The '''Nieszawa Statutes''' ({{Langx|pl|statuty nieszawskie}}) were a set of laws enacted in the [[Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons|Kingdom of Poland]] in 1454, in the town of [[Nieszawa]] located in north-central Poland. The King [[Casimir IV Jagiellon]] made a number of concessions to the Polish nobility and the gentry ([[szlachta]]) in exchange for their support in the [[Thirteen Years' War (1454–66)|Thirteen Years' War]]. Among other things, the Statutes required the King to seek the lords' approval when issuing new laws, when levying the mobilisation of armed forces ([[pospolite ruszenie]]), or when imposing new taxes. The Statutes strengthened the position of some of the nobility at the expense of less agreeable estates.[{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.bartleby.com/67/556.html |title=The statute of Nieszawa |publisher=Bartleby.com based on Houghton Mifflin Company publication |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of World History |date=2001 |accessdate=July 15, 2012 |author=Peter N. Stearns, general editor |url-status=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228175637/http://www.bartleby.com/67/556.html |archivedate=February 28, 2008 }}]
With the Statute of Nieszawa, King Casimir (1427–1492) – who was a brother of [[Władysław III of Poland]] (1424–1444), the new King of Hungary – also managed to take further advantage of the political split between the richest and most influential Polish families, and the much broader class of ''szlachta''. The statute substantially limited the power of the former in exchange for the new privileges bestowed upon the latter. From then on, ''szlachta'' consent was required in the passing of new laws, as well as, for the declaration of war. Equally important, was the significant reduction in the autonomy of the Church controlled by Cardinal [[Zbigniew Oleśnicki (cardinal)|Zbigniew Oleśnicki]] (one of the most powerful magnates). It allowed the king to appoint Catholic bishops himself.
==See also==
*[[Piotrków Statutes]]
*[[Szlachta's privileges]]
==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}
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[[Category:1450s in law]]
[[Category:1454 in Europe]]
[[Category:15th century in Poland]]
[[Category:Legal history of Poland]]
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