Instrukcja sejmiku województwa kijowskiego na sejm 1646 r.

The instruction of the local diet of the Kyiv Province for the Sejm of 1646 By issuing the proclamation of 25 July 1646 Władysław IV called Sejm to convene on 25 October. Among the points raised by the royal legation, of top priority was the one concerning possible danger coming from the Turks and the Tatars. The royal court proposed a debate to gain support for the royal plans of a war with the Ottoman Porte and the Crimean Khanate. The plans forced an alliance with Russia and subsequent border review process, which resulted in Poland losing some of its territory. The Polish nobility did not support the king’s military plans. The attitude of the nobility affected the sejmiks, which jointly objected to the military plans in question. During numerous sessions delegates criticised other elements of the king’s policy as well. The location of the Kyiv Province (south-eastern Poland) exposed it to a possible hostile attack. This is why it is worth examining the attitude of the Zhytomyr sejmik towards the royal policy. During this sejmik the nobility decided to stop payments for Tatars but, at the same time opposed the war with the sultan. Members of the Zhytomyr sejmik demanded access to the proceedings of the Senate to reveal those behind the king’s policy and the presence of foreigners at the royal court. The instructions also highlight law-abidingness as well as some private affairs, like the dispute concerning the order of precedence of the delegates of the Ruthenian province, or the demand for a remedy for the ousting of Zhytomyr delegates from the Sejm during the previous session.