Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Cossack State 1569–1795 Chapter Four The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a federated union established to resist Muscovy, fostered Poland’s jurisdiction over Ukraine and expansion eastward. Polish and Orthodox Rus' nobles welcomed the union for its cultural, political, and economic benefits and often engaged Jews to manage their estates, including as leaseholders. For Ukrainian peasantry, the union entrenched and exacerbated the experience of serfdom. Resulting tensions erupted into a major Cossack uprising that engulfed the Commonwealth in 1648–1649, during which Cossacks and their Tatar allies massacred thousands of Poles and around one-third of the region’s Jewish population. A Cossack state was established, which experienced stability under hetman Ivan Mazepa, until the onset of invasions, revolts, and economic decline. The distinctive and vibrant shtetl culture and Hasidism originated in the Commonwealth during this period. Politics Demography and Migration Economy and Society Culture and Religion Antisemitism Ukrainian-Jewish Relations
