{{italic title}} {{Short description|Historical Slavic title}} [[File:TzarBorisDidacticGospelConstantinePreslavski.jpg|200px|thumb|Until Boris I (852–889), the title of the Bulgarian monarchs was {{lang|sla|knyaz}} ({{lang|sla-Cyrl|Кнѣзъ}}). His son, Simeon I (893–927), adopted the title tsar (emperor), which became the title of the subsequent Bulgarian rulers.]] {{Early Slavic status}}
A '''{{lang|sla|knyaz}}''', also '''{{lang|sh-Latn|knez}}''', '''''knjaz''''', '''{{lang|pl|kniaź}}''' or '''{{lang|sla|kniaz}}''' ({{langx|cu|кънѧѕь|kŭnędzĭ}}), is a historical Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times. It is usually translated into English as 'prince', 'king' or 'duke', depending on specific historical context and the potentially known Latin equivalents at the time; the word was originally derived from the common Germanic {{lang|gem-x-proto|kuningaz}} ('king').<ref>{{cite book |last1=de Madariaga |first1=Isabel |author-link1=Isabel de Madariaga |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kfXtdrD6kVIC |title=Royal and Republican Sovereignty in Early Modern Europe: Essays in Memory of Ragnhild Hatton |date=1997 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9780521419109 |editor-last1=Oresko |editor-first1=R. |publication-place=Cambridge |page=354 |chapter=Tsar into Emperor: the title of Peter the Great |quote= |access-date= |editor-last2=Gibbs |editor-first2=G. C. |editor-last3=Scott |editor-first3=H. M. |editor-link3=H. M. Scott}}</ref>
Feminine forms of the word may be divided into two groups: * "Princess", be it princess consort (wife of a reigning prince), princess regnant (reigning princess ''suo jure''), or princess regent (reigning on behalf of an underage prince, usually her son after her husband's death) ** Belarusian: '''''kniahinia''''' (княгіня) ** Bulgarian and Russian: '''{{lang|ru-Latn|knyaginya}}''' ({{lang|ru|княгиня}}) ** Polish: '''{{lang|pl|kniaginia}}''' ** Slovene, Serbo-Croatian, and Macedonian: '''{{lang|sh-Latn|kneginja}}''' (in Serbian and Macedonian Cyrillic: {{lang|sr-Cyrl|кнегиња}}) ** Ukrainian: '''{{lang|uk-Latn|knyahynya}}''' (княгиня) * "Daughter of the prince" ** Belarusian: '''''kniazioŭna''''' (князёўна) ** Polish: '''{{lang|pl|kniaziówna}}''' ** Russian: '''{{lang|ru-Latn|knyazhna}}''' ({{lang|ru|княжна}}; the son of a ''knyaz'' is ''{{lang|ru-Latn|knyazhich}}'' ({{lang|ru|княжич}} in its old form).<ref>Даль В. Толковый словарь живого великорусского языка в 4-х т. М., 1956. Т. 2, с. 126; Рабинович М. Г. Очерки этнографии феодального города. М., 1978, с. 228.</ref> ** Ukrainian: '''{{lang|uk-Latn|knyazivna}}''' (князівна).
The title is pronounced and written similarly in different European languages. In Serbo-Croatian and some West Slavic languages, the word has later come to denote "lord", and in Czech, Polish and Slovak also came to mean "priest" ({{lang|cs|kněz}}, {{lang|pl|ksiądz}}, {{lang|sk|kňaz}}) as well as "prince/duke" ({{lang|sh-Latn|knez}}, {{lang|cs|kníže}}, {{lang|pl|książę}}, {{lang|sk|knieža}}).<ref name="Vasmer">[http://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/response.cgi?root=%2Fusr%2Flocal%2Fshare%2Fstarling%2Fmorpho&morpho=1&basename=%5Cusr%5Clocal%5Cshare%5Cstarling%5Cmorpho%5Cvasmer%5Cvasmer&first=1&text_word=князь&method_word=substring&text_general=&method_general=substring&text_origin=&method_origin=substring&text_trubachev=&method_trubachev=substring&text_editorial=&method_editorial=substring&text_pages=&method_pages=substring&text_any=&method_any=substring&sort=word "князь". "Vasmer's Etymological Dictionary" online]</ref> In Sorbian it means simply "Mister" (from "Master". Compare French {{lang|fr|monsieur}} from {{lang|fr|mon sieur}} "my lord"), and the Catholic title "monsignor" for a priest. Today the term {{lang|sh-Latn|knez}} is still used as the most common translation of "prince" in Slovenian, Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian literature. {{lang|sh-Latn|Knez}} is also found as a surname in former Yugoslavia.<ref>Фроянов И. Я. Киевская Русь. Л., 1980. С. 17</ref>
==Etymology==
