▁of ▁citizens hip ▁were ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁principle ▁of ▁j us ▁sol i , ▁sign ifying ▁that ▁rights ▁would ▁be ▁granted ▁to ▁all ▁those ▁born ▁on ▁the ▁territory . ▁However , ▁this ▁was ▁not ▁applied ▁uniformly ▁and ▁in ▁some ▁cities ▁as ▁for ▁example ▁in ▁N ij m egen , ▁citizens hip ▁could ▁be ▁acquired ▁only ▁by ▁j us ▁s angu in is . ▁Furthermore , ▁as ▁was ▁the ▁case ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁Dutch ▁Republic , ▁citizens hip ▁could ▁be ▁purchased ▁if ▁one ▁had ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁particular ▁city ▁for ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁time . ▁The ▁price ▁for ▁citizens hip ▁like wise ▁varied ▁from ▁place ▁to ▁place . ▁This ▁unique ▁way ▁of ▁natural ization ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁was ▁accompanied ▁by ▁rights , ▁oblig ations ▁and ▁an ▁o ath ▁of ▁alleg iance ▁to ▁the ▁community ▁of ▁burg h ers ▁that ▁one ▁was ▁becoming ▁part ▁of . ▁ ▁In ▁addition , ▁all ▁those ▁that ▁were ▁citizens ▁of ▁the ▁republic ▁had ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁political ▁and ▁civ ic ▁rights . ▁The ▁extent ▁to ▁which ▁these ▁rights ▁could ▁be ▁exerc ised ▁in ▁the ▁Dutch ▁Republic ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁by ▁far ▁sur pass ed ▁that ▁of ▁other ▁European ▁countries . ▁ ▁Political ▁Cit iz ens ▁enjoyed ▁legal ▁protection ▁of ▁life ▁and ▁property ▁from ▁their ▁gover ning ▁body . ▁A ▁legal ▁system ▁en comp ass ing ▁the ▁whole ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁republic ▁did ▁not ▁yet ▁exist . ▁As ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁the ▁extent ▁of ▁this