Samogitian nobility

The term Samogitian nobility refers to the noble class living in the region of Samogitia, in Lithuania and an integral part of Lithuanian nobility. Historically, the local Polish-Lithuanian gentry was formed of people of various ethnic backgrounds, including Lithuanian, Polish, Tartar, German and Ruthenian.
As the Duchy of Samogitia maintained a certain level of autonomy within the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, its nobility was considered a separate subject of the laws, on par with the nobility of other lands of the Commonwealth.
Samogitian nobility, especially the lower class of it, preserved the knowledge of the Lithuanian language and the Samogitian dialect very well.