[[File:Bascanska ploca.jpg|thumb|right|The title ''knez'' appeared in the early 12th-century Glagolitic Baška tablet inscription, found on the island of Krk, Croatia.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/13989 | first =Branko | last = Fučić | authorlink = Branko Fučić |title=Najstariji hrvatski glagoljski natpisi |journal=Slovo |publisher=Old Church Slavonic Institute |volume=21 |date=September 1971 |language=Croatian | pages=227–254 | format=PDF | accessdate=2024-10-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | first = Tomislav | last = Galović |title=Milan Moguš i Bašćanska ploča|journal=Senjski zbornik |volume=45 | issue=1 |date=December 2018 |language=Croatian | pages=265–285 | doi = 10.31953/sz.45.1.3 | doi-access=free }}</ref>]] The word is ultimately a cognate of the English ''King'', the German ''König'', and the Swedish ''Konung''. The proto-Slavic form was *kъnędzь, ''kŭnędzĭ'';<ref>Skok, Petar. ''Etimologijski Rječnik Hrvatskoga ili Srpskoga Jezika''. 1972.</ref> {{langx|cu|кънѧѕь}},<ref>Ed. Kurz, Josef. ''Slovnik Jazyka Staroslověnskeho: Lexicon Linguae Palaeoslavonicae.'' 1958.</ref> ''kŭnędzĭ''; {{langx|bg|княз}}, ''knyaz''; {{langx|orv|князь}}, ''knyazĭ''; {{langx|pl|książę}}; {{lang-sh-Latn|knez}} / {{lang-sh-Cyrl|кнез}}; {{langx|cs|kníže}}; {{langx|sk|knieža}}; etc. It is generally considered to be an early borrowing from Proto-Germanic ''kuningaz'', a form also borrowed by Finnish and Estonian (''kuningas'').<ref name="Vasmer" /><ref>"knez". ''Oxford English Dictionary'', 1989, online [http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50127386?query_type=word&queryword=prince&first=1&max_to_show=10&sort_type=alpha&result_place=1] (subscription required)</ref>
The rulers of the Duchy of Poland bore the title of {{lang|pl|książę}}, which was rendered as ''dux'' or ''princeps'' in Latin, and later adopted ''krol'' (from ''Karl'', the name of Charlemagne) and its equivalent ''rex'' following Bolesław I's coronation in 1025.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Frost |first=Robert I. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=245lDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA5 |title=The Oxford History of Poland-Lithuania: Volume I |date=2018 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-256814-4 |pages=5 |language=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Davies |first=Norman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b912JnKpYTkC&pg=PA60 |title=God's Playground A History of Poland |date=2005 |publisher=OUP Oxford |isbn=978-0-19-925339-5 |pages=60 |language=}}</ref> Similarly, the ruler of the Duchy of Lithuania, called ''kunigaikštis'' (also derived from ''kuningaz'') in Polish, was called ''magnus dux'' instead of the Polish word for "king", ''{{lang|lt|karalius}}'' (also derived from ''Karl'').<ref>{{Cite book |last=Suziedelis |first=Saulius A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VkGB1CSfIlEC&pg=PA119 |title=Historical Dictionary of Lithuania |date=2011 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-7536-4 |pages=119 |language=}}</ref> Medieval German records, however, translated ''knyaz'' as ''koning'' (king) until at least the 15th century.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chernetsov |first=A. V. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kDpmAAAAMAAJ |title=Types on Russian Coins of the XIV and XV Centuries |date=1978 |publisher=British Archaeological Reports |isbn=978-0-86054-214-8 |series=BAR International Series |pages=25 |translator-last=H. Bartlett Wells |quote=This is attested in particular by diplomatic documents. In treaties between Novgorod and the Livonian cities ''veli[k]ii knyaz'' (grand prince) is translated as "great king" - in German, ''grote koning'' - treaties of 1342, 1371, 1372, 1420 and elsewhere.}}</ref>
==Middle Ages== The meaning of the term changed over the course of history. Initially the term was used to denote the chieftain of a Slavic tribe. Later, with the development of feudal statehood, it became the title of a ruler of a state, and among East Slavs ({{langx|ru|княжество}} (''knyazhestvo''), {{langx|uk|князівство|translit=kniazivstvo}}) traditionally translated as duchy or principality, for example, of Kievan Rus'.
