Who is higher - the count or the prince? What is the difference between a prince and a count?

Advances in technology in a short time have greatly changed our world. Many concepts that were in use a hundred years ago are now the property of the past. For example, to the question: “Who is higher - a count or a prince?” our ancestors would have answered without hesitation.

Nevertheless, it can confuse many of us. Indeed, it is not surprising for the inhabitants of the 21st century to get confused in the titles of nobility, and even more so to explain how the prince differs from the count.

The emergence of the nobility

The social structure of medieval society was clearly regulated. Each person from birth occupied a certain stage in it, and the transition from one class to another was practically impossible. Then, in the Middle Ages, a social hierarchy developed that regulated the way of life and relations within the estates.

The nobility appeared in Europe in the process of the formation of feudalism, when there was a need to streamline relations between overlords and their vassals. The duties of the latter included protecting the interests and life of the feudal lord, from whom they received flax. Thus, a medieval nobleman is a warrior ready to join his overlord at the call of his overlord.

Over time, economic relations in society changed, and with them the role of the nobility. For example, a count is a title that in the early Middle Ages meant a major feudal ruler who had complete power in his county. However, after the formation of centralized states, the possession of it indicated only belonging to the highest nobility - the aristocracy.

Titled nobles of medieval Europe

As already noted, each estate had a strict hierarchical structure. Thus, the nobility was divided into paid and patrimonial, as well as titled and untitled. The last group in all countries was the most numerous.

The social affiliation of tribal nobles was determined by the very fact of being born into a noble family, while the paid became part of the privileged class due to personal merit or impeccable public service.

The titled nobles were at the very top of the hierarchical pyramid, second only to monarchs and members of the royal family in terms of generosity. Princes, dukes, counts, marquises, barons, viscounts made up the feudal aristocracy in medieval Western Europe.

But the prince - the title, which was mainly used by the noble class in importance, he corresponded to the Western European prince or duke.

Origin of titles of nobility

In the past years, today it is impossible to say with certainty when and how the honorary titles of nobles appeared. Let's say count is a title that researchers associate with the Latin word comes. So in the late Roman Empire, the highest state dignitaries were called. Today, in the Romance languages, this title is spelled conte (Italian), conde (Spanish), and comte (French).

The tribes of the Franks in the early Middle Ages called the leaders of the rural community counts. A few centuries later, under the king, their possessions and title, along with the right to rule, began to be inherited.

Slavic princes were originally the heads of the tribes, and only after the lapse of centuries this honorary title began to be associated with the clans that ruled a certain territory, which had the right to reign, inherited.

Thus, one can notice something in common in the titles "prince" and "count". The difference was initially more geographical. In Western Europe, the word count was used, and in Eastern and Central Europe, the word prince. Only over time, these titles acquired a different semantic load.

Petrovsky Table of Ranks

It was formed in the XII century on the basis of courtyard people who were in the service of the boyars or specific princes. They performed various judicial and administrative functions along with the duty to carry out military service in the princely army.

Peter I, as part of the fight against the tribal boyar aristocracy, introduced new titles of nobility, borrowed from the countries of Western Europe. So, in the 18th century, counts and barons appeared in Russia along with princes. These and other innovations were recorded in the Table of Ranks - a list of civil, court and military ranks.

Some time passed until the subjects of the Russian autocrat understood the new hierarchical structure and were able to understand who was higher - a count or a prince. The last title existed in Rus' for a long time, and by the time of the reign of Peter I in Russia there were 47 princely families.

Titles

Peter's reforms put an end to the aristocratic hierarchy, which was based on generosity. Since that time, not only the descendants of the Rurik and Gediminids could become princes. Elevation to the princely or county dignity now depended on the will of the emperor.

The first in Russia, even before the adoption of the Table of Ranks, was Boris Sheremetev, a field marshal and associate of Peter the Great, who received the title of count. However, not all successors of the reformer tsar generously granted new titles. Catherine II elevated to the dignity of a count mainly her favorites.

A certain appeal was attached to the new title: high nobility. It is noteworthy that the princes in the XVIII century. have not yet enjoyed this privilege. For this reason, to the question: "Who is higher - a count or a prince?" a Russian nobleman at the time would most likely answer: "Count". In the next century, this title was received mainly by ministers or those who had previously been awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.

What is the difference between a prince and a count

In the 19th century, emperors were no longer stingy with new awards. Therefore, by the end of the century in Russia there were 310 count families and 250 princely families. In exceptional cases, one nobleman was allowed to have several titles. For example, V. for invaluable services to the Fatherland was elevated to both count and princely dignity.

So, who is higher - the count or the prince? In short, the holders of the last title stood on the hierarchical ladder one step higher. Only one who had already been elevated to the dignity of a count could become a prince.

This state of affairs was typical not only for the Russian nobility. As mentioned above, in Western Europe, the title of prince corresponded to the title of duke or prince, who occupied the highest rung on the aristocratic ladder.