Šiauduva XIV a. - XV a. pradžioje

LTŠis straipsnis skiriamas ankstyvajai Šiauduvos istorijai. Jį rengiant taikyti analizės, sintezės, lyginamasis, geografinis ir retrogresyvinis chronologinis metodai. Tyrimo objektas nėra atsitiktinis, tai viena iš seniausių etninės Žemaitijos gyvenviečių, kurios vardu buvo vadinamas LDK Žemaičių seniūnijos administracinis padalinys – Šiauduvos valsčius. Straipsnyje nagrinėjamos gyvenvietės iškilimo šalia senesnio apylinkės centro – Laukuvos – aplinkybės. Kartu sprendžiamas svarbus lokalinei istorijai uždavinys – siekiama nustatyti pirmojo Šiauduvos paminėjimo rašytiniuose šaltiniuose datą. Taip pat aptariamas gyvenvietės statusas XIV a. – XV a. pradžioje. Svarbiausi tyrimo rezultatai pateikti išvadose, kuriose konstatuojama, kad XIV a. iš Laukuvos apylinkės centro vaidmenį XIV a. perėmė Šiauduva. Labai didelė tikimybė, kad ši gyvenvietė pirmą kartą minima Vokiečių ordino akte, išduotame 1339 m. bėgliui iš Lietuvos Rusteikai. XIV a. pabaigoje – XV a. pradžioje Šiauduva buvo nedidelio savivaldos vieneto – kraštelio (valsčiuko) – centras. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Laukuva; Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė (LDK; Grand Duchy of Lithuania; GDL); Ordinas; Vokiečių; Vokiečių Ordinas (Teutonic Order; Kryžiuočių ordinas); Šiauduva; Žemaitija (Samogitia); Laukuva; Samogitia; The Grand Duchy of Lithuania; The Teutonic Order; Šiauduva; Žemaitija.

ENŠiauduva settlement (officially – a village) is situated about 4–5 km south of the town of Laukuva (Šilalė district). In the 13th century Laukuva rural district (valsčius), a separate selfgovernment unit, existed in this area; however, due to unknown reasons, it no longer existed in the 14th century. The place name Laukuva is possibly also mentioned in the act of 1333, but it again reappears in the sources from the middle of the 16th century only. In the 14th century Šiauduva, which is situated near Padievytis (Šiauduva) hillfort, took over the role of the area’s centre from Laukuva. It is important to ascertain when this settlement was first mentioned in written sources. The analysis of primary sources makes it clear that the statement established in literature according to which the place name Šiauduva was first mentioned at the end of the 14th century in the Lithuanian route report prepared by the Teutonic Order is not accurate. The hypothesis according to which the Samogitian castle Xedeyctain mentioned in 1329 is localisable on the Padievaitis (Šiauduva) hillfort is also insufficiently substantiated. Hence, 1329 should not be considered the beginning of the written history of Šiauduva, and the first mention should be sought in other sources. Two sources have already drawn the attention of historians: the act of 1339 issued by the leadership of the Teutonic Order, which includes a mention of the settlement Schauden, and the act of 1340, where another settlement, Tucten, is mentioned. Their content analysis makes it clear that both acts are concerned with the same person – a wealthy Samogitian nobleman, Rusteika, who fled to Prussia and had estates in the aforementioned localities before his runaway. Whereas Tucten is undoubtedly localisable in the environs of Paršežeris mentioned in the act of 1340 and Laukuva, the other estate, Schauden, should have also been situated.Whereas Tucten is undoubtedly localisable in the environs of Paršežeris mentioned in the act of 1340 and Laukuva, the other estate, Schauden, should have also been situated nearby. The village of Šiaudaliai situated in these environs should probably not be associated with Schauden, whereas the probability that it refers to present-day Šiauduva is very high. In this case, the start of the written history of this settlement dates back to 1339. In the period in question Šiauduva was a centre of a small territorial unit. Though it is referred to by the German term lant ‘rural district’ in the report on the campaign of the Teutonic Order against Samogitia prepared in around 1387, at the end of the 14th century Šiauduva was still attributed to the self-government units of a lower category and should be called a small rural district (valsčiukas). However, the term districtus Schawdan used in the source of 1413 testifies that even if the rural district of Šiauduva did not formally exist at that time, the preconditions for it to emerge were already there. [From the publication]