===In Medieval Bulgaria=== In First Bulgarian Empire, Boris I of Bulgaria (852–889) changed his title to knyaz after his conversion to Christianity in 864, abandoning the pagan title 'khan' of his predecessors. The new titles were applied to his sons Vladimir Rasate (889-893) and Simeon I (893–927), however knyaz Simeon took the higher title of tsar soon in 913.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fine |first=John Van Antwerp |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YbS9QmwDC58C&pg=PA141 |title=The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century |date=1991 |publisher=University of Michigan Press |isbn=978-0-472-08149-3 |page=143 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Павлов |first=Пламен |date=24 May 2009 |title=СЪРБИЯ В ПОЛИТИКАТА НА КНЯЗ КНЯЗ БОРИС-МИХАИЛ (852 – 889) И ЦАР СИМЕОН ВЕЛИКИ (893 – 927) |url=https://liternet.bg/publish13/p_pavlov/syrbia.htm |journal=LiterNet |volume=5 |language=bg |issue=114}}</ref><ref>Constantine Porphyrogenitus, ''De Administrando Imperio,'' Chapter 32.</ref>
According to Florin Curta, the primary sources have a variety of names for the rulers of the Bulgars before christianisation - such as including ‘rex’, ‘basileus’ and ‘khagan’. Omurtag (814–831) and his son Malamir (831–836) are mentioned in inscriptions as 'kanasubigi'.<ref>Николов, Г., Централизъм и регионализъм в ранносредновековна България (края на VII – началото на XI в.), Академично издателство „Марин Дринов“, София 2005, {{ISBN|954-430-787-7}}, с. 107.</ref><ref>Гюзелев, В., Кавханите и ичиргу-боилите на българското ханство-царство (VII – XI в.), Фондация Българско историческо наследство; Пловдив 2007, {{ISBN|978-954-91983-1-7}}, с. 40, 61;</ref> However, secondary sources are almost always 'khan'.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The medieval networks in East Central Europe : commerce, contacts, communication |date=2019 |editor1-first=Balázs |editor1-last=Nagy |editor2-first=Felicitas |editor2-last=Schmieder |editor3-first=András |editor3-last=Vadas |isbn=978-1-351-37116-2 |page=21|location=London |oclc=1097111080|publisher=Routledge}}</ref>
===In Kievan Rus'=== In Kievan Rus', as the degree of centralization grew, the ruler acquired the title ''Velikii Knyaz'' (Великий Князь) (translated as Grand Prince or Grand Duke, see Russian Grand Dukes). He ruled a {{langx|ru|Великое Княжеcтво|translit=Velikoye Knyazhestvo}} or {{langx|uk|Велике Князiвcтво|translit=Velyke Knyazivstvo}} (Grand Duchy), while a ruler of its vassal constituent (''udel'', ''udelnoe knyazivstvo'' or ''volost'') was called ''udelny knyaz'' or simply ''knyaz''.
When Kievan Rus' became fragmented in the 13th century, the title Knyaz continued to be used in East Slavic states, including Kiev's Principality, Chernigov's Principality, Novgorod Republic and its princes, Pereiaslavl Principality, Vladimir-Suzdal, Muscovy, Tver's Principality, Kingdom of Ruthenia, and in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.<ref>[http://www.speakrus.ru/starina/03.htm#ВЕЛИКИЙ%20КНЯЗЬ Великий князь // Слова давно минувших дней. Энциклопедия русской старины (speakrus.ru) ]</ref>
== Russia == {{no sources section|date=November 2025}} [[File:Kneaze Alexey Michailovitz.jpg|thumb|Kneaze Alexey Michailovitz, 1664 (Tsar Alexis I of Russia)]] As the Tsardom of Russia gained dominion over much of former Kievan Rus', ''velikii kniaz'' (великий князь) (Great Kniaz) Ivan IV of Russia in 1547 was crowned as Tsar. From the mid-18th century onwards, the title Velikii Kniaz was revived to refer to (male-line) sons and grandsons of Russian Emperors. See titles for Tsar's family for details.
''Kniaz'' ({{langx|ru|князь}}, {{IPA|ru|ˈknʲæsʲ|IPA}}) continued as a hereditary title of Russian nobility patrilineally descended from Rurik (e.g., Belozersky, Belosselsky-Belozersky, Repnin, Gorchakov) or Gediminas (e.g., Galitzine, Troubetzkoy). Members of Rurikid or Gedyminid families were called princes when they ruled tiny quasi-sovereign medieval principalities. After their demesnes were absorbed by Muscovy, they settled at the Moscow court and were authorised to continue with their princely titles.
