The Social Composition of the Cossacks

The Cossacks can be divided into three major groups: the Zaporozhians (Cossacks who stayed in the Sich or lived in nearby areas and did not recognize any authority except for their own leaders); the registered Cossacks,[35] who were paid for their service by the Polish government and had a number of privileges; the nadvirni Cossacks who were hired by the magnates (the most powerful representatives of the szlachta) to serve in their private armies to protect their estates from Tatar raids and put down peasant uprisings;[36] The wealthiest group of these was the registered Cossacks. They were paid by the king, elected their hetman and starshyna (officers); possessed significant landed property (sometimes whole villages), had their own court, and were freed of taxes. Practically their social status was close to that of szlachta. Registered Cossacks usually received good education of European standards in Catholic or Orthodox collegiums and formed the Cossack aristocracy. Having families made them vulnerable in wars compared to the fearless Zaporozhians (who had nothing to loose). The registered Cossacks tended to compromises and cautious behavior in military campaigns as they had what to loose. The registered Cossacks were used by the Polish government to protect Ukraine’s borders and to take part in wars against enemies of the Rzeczpospolita. They were also used by the Polish government in wars against the Zaporozhians. But it was difficult to force all registered Cossacks to fight against the Zaporozhians in such conflicts. In Cossack-Polish wars the registered Cossacks as well as the nadvirni Cossacks often fought on both sides; part of them supporting the Polish-Lithuanian government and the other part - the rebellious Zaporozhians. In large military campaigns the Polish government usually mobilized all three types of Cossacks to fight against Poland’s enemies.

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