nobleman, estates
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Members of the upper class secular society, who had hereditary rights for political leadership, which originated from their one-time supposed or real army service. The four major rights of Hungarian noblemen were the following:
a) They could not be arrested without a preliminary summon to appear at court or a regular judgement when charging with common crimes, with the exception of being caught in the act.
b) Only the legally crowned ruler had power over them.
c) They could freely dispose of their legal rights and incomes within the boundaries of their land possession, and they were exempt from villein services and paying taxes or customs duties, their only obligation was to defend the country as soldiers in a war situation.
d) If any of their kings or chief princes did anything against them, they had the right to resist and defy the person being not guilty of disloyalty. The basis of Hungarian noble rights is the land possession. Land gifts made non-nobles noble, and similarly a child from the marriage of a non-noble man and a noble woman became noble by the girls' quarter, an estate, which was his legal due.
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estates
1. In a general sense of the word social groups consisting of members who have the same legal position defined by birth or qualifications and jobs.
2. In the late Middle Ages in Europe, social groups of the same legal position which represented themselves at diets (clergy, nobility and the 'third estate').
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