From the 18th century onwards, the title was occasionally granted by the Tsar, for the first time by Peter the Great to his associate Alexander Menshikov, and then by Catherine the Great to her lover Grigory Potemkin. After 1801, with the incorporation of Georgia into the Russian Empire, various titles of numerous local nobles were controversially rendered in Russian as "kniazes".
Finally, within the Russian Empire of 1809–1917, Finland was officially called ''Grand Principality of Finland'' ({{langx|fi|Suomen suuriruhtinaskunta}}, {{langx|sv|Storfurstendömet Finland}}, {{langx|ru|Великое Княжество Финляндское|Velikoye Knyazhestvo Finlyandskoye}}).
{| class="wikitable" |+ Translation issues |- ! Russian !colspan="2"| English analogs, approximately !English analogs after the 18th century |- | kniaz (князь, [{{IPA|ˈknʲæsʲ}}]) |king |duke | prince |- | kniaginia (княгиня, [{{IPA|knʲɪˈginʲə}}]) | queen | duchess | princess |- | kniazhich (княжич, [{{IPA|ˈknʲaʐɨt͡ɕ}}]) |prince (son of a king) |son of a duke | prince (son of a prince) |- | kniazhna (княжна, [{{IPA|knʲɪˈʐna}}]) | princess (daughter of a king) |daughter of a duke |princess (daughter of a prince) |}
== Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth == As noted above, the title ''knyaz'' or ''kniaz'' became a hereditary noble title in the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Following the union of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, ''kniaź'' became a recognised title in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. By the 1630s – apart from the title ''pan'', which indicated membership of the large ''szlachta'' noble class – ''kniaź'' was the only hereditary title that was officially recognised and officially used in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Notable holders of the title ''kniaź'' include Jeremi Wiśniowiecki.{{cn|date=November 2025}}
==South Slavic countries==
In the 19th century, the Serbian term ''knez'' (кнез) and the Bulgarian term ''knyaz'' (княз) were revived to denote semi-independent rulers of those countries, such as Alexander Karađorđević and Alexander of Battenberg. In parts of Serbia and western Bulgaria, ''knez'' was the informal title of the elder or mayor of a village or zadruga until around the 19th century. Those are officially called ''gradonačelnik'' (градоначелник) (Serbia) and ''gradonachalnik'' (градоначалник) or ''kmet'' (кмет) (Bulgaria).
=== Bulgaria === * Prior to Battenberg, the title ''knyaz'' was born by Simeon I during the First Bulgarian Empire (9th–10th century). At the height of his power, Simeon adopted the title of ''tsar'' ("emperor"), as did the Bulgarian rulers after the country became officially independent in 1908. * As of Bulgaria's independence in 1908, Knyaz Ferdinand became Tsar Ferdinand, and the words ''knyaz'' and ''knyaginya'' began to be used instead for the tsar's children – the heir to the throne, for example, held the title ''Knyaz Tarnovski'' (Prince of Tarnovo").
===Bosnia=== In early medieval Bosnia ''knez'' (''knjaz, књаз'') was a title used, along ''župan'' and duke (''vojvoda'') titles, for Bosnian rulers.<ref name=":0" /> One of the first such ruler, recorded in historic documents and later historiography, was Stephen, Duke of Bosnia.
Later it was held by several of most powerful magnates (in Bosnia ''vlastelin'') of the era, sometime along with an office title given to a person through service to the monarch, such as Grand Duke of Bosnia (''Veliki vojvoda bosanski''), which was office of the supreme military commander of the realm. Other noble titles included the ''knez'', the duke (''vojvoda'') and the ''župan''. The title ''knez'' is equivalent to that of prince. Among most influential of Bosnian nobleman with the title ''knez'' was Pavle Radinović of Radinović-Pavlović noble family, while other include several noblemen from Radojević-Mirković family, such as Batić Mirković. Further families that bear this title are for example Šantić noble family and most members of Hrvatinić.
