| Zhmaylo uprising | |||||||
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| Part ofCossack uprisings | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth |  Zaporozhian Cossacks | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Stanisław Koniecpolski | Marko Zhmaylo | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 8,000[1] | Unknown | ||||||
| Part ofa series on |
| Cossacks |
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| History |
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| Notable people of Cossack descent |
TheZhmaylo uprising (Polish:Powstanie Żmajły) was aCossack rebellion headed byMarek Zhmaylo against thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1625. On 5 November Marek Zhmaylo was deprived of his title and HetmanMykhailo Doroshenko was chosen to sign theTreaty of Kurukove, pledging allegiance to theCrown of the Kingdom of Poland.
In the late 16th century Poland introduced the institution of theRegistered Cossacks, which granted some privileges to the militantCossack people inhabiting territories ofUkraine, then mostly controlled by Poland.[2] Cossacks were allowed to serve in special units in the Polish military, but during the times of peace the Poles intended to reduce the number of Cossacks on the register and turn them into peasants.[2] This happened again after thePolish-Ottoman War, in which aftermath the 40,000 mobilized Cossacks led then by HetmanPetro Konashevych-Sahaidachny were reduced to 5,000.[2]
Following the Cossacks' crucial role in defeating the Ottoman army at theBattle of Khotyn (1621), the Commonwealth initially tolerated them. However, by 1624, KingSigismund III Vasa, under intense pressure from the Ottoman Porte and the Polish-Lithuanian nobility (szlachta), who were terrified of another massive war, took action.[3]
In response, the Cossacks began diplomatic endeavors with their Commonwealth neighbors, including theTatars andMuscovy.[4] The Polish-Lithuanian government sent a special commission headed byHetmanStanisław Koniecpolski, but two attempts to negotiate a truce failed.[4] In September 1625 Koniecpolski gathered an army to quell the unrest.[4]
According toLeszek Podhorodecki, his forces numbered about 12,000, with 30 artillery pieces;[4] and were composed of theregular army boosted by Registered Cossacks and forces of local nobility, both thepospolite ruszenie and somechorągiew units sponsored by themagnates.[4] The Cossack leaderMarek Zhmaylo had numerical superiority, gathering about 20,000 men under his banners.[4]
On October 6 Koniecpolski leftBila Tserkva and headed south.[4] Zhmaylo planned to draw the Polish army into the steppes, tire it out, cut its logistics, and only then engage it.[4] In the meantime he retreated south, offering some resistance in the area of the village of Moszna and the riverCybulnik.[4] On 24 October the Poles reached the town ofKryłów (Крилів), where the Cossacks had created a fortified camp.[4] There the Poles dispersed the Cossack cavalry and assaulted theirtabor formation.[4] The Cossacks held during the day, but attempted to withdraw in the night, a move which turned into a panicked retreat.[5]
Zhamaylo was able to restore order, helped by the fact that the Poles did not pursue the Cossacks till the following morning.[5] At sunrise on 26 October thePoles caught up with the Cossacks near Lake Kurukove.[5] The Polish cavalry charge got bogged down in the nearby swamps, and the Cossack counter-attack inflicted upon them serious casualties, turning the engagement into a siege of a new fortified camp.[5][6] After several days the Cossacks removed Zhmaylo from command, and so negotiations began.[6] Zhmaylo was replaced by HetmanMykhailo Doroshenko who signed theTreaty of Kurukove with the Poles on 5 November 1625[7] (Podhorodecki gives 6 November).[6]
In the end, despite no conclusive battle having been fought, Koniecpolski prevailed on the diplomatic front.[6] The Cossacks were granted amnesty, but had to agree to register only 6,000 and stop raidingOttoman Empire lands.[6] However, this agreement would not be long lasting.[6]
| Grand Duchy of Lithuania (to 1795) |
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| Interwar Lithuania (1918–1940) |
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