The phrase Hetman of the Zaporizhian Cossacks encompasses various titles and positions of the Cossacks in the history of Ukraine.
"Hetman of His Royal Grace's Zaporizhian Host" was the formal title of the hetmans in the military service of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1572 to 1638, selected from the senior officers (starshyna) of the Registered Cossacks (Town Cossacks) in western, central and northern Ukraine; Hetman of the Zaporizhian Host refers to the head of state of the Cossack Hetmanate, the Ukrainian state of 1648–1764; Kish otamans of the Sich Cossacks in southern Ukraine from the 1620s to 1775, which until the late 17th century were also interchangeably called "hetmans"; Hetman of all Ukraine, a title claimed by Pavlo Skoropadsky for a few months in 1918.
With the creation of the Registered Cossacks units in 1572, their leading officers were officially referred to as "Senior of His Royal Grace's Zaporozhian Host". The Commonwealth created the Cossack Registry in competition with the formations of the unregistered Zaporizhian Cossacks (colloquially known as the "Zaporizhian Host") living in the Siches of southern Ukraine. According to the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, "The Commonwealth government officially named the registered Cossacks the Zaporozhian Army to underscore the fact that it considered the actual Zaporozhian Host a legal nonentity." For a brief period between the 1625 Treaty of Kurukove and the 1638 , the Registered Cossacks had the right to elect their own hetman, although he had to be approved by the king. After the 1637–1638 Cossack uprisings were suppressed, the post of hetman was abolished and replaced by a government commissioner. However, the Khmelnytsky Uprising of 1648 saw the combined forces of Registered (Town) and unregistered (Sich) Cossacks elect Bohdan Khmelnytsky as "Hetman of the Zaporizhian Host", without reference to "His Royal Grace"; this would become the title of the head of state of the Cossack Hetmanate ever since.
Background
The Registered Cossacks were formally established in 1572. Several Polish starostas such as Lanckoroński and Daszkiewicz, who also led their own Cossack formations in Polish service in the early 16th century, have been retroactively considered hetmans of the Registered Cossacks. According to Mykhailo Hrushevsky they were not really considered as hetmans, at least by their contemporaries. Among others such starostas were Karpo Maslo from Cherkasy, Yatsko Bilous (Pereiaslav), Andrushko (Bratslav), and many others. Even Princes Konstanty Ostrogski and Bohdan Hlinski were conducting Cossack raids on Tatar uluses (districts).
The commanders of Zaporozhian Host units (the Kish), often considered as hetmans (and sometimes named as such in primary sources), in fact served the function since the 1620s known as Kish otaman, a term which by the end of the 17th century completely replaced "hetman".
From 1572 onwards, "hetman" was the unofficial title of commanders of the Registered Cossack Army of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, which officially called them starszy ("senior" or "elder"). From 1625, Registered Cossacks were allowed to elect their own hetmans, subject to approval by the king. However, after suppressing the 1637–1638 Cossack uprisings, the Registered Cossack hetmanship in the Commonwealth was abolished and replaced by a government commissioner.
From the 1648 Khmelnytsky Uprising onwards, Hetman of the Zaporizhian Host was the title of the head of the Ukrainian Cossack state, the Cossack Hetmanate. Cossack hetmans were elected by the Cossack Rada (an early form of democracy), had limited powers in peacetime, but broad powers in wartime, and acted as supreme military commanders and executive leaders (by issuing administrative decrees).
After the split of Ukrainian territory along the Dnieper River by the Commonwealth-Tsardom Treaty of Andrusovo (1667), there was an introduction of dual leadership for each bank, or for each Ukraine of Dnieper (left and right). After 1667, there existed two different Cossack Hetmanates with two Hetmans: the Right-bank hetman was called "Nakazny Hetman of His Royal Mercy of Zaporizhian Host", and the Left-bank one titled "Hetman of His Tsarist Mercy's Zaporizhian Host".
Eventually the official state powers of the Right-Bank Hetmanate were phased out around 1712, when the Commonwealth discontinued conformations or appointments of hetmans and colonels of Registered Cossacks, integrated them in the Commonwealth army, and abolished the ten remaining Regiments on the Right Bank.
The state powers of the Left-Bank Cossack Hetmans were gradually diminished in the 18th century, and finally abolished by Catherine II of Russia in 1764. On the other hand, the powers of the hetmans of the Zaporizhian Sich increased in the 18th century at the expense of the Sich Rada democracy, until its liquidation in 1775.
Cossack leaders (until 1648)
Starosta A starosta (administrator, literally "elder") governed a starostwo, subordinate to a voivode. Przecław Lanckoroński (Predslav Lyantskoronsky; 1506–1512, died 1531), not an actual hetman, he was a starosta of Khmilnyk. Although later historians have often retroactively identified him as the first or second "hetman" or "otaman" of the Cossacks in service of Poland, the Cossack registry would not be formally established until 1572, and he has faced historiographic competition from Dashkevych and Vyshnevetsky as the "first". Ostap Dashkevych (1506–1536), not an actual hetman, he was a starosta in charge of a defense force approved by the Sejm near Cherkasy. Dashkevych offered to create a defense force on the banks of the Lower Dnieper, an important step towards the establishment of the Registered Cossacks in 1572. For similar reasons as Lanckoroński and Vyshnevetsky, he has therefore sometimes been retroactively considered the first or second hetman or otaman of the Cossacks. Dmytro Vyshnevetsky (1550–1564), not an actual hetman, he was a starosta of Cherkasy and Kaniv, who established a Cossack garrison at Khortytsia Castle in the 1550s.Hrushevsky, M. Illustrated History of Ukraine. "BAO". Donetsk, 2003. His characterisation as the "first Cossack hetman" (championed by Mykhailo Hrushevsky amongst others) has been challenged; it enjoys some, but not universal support amongst historians.
