Executionist movement

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The Executionist movement was a 16th-century political movement in the Kingdom of Poland and, later, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was popular among lesser, middle and even some higher nobility, and it also enjoyed the support of the Polish king. In Polish, the movement is variously known as ruch egzekucyjny, egzekucja praw ("execution [enforcement] of the laws"), or egzekucja dóbr ("execution of property"). The movement sought the revendication of public and state lands which were illegally held by various magnates. The followers of the movement were known as popularyści ("popularists"), or zamoyszczycy ("Zamoyskites", after the main movement supporter Jan Zamoyski). The movement opposed the abuse of the existing laws by the higher nobility (magnates), and demanded the "execution", or actual implementation, of already existing legislation. Major supporters of the movement included: Chancellor Jan Zamoyski, Sejm marshal Mikołaj Sienicki, Sejm marshal Rafał Leszczyński (ancestor of King Stanisław Leszczyński, grandfather of Primate of Poland Wacław Leszczyński), Politicians like Hieronim Ossoliński, Jakub Ostroróg, Jan Ponętowski. Portions of the movement's program received the support of philosophers such as Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski and Jan Łaski or writers like Augustinus Rotundus. The movement's goal was to reform the country, increase the rights of the lesser and middle nobility in parliament (Sejm) at the expense of the magnates, the priesthood and to a lesser extent, the monarch. The Executionist movement succeeded in having some of its demands implemented. However, by the early 17th century it declined and lost power before having attained most of its goals. The latter are largely viewed by modern historians as having been potentially salutary, had they been implemented. The Execution movement's demands included: Respect for sejmik constitutions (legal acts), and codification of the laws (hence, "execution of the laws"), Return of crown lands ("królewszczyzny"), often illegally held by the magnates, to the king...