|
Henrician Articles, also known as Henrykian Articles, contained the most important ideals of
governance in the Polish-Lithuanian
Commonwealth in form of 21 Articles written and voted for by the szlachta in
1573 during the times of interregnum in
the town of Kamien near Warsaw. While pacta conventa
contained only the personal vowes and promises of the king-elect, the
Henrician Articles were a pernament statute that all king-elects had to swear to respect, from the times of first elected king, the Henry III of France. They stated that:
- kings of Commonwealth were to be chosen by election of all szlachta each time, never by the right of inheritance
- the king had to convine the Sejm (Polish parliament) at least as often as every two
years for six week
- the king had no right to create new taxes, tarrifs and such without the approval of the Sejm
- the king had no right to call for the pospolite ruszenie
without the approval of the Sejm
- the king had no right to declare war or peace without the approval of the Sejm
The Articles created a Council composed of 16 senators (also known as residents was elected every two years during
the Sejm session. Four of them were obliged to accompany the king (they rotated every 6
months) and serve as both advisors and controllers to ensure that the king did not make decisions contrary to the law of the
Commonwealth.
The Articles confirmed the informal tradition that the king could not call for pospolite ruszenie to serve outside of the Commonwealth boundaries for free and that he had to pay for
the royal army (wojsko
kwarciane).
The Articles included the Warsaw Confederation
provisions, guaranteeing a religious freedom in Poland on an almost unprecedented scale in that era.
The Articles also had the list of official posts and titles in the Commonwealth.
Finally, if the monarch were to break the laws and privileges of the szlachta,
the Articles gave the szlachta right to refuse the King's orders and act against
him (official rebellion, called the rokosz).
|