Officers of the Registered Cossacks Senior officers or starshyna of the Registered Cossacks in service of the Commonwealth. They were usually stationed in the towns of Central, Northern and Western Ukraine, hence their later name "Town Cossacks".
(1625–1638), not an actual hetman, he was a Registered Cossack officer, participant in the Smolensk War. Ivan Sulyma, Senior of the Registered Cossacks (1628–1629), not an actual hetman. , Pavlo Pavliuk's assistant, Colonel of the Registered Cossacks (at least 1637–1638), headed the 1637 uprising while Pavlyuk returned to Zaporizhia. Battle between Moshny and Ros on 6 December 1637. Savva Kononovych (1637), former Pereyaslav polkovnyk Ilyash Karaimovych (1637), Mykola Potocki's appointee of Registered Cossacks, Bohdan Khmelnytsky was appointed a pysar of Karaimovych.
Hetmans of the Registered Cossacks The Hetman was selected from the senior officers of the Registered Cossacks to lead a Commonwealth army during one campaign season (similar to a ); later, their tenure would be longer than a single season. Usually, they were appointed by the Grand (Crown) or Field Hetmans of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In times of Cossack uprisings, rebel Registered or unregistered Cossacks elected their own Hetmans. Hryhoriy Loboda, Hetman of the Registered Cossacks (1593–1596, with interruptions). Tykhin Baybuza (1597–1598), Registered Cossack senior from Cherkasy, Hetman in the Commonwealth army. Samiylo Kishka (1599–1601), Kish otaman, Hetman of the Registered Cossacks, managed to reinstate the rights of Cossacks in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. (Yakiv Borodavka-Neroda), elected Hetman by rebel unregistered Cossacks in 1619; confirmed Hetman by a general council of both rebel Registered and unregistered Cossacks in June 1621. Succeeded by Sahaidachny. Petro Konashevych-Sahaidachny, Hetman of the Registered Cossacks (1616–1622), led successful campaigns against the Tatars and the Turks, aided the Polish army at Moscow in 1618 and at the Battle of Khotyn in 1621. He also saw Cossack interests in the independence of Ukraine from Poland. Mykhailo Doroshenko, Hetman of the Registered Cossacks (1623–1628). Ivan Petrizhitsky-Kulaga, Hetman of the Registered Cossacks (1631–1632). , Senior officer of Registered Cossacks, Hetman of the Commonwealth Registered Cossack Army (1636–1637). Pavlo Pavliuk (Mikhnovych), Colonel of the Registered Cossacks, elected Hetman by rebel Zaporizhian Cossacks in July 1637, led the Pavliuk uprising (July–December 1637).
Other positions
Bohdan Ruzhynsky, member of Volhynia princedom, a leader who was sponsored by Moscow Ivan Svirhovsky (1567–1574) Ivan Pidkova, campaign otaman of the unregistered Zaporizhian Cossacks (1577–1578), who was briefly proclaimed hospodar of Moldavia (November–December 1577). Ivan Orishevsky (1579–1591) , twice elected Hetman of the unregistered Zaporizhian Cossacks (1586, 1594) in conflicts with the Crimean Khanate. Kryshtof Kosynsky (1591–1593), otaman led the 1590 uprising after Janusz Ostrogski confiscated his lands near Bila Tserkva that were awarded to him by the Sejm Severyn Nalyvaiko (1596), an Ostrogski recruit who fought against the Kosiński Uprising, led his own uprising in Podolia and Volhynia independent from Hryhory Loboda. Elected Hetman of the rebel unregistered Cossacks in Pereiaslav in April 1596. Krempski, Hetman of Zaporizhia, was elected during the siege near Lubny and later managed to escape with a small number of other Cossacks. Ivan Sulyma, both mentioned as an elected Kish otaman in the Zaporizhian Sich (no date), and a Hetman of the unregistered Cossacks in 1628. Died 1635. , acting hetman of the Belarusian regiment (1656–9) after Ivan Zolotarenko's death.
Hetmans of the Cossack Hetmanate
United Hetmanate (1648–1663) Hetman Elected (event) Took office Left office Bohdan Khmelnytsky(1596–1657)Зиновій-БогданХмельницький 1648(Mykytyn Sich) 26 January 1648 6 August 1657 died Yurii Khmelnytsky(1641–1685)Юрій Хмельницький death ofhis father 6 August 1657 27 August 1657 placed underVyhovsky's regencyuntil adulthood Ivan Vyhovsky(1608–1664)Іван Виговський 1657(Korsun) 27 August 1657(confirmed:21 October 1657) 11 September 1659 resigned Yurii Khmelnytsky(1641–1685)Юрій Хмельницький 1659(Hermanivka) 11 September 1659(confirmed:11 September 1659) October 1662 resigned
Left-bank Hetmanate