▁en act ed ▁only ▁by ▁the ▁general ▁se jm . ▁The ▁nob ility ▁was ▁granted ▁triple ▁imm unity : ▁legal , ▁administrative ▁and ▁tax ▁exem ption . ▁The ▁stat ute ▁final ized ▁the ▁division ▁between ▁nob ility , ▁pe as ants , ▁and ▁city ▁residents . ▁ ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁nob ility ▁rights ▁were ▁retained ▁even ▁after ▁the ▁third ▁partition ▁of ▁the ▁Polish – L ith uan ian ▁Commonwealth ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 5 . ▁ ▁T ies ▁to ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Poland ▁▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁Union ▁of ▁Hor od ło ▁( 1 4 1 3 ), ▁Lith uan ian ▁nob ility ▁acquired ▁the ▁same ▁rights ▁as ▁the ▁r uling ▁class ▁of ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Poland ▁( sz lach ta ). ▁During ▁the ▁following ▁centuries ▁Lith uan ian ▁nob ility ▁began ▁to ▁merge ▁with ▁Polish ▁nob ility . ▁The ▁process ▁acceler ated ▁after ▁the ▁Union ▁of ▁Lub lin ▁( 1 5 6 9 ), ▁resulting ▁in ▁the ▁Polish – L ith uan ian ▁Commonwealth . ▁ ▁Lith uan ian ▁nob ility ▁self - pol on ised , ▁replacing ▁Lith uan ian ▁and ▁Ruth en ian ▁languages ▁with ▁Polish ▁although ▁the ▁process ▁took ▁centuries . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century ▁a ▁newly ▁established ▁theory ▁amongst ▁Lith uan ian ▁nob ility ▁was ▁popular , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁Lith uan ian ▁nob ility ▁was ▁of ▁Roman ▁extra ction , ▁and ▁the ▁Lith uan ian ▁language ▁was ▁just ▁a ▁morph ed ▁Latin ▁language . ▁By ▁that ▁time , ▁the ▁upper ▁nob ility ▁and ▁the