The Hetmanate or Zaporizhian Host is the Ukrainian Cossack state in Central Ukraine between 1649 and 1764.

The Hetmanate is founded by Ukrainian hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky during the Khmelnytsky Uprising (1648–1657).

In 1654, it pledges its allegiance to Muscovy during the Council of Pereyaslav, while being a constituency of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Later the documents of the treaty (articles) are rewritten numerous times for reorganization purposes.

A regional referendum concludes the fall of the region under the protection of the Russian monarchy that guarantees sovereignty of the region in the fight against the Polish Crown.

The Treaty of Andrusovo of 1667, however, is conducted without any representation from the Cossack Hetmanate and sets the borders between Polish and Russian states, dividing the Hetmanate in half along the Dnieper.

This division causes a civil war in Ukraine between various parties of Cossacks that lasts till the end of the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the territory of the Hetmanate is limited to Left-bank Ukraine.

In 1764, the autonomy of the Cossack state is officially abolished by Catherine II of Russia.

The Hetmanate state consists of today's central Ukraine and a small part of Russia (former Starodub region of Chernigov Governorate).

Specifically, its territory includes provinces of Chernihiv, Poltava, and Sumy (without the southeastern portion), the left-bank territories of Kiev and Cherkasy, as well as the western portion of Bryansk Oblast of Russia.

The lands of the Zaporizhian Host has a certain degree of self-government with its own administration.