Status
For much of the kingdom's existence, the zemans answered only to the king, they were outside any other nobleman's power and did not fall under their county's judiciary. They did not pay taxes, were automatically members of the Diet, elected their county officials, could not be ordered to convert from Lutheranism (mostly Slovaks) and Calvinism (mostly Hungarians) to Catholicism during the Habsburgs' forceful Counter-Reformation, and enjoyed other privileges of people free of feudal oppression.
Read more about this topic: Zeman (nobleman)
Famous quotes containing the word status:
“The censorship method ... is that of handing the job over to some frail and erring mortal man, and making him omnipotent on the assumption that his official status will make him infallible and omniscient.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
“[In early adolescence] she becomes acutely aware of herself as a being perceived by others, judged by others, though she herself is the harshest judge, quick to list her physical flaws, quick to undervalue and under-rate herself not only in terms of physical appearance but across a wide range of talents, capacities and even social status, whereas boys of the same age will cite their abilities, their talents and their social status pretty accurately.”
—Terri Apter (20th century)
“As a work of art it has the same status as a long conversation between two not very bright drunks.”
—Clive James (b. 1939)