U radu se obrađuje utjecaj pripadnosti velikaškim družinama na društveni položaj pripadnika srednjeg i nižeg plemstva i njihovih obitelji. Pri tome oni nisu gubili svoj plemićki status niti druge vrste plemićkih sloboda koje su inače uživali, što je moglo dovoditi do sukoba s njima nadređenim velikašima. Naglasak je stavljen na utjecaj teritorijalnog faktora kao odlučujućeg za sklapanje klijentelskog odnosa. Ti će problemi biti promatrani na primjerima velikaških obitelji Zagrebačke županije za vladavine Žigmunda Luksemburškog. ; Retainers and clients made up the human resources on which magnates relied when maintaining and administering their estates, in addition to performing political, military and judicial functions on the state level. The system was based on the custom that lesser nobles entered the service of the magnates, who then rewarded them for their services with direct pay or various different forms of protection and support. Belonging to a noble family influenced the social climbing of members of the middle and lesser noble strata and their families. The question that arises is whether territorial factors were determinative in sealing client relations with the magnates of the county or whether lesser nobles could enter the service of other magnates of the kingdom regardless of such factors. Retainers could perform many functions, from those of castellans to those of officials, judges and other servants (as can be found in sources under the Latin terms castellanus, officialis, villicus, iudex). Another question is whether the network of retainers was well developed, because in theory and in practice, the familiares might have had their own retainers on the lower level. Their relations could have had a permanent or a temporary basis. Under them were placed men, mostly tenant-peasants and other peasants on estates (homines, iobagiones, populi), who usually participated in the activities of their commanders. They were all part of the group of individuals united on a permanent basis, in spite of the ...