===Croatia=== * ''knez'' was the monarchial title used by the medieval rulers of the Duchy of Lower Pannonia and the Duchy of Croatia from the 7th to the 10th century, who were mostly titled as ''dux''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hbl.lzmk.hr/clanak.aspx?id=2463|title=Borna|publisher=Croatian Biographical Lexicon by Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography (online edition)|access-date=2017-10-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://hbl.lzmk.hr/clanak.aspx?id=11905|title=Trpimir I|publisher=Croatian Biographical Lexicon by Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography (online edition)|access-date=2017-10-17}}</ref> and rarely as ''princeps''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hbl.lzmk.hr/clanak.aspx?id=5070|title=Domagoj|publisher=Croatian Biographical Lexicon by Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography (online edition)|access-date=2017-10-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://hbl.lzmk.hr/clanak.aspx?id=2707|title=Branimir|publisher=Croatian Biographical Lexicon by Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography (online edition)|access-date=2017-10-17}}</ref> in Latin sources and translated as ''Dukes'' in English ones. * ''knez''<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.enciklopedija.hr/clanak/knez|title=knez|publisher=Croatian Encyclopedia by Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography (online edition)|access-date=2017-10-17}}</ref> was, in the Late Middle Ages, a hereditary feudal title borne by Croatian vassal noble families who were great territorial magnates of high social class (such as ''knezovi Bribirski'' (Counts of Bribir), ''knezovi Krčki'' (Counts of Krk) and ''knezovi Zrinski'' (Counts of Zrin)) and went by the title of ''comes'' in Latin and ''Count'' in English.
===North Macedonia=== The title used in Macedonian historiography for Medieval local leaders.
===Montenegro=== * ''knjaz'' (књаз) was the ruler title used by the Petrović-Njegoš dynasty in Principality of Montenegro from 1852 until the establishment of Kingdom of Montenegro in 1905, translated as "Prince".
===Serbia=== * ''knez'' (кнез) or ''knjaz'' (књаз) is a common term used in Serbian historiography for Serbian rulers in the Early Middle Ages, who were titled ''archon'' in Greek. * ''knez'' (кнез) or ''knjaz'' (књаз) was a noble title used by medieval rulers of the Principality of Serbia, Duklja,{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}} and Moravian Serbia. * ''knez'' (кнез) was a title borne by local Serbian chiefs under the Ottoman Empire. It was another name for the Ottoman Turkish rank of kodjabashi, held by local Christian chiefs.<ref>{{cite book | title=The Balkans Since 1453 | first = Leften Stavros | last = Stavrianos | author-link = L. S. Stavrianos | publisher = C. Hurst & Co. Publishers | year = 2000 | orig-year = 1958 | isbn = 1850655510 | page=224}}</ref> * ''obor-knez'' (обор-кнез) was a title borne by elected local native Serbian chiefs of the ''nahiyah'' (district of a group of villages) in the Ottoman Sanjak of Smederevo (also known as the Belgrade Pashaluk) and in the Negotin Krajina, an autonomous timar of valide sultan.<ref>Vuk Stefanović Karadžić: Istorijski spisi 2, Sabrana dela ("Collected Works") 16, Belgrade, 1969, p. 394</ref><ref>Konstantin N. Nenadović, Život i dela velikog Đorđa Petrovića Kara-Đorđa vrhovnoh vožda, oslobodioca i vladara Srbije i život njegovi vojvoda i junaka, Vienna, 1883, p. 741</ref><ref>Felix Philipp Kanitz: Serbien: Historisch-ethnographische Reisestudien aus den Jahren 1859–1868, Leipzig, 1868, ''passim''</ref> The obor-knez was senior chief and responsible for his district's people and was their spokesman (intermediary) in direct relations with the Pasha, though usually through the ''sipahi'', and was in charge of the transfer of taxes levied on the villages. * ''knez'' (кнез) or ''knjaz'' (књаз) was the monarchial title used by Miloš Obrenović in Principality of Serbia, translated as "Prince". Serbia known as ''Kneževina Srbija'' (Кнежевина Србија) was ''de facto'' independent since 1817, becoming ''de jure'' independent with the 1869 constitution. The successors of Miloš used the title until 1882 when Serbia was elevated into a kingdom.
==See also== * Voivode * Boyar * Hospodar * Knyazev * Knez (Vlach leader) * Konung
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== * Mihaljčić, R. (1999) Knez. in: Ćirković S.i R.Mihaljčić [ed.] Leksikon srpskog srednjeg veka, Beograd, str. 299–301
==External links== * {{Commons category inline|Knyaz}}
Category:Bulgarian noble titles Category:Ukrainian noble titles Category:Russian nobility Category:Slavic titles Category:Noble titles * Category:Princes Category:Titles of national or ethnic leadership Category:Serbian royal titles Category:Serbian noble titles Category:Croatian noble titles Category:Bosnian noble titles Category:Bosnian royal titles