The modern concept of "
dialectological" Žemaitija appeared only by the end of the 19th century. The territory of ancient Samogitia was much larger than current ethnographic or "dialectological" Žemaitija and embraced all of central and western Lithuania. The very term "Samogitians" is a Latinized form of the ancient Lithuanian name for the region's lowlanders, who dwelt in Central Lithuania's lowlands. The original subethnic Samogitia, i.e. Central Lithuania's flat burial grounds culture, was formed as early as the 5th-6th centuries. The western part of historical Žemaitija (before 12th–13th centuries it was inhabited by southern
Semigallians and southern
Curonians) became ethnically Lithuanian between the 13th and 16th centuries. The primal eastern boundary of historical Samogitia was the
Šventoji River (a tributary of the
Neris River); in 1387, the Lithuanian ruler (regent of Lithuania for Jogaila)
Skirgaila had expanded the territory of Grand Duke's domain in
Aukštaitija along the
Nevėžis River at the expense of Žemaitija. Because during the 13th through 16th centuries the
Teutonic Order and the
Livonian Order bordered Žemaitija, it was long threatened by their expansionist aims. As such, the Samogitian territory was offered to these orders, or exchanged in peace treaties, a number of times. Lithuania would then regain Žemaitija during subsequent conflicts. For more than two hundred years, old Samogitia played a central role in
Lithuania's wars against the crusading order of the Teutonic Knights (Knights of the Cross and Knights of the Sword). Invasions started in Lithuania in 1229. Combined military forces undertook numerous campaigns against Samogitians and Lithuanians.
Saule (1236),
Skuodas (1259),
Durbe (1260), are just a few of the battles that took place. Since Žemaitija was the last pagan region in Europe left to be invaded and christened, the Teutonic Order set their sights on this last mission. Between 1345 and 1382, the Knights of the Cross attacked from Prussia some 70 times, while the Livonian Knights of the Sword made 30 military forays. Year after year, fortresses were attacked, farms and crops were put to the torch, women and children enslaved and men killed. Despite all their effort, the Žemaičiai managed to defend their lands until 1410 decisive
Battle of Grunwald or Žalgiris, where united Polish-Lithuanian forces defeated the Teutonic Order and ended their crusading era. in 1659 In the 15th century, Samogitia was the last region in Core Europe to be
converted to Christianity. During the 15–18th centuries, it was known as the
Duchy or
Eldership of Samogitia, which included some territories of what is now considered
Aukštaitija and
Suvalkija as well. The Duchy of Samogitia was an autonomous administrative unit in the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania with some similarities to a
voivodeship. In contrast to some other aristocrats of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Lithuanian language was intensively used in the Duchy of Samogitia and its
nobility throughout the
early modern period. This is shown by the letter of
Stanisław Radziwiłł to his brother
Mikołaj Krzysztof Radziwiłł immediately after becoming the
Elder of Samogitia that: "While learning various languages, I forgot
Lithuanian, and now I see, I have to go to school again, because that language, as I see, God willing, will be needed." (in green) and Samogitia (in red) within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in a map from 1712After the
partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 18th century, Samogitia was incorporated into the
Russian Empire along with the rest of Lithuania. Samogitia was the main source of the
Lithuanian cultural revival during the 19th century and was a focal point for the
smuggling of books printed in the Lithuanian language, which was banned by the occupying Russians. In 1883,
Edmund Veckenstedt published a book
Die Mythen, Sagen und Legenden der Zamaiten (Litauer) (). After
World War I, Samogitia became a part of the newly re-established Lithuanian state. The Žemaičiai resisted the
Bolsheviks and the
Bermontians. During World War II, Lithuania was first occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940, then in 1941 by Nazi Germany, and in 1944 again by the USSR. The Soviet Union recognized the independence of Lithuania on 6 September 1991. The last Soviet troops withdrew in August 1993. In 1945, the Soviets denied the existence of the
Lithuania Minor ethnographic region, out of political advantage, and declared the Klaipėda region a part of Samogitia. ==Tourism==