Peasant social life in western Lesser Poland in the age of agrarian reforms at the turn of the 18th century

The article discusses some of the aspects of the broadly understood social life of peasantry in western Lesser Poland at the turn of the 18th century, which was a period of dynamic geopolitical and social changes brought about by, among others, the Partitions of Poland, as well as social and legal reforms introduced at the time. Special attention was given to the following issues: relations within the peasant community, peasants’ participation in the village self-government and their attitude towards the clergy, as well as the matter of the social awareness, religiousness and customs and traditions of peasants. Of course, the study does not fully explore the problems, but it points at issues that need to be further examined within systematic research.