«POSSESSIONES SEU VILLAE KENEZIOS HABENTES...»: THE EVOLUTION OF KENEZSHIP ON THE TERRITORY OF BEREG COUNTY IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 16TH - THE FIRST THIRD OF THE 18TH CENTURIES

Abstract

This article attempts to reveal the main characteristics and functions of the kenezs of the Bereg county in the second half of the 16th – the first third of the 18th century. Also, one of the main goals of the publication is to consider the evolution of kenez status in the specified historical period. In general, the early modern era was marked by a significant population movement and influx for the northeastern border territories of the Kingdom of Hungary and the northwestern borders of the Principality of Transylvania. The such migratory activity led to the interaction of different legal systems, resulting in the emergence of new or a change in the meaning of old legal structures. Currently, the term «kenez» is considered in the scientific literature as a phenomenon of high–altitude Carpathian settlements existing exclusively within the boundaries of «Wallachian law». Accordingly, one of the main tasks of this study is to verify the mentioned concept in the example of Bereg county, which includes plains, foothills, and mountain areas. In addition, the publication provides a comprehensive analysis of the idea of «kenezship» and considers various variants of its meanings. To achieve the goal, the author studies written sources related to the administrative-territorial and economic structure of Bereg county. At the same time, the publication examines some aspects of the contemporary social structure of the settlements of the Kingdom of Hungary. The article substantiates the thesis about the gradual transformation of the status of «kenezship» and its displacement by elements of Hungarian law, which the author tries to demonstrate with the help of the analysis of these acts, privileges, urbariums, and inventory descriptions of the committees of northeastern Hungary of the 16th – 17th centuries. The author paid particular attention to the processing of such documents as the charter granting privileges to the kenez of the settlements of the Bereg county, the court case of the kenez families of the village of Guklyve in 1645, and the urbaria of the early modern period from the Chynadiieve and Mukachevo domains. In addition, the publication reviews the concept of the term «birov», which existed together with the term «kenez» on the territory of Bereg county. The author concludes that the kenesis were not homogeneous in terms of functions and had their internal division. At the same time, highlighting the main features of the kenezship on the territory of the Bereg county allows us to assert its gradual transformation and transition into the framework of Hungarian law. For the sake of certain clarifications and a more detailed analysis of the phenomenon under study, the author is allowed to go beyond the time and geographical framework of the study.