Political history (1867–1914) in yellow. The region gained its name from this governorate. The lands of the
Sudovians were incorporated into the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania during the 13th century. The region was frequently ravaged by the
Teutonic Knights and was abandoned by most of its inhabitants. After the 1422
Treaty of Melno, its western borders were fixed and the territory became the sole property of the Grand Duke himself. Lithuania and Poland regained independence after World War I, and disputed their borders in this region. The Suwałki Governorate was split more or less along ethnic lines. Suvalkija has since been part of Lithuania, and
Suwalszczyzna – part of Poland.
Economic history Suvalkija has long been known as an affluent agricultural region. An increased demand for wood prompted resettlement and deforestation of the region during the 16th and 17th centuries. The demand led to illegal tree-harvesting incursions from the
Duchy of Prussia. To discourage this, the Grand Dukes of Lithuania established several border villages between
Jurbarkas and
Virbalis. By the 1820s, farmers in Suvalkija had begun to divide their villages into individual farmsteads (Lithuanian: singular – , plural – ). This development is a clear indicator of economic prosperity among the peasants. The old
three-field system was becoming obsolete; under that system, the land was managed by the community, and individuals could not introduce any technological advances without their approval. By contrast, in other parts of Lithuania, this process did not begin until serfdom was abolished throughout the Empire in 1861, intensifying after the
Stolypin reform in 1906. Early abolition of serfdom, fertile land, and close economic ties with East Prussia contributed to Suvalkija's relative wealth. This situation led to the ongoing perception that its inhabitants are very rational, clever, and extremely frugal, even greedy. Such stereotypes, also applied to other regions, gave rise to many anecdotes and practical jokes. Suvalkija remains the least-forested area of Lithuania (in 2005 forests covered 21.6% of
Marijampolė County while forests cover 32% of the country as a whole). The third-largest forest in Lithuania, Kazlų Rūda Forest (), is in Suvalkija, but is located on sandy soil unsuitable for farming. Suvalkija remains one of the most important agricultural regions of Lithuania, harvesting large crops of
sugar beets.
Cultural history Originally, the region was inhabited by the Baltic tribe of the
Sudovians (hence the name "Sudovia"). The
Teutonic Knights frequently raided the region during the
Middle Ages in ongoing attempts to conquer and baptize the
pagan Grand Duchy of Lithuania. As a result, most of ancient Sudovia became a sparsely inhabited wilderness covered by large forests. After the
Battle of Grunwald in 1410, which ended the crusades against Lithuania, the territory was slowly repopulated by settlers from
Samogitia and
Aukštaitija. They brought their cultures, which mingled with that of the remaining local
Sudovians, and an
ethnologically-distinct culture gradually took shape, combining Samogitian and Aukštaitian elements and indigenous elements not found anywhere else. Significant changes took place during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Suvalkija was separated from Lithuania Proper. While the Napoleonic period was brief, it resulted in lasting impacts. Of these impacts, the most important were the introduction of the
Napoleonic Code, the usage of the
Gregorian Calendar, and the abolition of serfdom almost 50 years earlier than in the rest of Lithuania. Peasants gained personal freedom and opportunities to acquire wealth. The region also offered better educational opportunities to its residents –
Veiveriai Teachers' Seminary and
Marijampolė Gymnasium continued their operations at a time when most educational institutions in Lithuania were closed following the 1863
January Uprising against the Russian Empire. The people of Suvalkija were also among the first and most numerous emigrants to the United States. These developments led to the formation of a new well-educated class, which fueled the
Lithuanian National Revival in the second half of the 19th century. Among the many notable figures from the region were the patriarch of Lithuanian independence
Jonas Basanavičius, the author of the
Lithuanian nation anthem Vincas Kudirka, and
Jonas Jablonskis, a linguist frequently credited with the creation of a standardized Lithuanian language. Dialects spoken in Suvalkija became the basis for the modern language. The Revival, which had previously been centered in eastern Samogitia, gradually shifted to Suvalkija due to the activities of these prominent figures and its better economic conditions. ==Folk culture==