0-313-30932-9, (Google Print, p122 (notes) )〕 After several decades of prosperity,〔"In the mid-1500s, united Poland was the largest state in Europe and perhaps the continent's most powerful nation". ("Poland". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. ) Retrieved June 26, 2009〕〔〔 it entered a period of protracted political,〔〔Martin Van Gelderen, Quentin Skinner, ''Republicanism: A Shared European Heritage'', Cambridge University Press, 2002, ISBN 0-521-80756-5 (Google Print: p54 )〕 military and economic〔(The Causes of Slavery or Serfdom: A Hypothesis ), discussion and full online text of Evsey Domar (1970) "The Causes of Slavery or Serfdom: A Hypothesis", Economic History Review 30:1 (March), pp18–32〕 decline. Its growing weakness led to its partitioning among its neighbors, Austria, Prussia and the Russian Empire, during the late 18th century. Shortly before its demise, the Commonwealth adopted a massive reform effort and enacted the Constitution of May 3, 1791—the first codified constitution in modern European history and the second in modern world history (after the United States Constitution).〔Poland's 1997 Constitution in Its Historical Context; Daniel H. Cole, Indiana University School of Law, September 22, 1998 http://indylaw.indiana.edu/instructors/cole/web%20page/polconst.pdf〕〔Isaac Kramnick, ''Introduction'', 〕〔John Markoff describes the advent of modern codified national constitutions as one of the milestones of democracy, and states that "The first European country to follow the U.S. example was Poland in 1791." John Markoff, ''Waves of Democracy'', 1996, ISBN 0-8039-9019-7, p.121.〕〔 ==Name== The official name of the state was The Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ((ポーランド語:Królestwo Polskie i Wielkie Księstwo Litewskie), (リトアニア語:Lenkijos Karalystė ir Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė), , (ベラルーシ語:Каралеўства Польскае і Вялікае Княства Літоўскае ''Karalieŭstva Polskaje i Vialikaje Kniastva Litoŭskaje'')). Prior to the 17th century, international treaties and diplomatic texts referred to it by its Latin name ラテン語:''Regnum Poloniae Magnusque Ducatus Lithuaniae''. In the 17th century and later it was usually known as ''the Most Serene Commonwealth of Poland'' ((ポーランド語:''Najjaśniejsza Rzeczpospolita Polska''), (ラテン語:''Serenissima Res Publica Poloniae'')),〔 the ''Commonwealth of the Polish Kingdom'',〔the name given by Marcin Kromer in his work ''Polonia sive de situ, populis, moribus, magistratibus et re publica regni Polonici libri duo'', 1577〕 or the ''Commonwealth of Poland''.〔the therm used for instance in ''Zbior Deklaracyi, Not I Czynnosci Głownieyszych, Ktore Poprzedziły I Zaszły Pod Czas Seymu Pod Węzłem Konfederacyi Odprawuiącego Się Od Dnia 18. Wrzesnia 1772. Do 14 Maia 1773''〕 The country was also known as the ''Kingdom of Poland'', or just ''Poland''〔Name used for the common state, Henryk Rutkowski, Terytorium, w: Encyklopedia historii gospodarczej Polski do 1945 roku, t. II, Warszawa 1981, s. 398.〕 Its inhabitants referred to it in everyday speech as the "Rzeczpospolita" (Ruthenian: Рѣч Посполита ''Rech Pospolita'', (リトアニア語:Žečpospolita)). Western Europeans often simply called it ''Poland.'' The widespread term Commonwealth of Both Nations ((ポーランド語:Rzeczpospolita Obojga Narodów)) was coined in the 20th century and is rarely used.〔Although the terms (Commonwealth) and (Two/Both Nations) were widespread in the period, and were used in the combined form for the first time only in 1967 in Paweł Jasienica's book thus entitled.〕 In historiography commonly referred to as ''Rzeczpospolita szlachecka'' (the Republic of Nobles and Aristocrats), or as ''I Rzeczpospolita'' (the First Commonwealth). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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