chiefdom · Scandinavia and the Baltic

Harjumaa

800 CE – 1219 CE (approx.)

Inland county of northern Estonia that fell to Denmark in 1219 and later launched the great St George's Night Uprising of 1343.

Origins

Harjumaa, inland from the coast around modern Tallinn, was one of the ancient Estonian lands, made up of several parishes with hillforts. It was closely linked to the coastal county of Rävala, and the two are often treated together in the sources.

Rule and society

Its elders led the free farmers in war and council. The district grew grain on limestone soils and traded through the harbour at Lindanise. Henry of Livonia names Harjumaa's people among those who met for a common assembly at Raikküla.

Decline and legacy

After the Danish victory at Lindanise in 1219, Harjumaa passed under Danish rule and became part of the Duchy of Estonia (1219-1346). In 1343 its peasants began the St George's Night Uprising, which was crushed by the Livonian Order, after which Denmark sold the duchy to the Teutonic Order.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Lineage

HarjumaaDuchy of Estonia (1219-1346) 1219 CE – 1346 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Harjumaa. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/harjumaa
MLA
“Harjumaa.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/harjumaa. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Harjumaa.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/harjumaa.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Harjumaa’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/harjumaa (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