General sejm - Definition and Overview

General sejm (Polish: "sejm walny," or simply "sejm") was the supreme legislative body in Poland and later in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The general sejm came into being in 1493 and comprised three "estates": the king, the senate (senat), and the chamber of deputies. The deputies were elected at regional sejmiks ("little sejms").

The general sejm, or sejm, evolved from "general sejmiks," also called "provincial sejms," that had begun to be held in the first third of the 15th century. The provincial sejm of "Greater Poland" (Wielkopolska, i.e. western Poland) was held at Koło; the provincial sejm of "Lesser Poland" (Małopolska, i.e. southern Poland) was held at Nowe Miasto Korczyn.