Sarmatism

Polish political philosophy

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 13, 2026

Quick Summary

Sarmatism was a prevalent mentality and political ideology in the 17th-century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It derived its name from alleged ancestors of the szlachta (nobility) and served to unify the multiethnic nobility. Sarmatism promoted a lifestyle characterized by provincialism, close-knit communities, and growing xenophobia, emphasizing the virtues of the szlachta while contrasting them with Western values. This period also saw an Orientalization of Polish-Lithuanian culture and a more intolerant stance of Roman Catholicism towards other denominations, fueled by conflicts with various religious and ethnic groups. This contributed to the idea that being Polish was intrinsically linked to being Catholic.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Poland
Cultural changes
…17th century manifested itself in Sarmatism. The name came from alleged ancestors of the szlachta (Sarmatians), and the concept served to integrate the multiethnic nobility. Representing a symbiosis of a political ideology and a lifestyle typical of a landowning, rather provincial, tightly knit, and increasingly xenophobic culture, Sarmatism extolled the…
Read More
…17th century manifested itself in Sarmatism. The name came from alleged ancestors of the szlachta (Sarmatians), and the concept served to integrate the multiethnic nobility. Representing a symbiosis of a political ideology and a lifestyle typical of a landowning, rather provincial, tightly knit, and increasingly xenophobic culture, Sarmatism extolled the…
Read More