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meGreatMigrationofSerbsandtheQuestionoftheSerbianEthnicandReligiousCommunity…
Hungarianlegislationdidnotrecogniseanationdefinedbyitsreligiousdenom-
ination.TeHungariannationconsistedofhighclergy,nobilityandfreeroyal
cities,i.e.theHungarianclassesthatmadeuptheHungarianAssembly-theDiet.
Tistriggeredadecades-longdisputebetweenrulersandimperialinstitutionsand
theHungarianAssemblyandcountyinstitutions.Teessenceofthedisputewas
whethertheHungarianclasseswereobligedtorespecttheruler)slawsiftheDiet
didnotrecognisethemthroughitsdecisions.Terelationshipbetweenthelaws
passedbytherulerandthosepassedbytheDietwasadifcultissue,notonly
concerningtheSerbianmatter,andwasanobstacletotheestablishmentofthe
Habsburgdynasty)sfullauthorityovertheKingdomofHungary.
SincetheissuanceoftheFirstPrivilege,theHungarianCourtOfceinVienna
hademphasisedthattheSerbianpeopleinHungarywereanexceptiontothelaw
andthattheyhadtobesubjectedtotheHungarianauthoritiesandinstitutions.
Accordingtothisview,theissueofthelegalstatusoftheSerbianpeoplewasan
internalnationalandpoliticalissueoftheKingdomofHungary.TeHungarian
CourtOfcereferredtothemedievalpracticeaccordingtowhichanedictofpriv-
ilegesgivenbyarulertopeopleontheterritoryofHungaryhadtoberecognised
andconfirmedbytheHungarianAssembly.Onlyifitwereincorporatedintothe
Hungarianlegislationintheformoflegalarticles(articuli)wouldtherebealegal
obligationtorespectitintheentireterritoryoftheLandsoftheCrownofSt.
Stephen.EmperorLeopoldIbelievedthatitwasunnecessaryinthecaseofthe
Serbianpeople.HisviewwasbasedonthefactthathehadliberatedHungaryfrom
theOttomanrule,andthatthehereditaryrightoftheHabsburgstotheHungarian
crownhadbeenproclaimedbytheHungarianAssemblyinPozunin1687.Te
conceptofpoweraccordingtowhicharulerisonanequalfootingwiththeclasses
anddefactolimitedinhisactionsbycontractwiththem,asrequiredbytheHun-
garianhistoricalstatelaw,wasforeigntotheHabsburgsandtheyneverfullyac-
ceptedit.TeHabsburgsconsideredHungarytheirpersonallegacy,andtherefore
thelegalstatusoftheSerbianpeoplewasaninternalpoliticalAustrian-Habsburg
issue(austriaco-politicum).ReferringtothetitleoftheKingofSerbia,Leopold
IconsideredtheSerbianpeoplehislegacy(patrimoniumDomusAustriacae).Tis
wasthereasontheemperorgrantedSerbstherequestedrightsandprivilegesby
issuingtheedictsthroughtheAustrianimperialinstitutions:theCourtOfce,the
CourtWarCouncilandtheCourtChamber.Heconfirmedandextendedthose
rightsthroughtheHungarianCourtOfce.Inhisopinion,thiswassufcientfor
therightstoberespectedintheterritoryoftheKingdomofHungaryaswell18.
18Р
.Л.ВЕСЕЛИHОВИB,СрбиуВеликомрату…,p.553;И.ТОЧАHАH,Српскинародно-цркве-
нисаборł,p.126-127.
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