How was the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth governed after the Union of Lublin?

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After the Union of Lublin in 1569, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was governed as a single, federated state under a jointly elected sovereign. While the two nations formed an inseparable body politic, they formally retained their own armies, treasuries, civil administrations, and legal systems.1

The governance of the Commonwealth was defined by the following structures:

  • Szlachta Democracy: The state was dominated by the szlachta (gentry), who viewed the Commonwealth as an embodiment of their rights and privileges. Unlike the trend toward absolutism elsewhere in Europe, the Commonwealth developed a system of noble democracy.23
  • The Sejm: The two nations participated in a joint Sejm (legislature). Although Poland and Lithuania were intended to be equal partners, Poland held greater representation in the Diet and became the dominant force.1
  • Royal Election: Following the end of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the monarchy became elective. Every new king was required to sign the Henrician Articles and Pacta Conventa, which functioned as a contract guaranteeing free elections, religious peace, and the right of the nobility to renounce their allegiance if the monarch violated the agreement.3