▁administration , ▁courts , ▁and ▁schools . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁Finn ish ▁and ▁Swedish ▁were ▁spoken ▁by ▁about ▁ 8 5 ▁and ▁ 1 5 ▁percent ▁respectively ▁of ▁the ▁du chy ' s ▁population . ▁ ▁The ▁ideas ▁of ▁the ▁" S ve com ans " ▁were ▁an ▁important ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁public ▁debate ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁that ▁was ▁ev oked ▁by ▁the ▁re inst at ement ▁of ▁the ▁Diet ▁of ▁Finland , ▁which ▁now ▁conven ed ▁every ▁third ▁year . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁Finland ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁Sweden ▁from ▁the ▁early ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁until ▁the ▁Finn ish ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 0 8 - 9 , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁c eded ▁to ▁Russia ▁and ▁made ▁a ▁Grand ▁Duch y ▁within ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire . ▁Although ▁Finn ish ▁was ▁the ▁language ▁of ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁Grand ▁Duch y , ▁a ▁significant ▁minor ity ▁was ▁Swedish - spe aking . ▁Swedish ▁had ▁been ▁the ▁language ▁of ▁administration ▁and ▁in ▁educational ▁institutions ▁when ▁Finland ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Swedish ▁real m . ▁ ▁The ▁S ve com ans ▁promoted ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁Finland ▁har b ours ▁two ▁pe op les , ▁or ▁nations , ▁speaking ▁different ▁languages , ▁with ▁different ▁cult ures , ▁and ▁origin ating ▁from ▁separate ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁In ▁accord ance ▁with ▁contemporary ▁science , ▁these ▁two ▁pe op les ▁were ▁consequ ently ▁denoted ▁as ▁members ▁of ▁different ▁“ ra ces