Samogitia
Duchy of Samogitia was the western part of Lithuania
This is a latinized version of the name. In the Middle Ages names like Samaiten, Samaitae, Zamaytae, Samogitia, Samattae, Samethi were used in German and Latin sources. It, together with other variants: Schmudien (German), Żmudź(Polish), Žmudź (Жмудзь, Belorussian), Schamaiten (Another German version), is derived from the Lithuanian, Žemaitija, for "Žemės žemaitēs", which is the "Lowlands", as opposed to "Žemės aukštaitēs", the "Highlands" (Aukstaitija).
Samogitia is located in the western part of the Republic of Lithuania. Its western border historically has been border with East Prussia and Baltic sea, in the north it bordered Curlandia, in the south - Nemunas river. Eastern border of Samogitia was not so stable. During the Middle Ages until 1795 Samogitia had clearly defined borders as Duchy of Samogitia, later it was associated with the Samogitian diocese. Nowadays Samogitia is mainly associated with the ethnographic region and is not defined administratively.
Geography
Today Samogitia is located in several counties (apskritis): Kaunas County, Panevezys County, Siauliai County, Taurage County; and Telsiai County. To ethnographic and historical Samogitia belongs northern part of Klaipeda County.
The major part of Samogitia is located on Western Upland. Lowlands which are referred in its name are on the border between Samogitia and Eastern Lithuania, along Nevėžis river.
History
Before the formation of the Lithuanian state, Samogitia was ruled by its local noblemen. A chronicle mentions two dukes from Samogitia in 1219 as signatories of the treaty with Volhynia.
Since the formation of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 13th century, Samogitia was its dependent territory, however sometimes influence of the Lithuanian Grand Duke was very limited. During the rule of the first Lithuanian king Mindaugas, Samogitians have pursued independent foreign policy and continued fighting with Knights of the Sword even after King Mindaugas has signed a peace treaty with them.
Samogitia for 200 years has played the crucial role in stopping the aggression of the Teutonic Order and have several times successfully defeated Knights of the Sword in the Battle of the Sun (1236), Battle of Skuodas (1259), Battle of Durbe (1260).
In the atmosphere of fierce battles with Teutonic Knights Lithuanian rules Jogaila and Vytautas have several times donated Samogitia to the Teutonic Order in 1382, 1398 and 1404. However Teutonic Knights were not very successful in subjugating the land, and Samogitians revolted in 1401 and 1409. After the defeats in the Battle of Grunwald (1410) and following wars, in 1422 the Teutonic Order ceded Samogitia to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
Samogitians were the last in Lithuania and the whole Europe to accept Christianity in 1413.
Because of its prolonged wars with the Teutonic Order Samogitia had developed a social and political structure different from the rest of Lithuania. It had a larger proportion of free farmers and smaller estates than in Eastern Lithuania.
After the annexation of Lithuania by the Imperial Russia, Samogitia was included into the Kaunas guberniya. At the beginning of the 19th century Samogitia was the center of Lithuanian revival, which stressed importance of Lithuanian language and opposed russification and polonization attempts.
External link
Samogitia (http://samogitia.mch.mii.lt/index-en.htm)
Zmudz/Samogitia (http://www.kresy.co.uk/zmudz.html)
lt:Žemaitija de:Niederlitauen et:Žemaitija nl:Samogitië