Duchy of Estonia | |
|---|---|
| 1561–1721 | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Baltic provinces ofSwedish Empire in the 17th century. | |
| Status | Dominion of theSwedish Empire |
| Capital | Reval (Tallinn) |
| Common languages | German,Estonian,Swedish |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
| King | |
| Governor-General | |
• 1674–1681 | Anders Torstenson |
• 1687–1704 | Axel Julius de la Gardie |
| History | |
• Established | 4 June 1561 |
| 10 September 1721 | |
| Today part of | Estonia |
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| History ofEstonia |
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| Chronology |
 Estonia portal |
TheDuchy of Estonia (Swedish:Hertigdömet Estland;Estonian:Eestimaa hertsogkond;German:Herzogtum Estland), also known asSwedish Estonia (Swedish:Svenska Estland),[1] was adominion of theSwedish Empire from 1561 until 1721 during the time that most or all ofEstonia was under Swedish rule. The territory was eventually ceded toRussia in theTreaty of Nystad, followingits capitulation duringa plague outbreak in theGreat Northern War.
The dominion arose during theLivonian War, when the northern parts of present-dayEstonia —Reval (Tallinn) and the counties ofHarjumaa,Western Virumaa,Raplamaa andJärvamaa — submitted to the Swedish king in 1561, andLäänemaa in 1581. It is also colloquially known as the "good old Swedish times"[2] (Estonian:vana hea Rootsi aeg) by Estonians, but this expression was not used before the following Russian rule, in the beginning of which the situation of Estonian peasantry declined rapidly; to gain the support of the GermanBaltic nobility, Russia gave them more power over the peasantry.
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