Lieges from Nadrovia in the state of Teutonic order in 1340-1370

The article examines the condition (composition and functions) of lieges in Nadrovia - Prussian land that was included in the Teutonic order's State in 1277. The research of acts and chronicles allowed the author to define the group of 46 persons, who were obliged to keep military service (to participate in companies against Grand Duchy of Lithuania, defend native lands, built and restore fortifications, etc.). The main part of lieges (44 persons) possessed land estates in size of 1,5-12 huffens. Among Nadrovians, there was a process of social differentiation that appeared in the same forms as in other Prussian lands: accumulation of land property by one person, division of estates, heirless property that appeared in the conditions of reduction of free lands qualified for cultivation. To minimize negative consequences of this process, the Order and the Church gave the permission to use nearest grounds, compensated the loss of the land property, and imposed penalty (vergeld) for the damage to life and health of Prussians. The formation of fief system in Nadrovia as well as appearance of settlements before the Order's conquest was associated with waterways (rivers Pregel, Inster, Agrapp, etc.) that was caused by the significance of this type of communications in this wild district covered by woods. At the same time, in contrast to the settlements of the 10th -13thcenturies, fiefs concentrated in the western part of Nadrovia due to the formation here of the system of Order's castles as military and administrative centers. By these conditions, the most stable cultivated territories were such lands that were settled before Order's conquest and still tilled after it because near location to the new centers.