The elites of tenth- to twelfth-century Bohemia: the perspective of a historian
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| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
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| Description | The term elites has gained widespread usage in medieval discourse over the past few decades. While this may be seen as a positive development, as it allows for a more nuanced understanding of the subject matter, it is also a double-edged sword as it can be misused and misunderstood. Scholars began to employ the term in lieu of or in conjunction with “the nobility” or “the aristocracy”, given that these two concepts had been the subject of considerable debate for centuries. The history of the early Přemyslid lands from the ninth to the twelfth centuries provides an illustrative case study for the European debate on nobility and elites. This chapter will present a concise overview of the available evidence and its limitations, as well as an examination of the historiography surrounding this topic. It will also introduce potential definitions and outline the key research questions addressed in the subsequent analysis. The final section will focus on three key issues: the capacity for collective action, the sources of power and the processes of status construction. |
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