In the Middle Ages Poland still had a monarch, but he was in constant struggle for power with the nobles. The king invited the Jews to his dominion, more for economic and political gain than anything else. The Jews brought in capital and could pay high taxes when called upon.

In other countries of Europe at the time the Jews not only paid heavily but their rights were greatly restricted. They were allowed to live only in certain designated districts, forced to wear distinctive clothing, and were excluded from many occupations.

Automatically the Jews faced hostility from the church and nobles and the king was criticized for his policy. The church adopted restrictions against the Jews on the grounds that they posed a threat to Christianity and prohibited any social interaction with them. The nobles hated them because they were under the protection of the king, and the peasants even came to hate them because they were the tax farmers and the middlemen who bought from them and sold to them.

In 1572, Poland became an elective monarchy and the nobles came to power. Their restrictions of the Jews were so severe that the Jews had to transfer their activities from towns to rural districts, even though they were prohibited from engaging in agriculture.

In 1772 was the first partition in which Russia annexed Polish territory and soon after created the Pale of Settlement.

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