1138–1319 · the Piast duchies
Fragmentation
Bolesław Wrymouth’s will divides the realm among his sons. The eldest Piast, the senior duke in Kraków, was to be overlord of the rest, but the seniority principle collapses almost at once, and early in the 13th century the Kraków throne brings prestige and nothing more: every duke rules his own duchy. For nearly two centuries Poland — bar the brief reigns of Przemysł II and Wenceslaus II — has no common ruler and is a set of competing duchies. In 1226 Konrad of Mazovia invites the Teutonic Knights; in 1241 the Mongols devastate the country at Legnica.
Population
- about 1,500,000 (rough estimate, ±400,000) — The Mongol invasion of 1241 set population growth back by a generation.
Rulers and leaders
- 1102–1138 Bolesław III Wrymouth — Duke of Poland monarch
- 1138–1146 Władysław II the Exile — senior duke, driven out by his brothers senior duke
- 1138–1177 Mieszko III the Old — Duke of Greater Poland provincial ruler
Lost the province together with Kraków in the revolt of 1177.
- 1138–1146 Władysław II the Exile — Duke of Silesia provincial ruler
Driven out in 1146, he died in exile in 1159.
- 1138–1144 Salomea of Berg — Wrymouth’s widow, holding Łęczyca as her dower provincial ruler
- 1138–1173 Bolesław IV the Curly — Duke of Mazovia and Kuyavia provincial ruler
- 1146–1173 Bolesław IV the Curly — senior duke senior duke
- 1146–1163 Bolesław IV the Curly — ruler of Silesia as senior duke, while the Exile’s sons were abroad provincial ruler
- 1146–1166 Henry of Sandomierz — Duke of Sandomierz provincial ruler
Killed on an expedition against the Prussians in 1166.
- 1163–1201 Bolesław I the Tall — Duke of Silesia (Wrocław) provincial ruler
Came back from exile in 1163 and shared the rule with his brother Mieszko until 1172.
- 1166–1173 Bolesław IV the Curly — ruler of Sandomierz Land provincial ruler
- 1172–1211 Mieszko IV Tanglefoot — Duke of Racibórz, of Opole and Racibórz from 1202 provincial ruler
- 1173–1177 Mieszko III the Old — senior duke, ousted from Kraków senior duke
- 1173–1201 Jarosław of Opole — Duke of Opole, from 1198 also Bishop of Wrocław provincial ruler
- 1173–1194 Casimir II the Just — Duke of Sandomierz provincial ruler
Duke of Wiślica from 1166 before that.
- 1173–1186 Leszek of Mazovia — Duke of Mazovia provincial ruler
A sickly minor: the magnate Żyron governed for him under Casimir the Just, to whom he left the duchy.
- 1177–1194 Casimir II the Just — senior duke, against the seniority rule senior duke
Took Kraków after the magnates rose against Mieszko the Old; the Łęczyca assembly of 1180 secured the Kraków throne for his descendants, breaking the seniority rule.
- 1177–1181 Casimir II the Just — ruler of Gniezno and Kalisz provincial ruler
- 1177–1194 Odon of Poznań — Duke of Poznań, from 1182 of the land south of the Obra provincial ruler
A son of Mieszko the Old, who recovered Gniezno and Kalisz in 1181 and took Poznań from him in 1182.
- 1178–1205 Sambor I — Governor of Gdańsk, under Polish overlordship provincial ruler
Died before 1205, or in 1207 according to the Oliwa necrology.
- 1181–1202 Mieszko III the Old — Duke of Greater Poland again provincial ruler
- 1186–1194 Casimir II the Just — Duke of Mazovia provincial ruler
- 1191 Mieszko III the Old — senior duke, briefly back in Kraków senior duke
- 1194–1198 Leszek the White — senior duke, a minor under his mother’s regency senior duke
- 1194–1229 Władysław III Spindleshanks — Duke of Greater Poland — until 1202 only of the land south of the Obra provincial ruler
From 1223 he fought his nephew Władysław Odonic for the province and was in the end driven out of it; he died in exile in 1231.
- 1194–1205 Leszek the White — Duke of Sandomierz provincial ruler
- 1194–1195 Bolesław of Kuyavia — Duke of Kuyavia provincial ruler
A son of Mieszko the Old; killed at the Battle of the Mozgawa in 1195. Some historians date his rule from 1186.
- 1194–1200 Leszek the White — Duke of Mazovia, jointly with his brother Konrad provincial ruler
- 1194–1247 Konrad I of Mazovia — Duke of Mazovia and Kuyavia, from 1233 of Czersk; of Łęczyca and Sieradz too from 1231 provincial ruler
Under the regency of his mother, Helena of Znojmo, until about 1200. In 1226 he brought in the Teutonic Order to fight the Prussians.
- 1195–1198 Mieszko III the Old — Duke of Kuyavia provincial ruler
In 1198 he handed Kuyavia to the sons of Casimir the Just.
- 1198–1202 Mieszko III the Old — senior duke again, until his death senior duke
After 1177 he won Kraków back three more times: briefly in 1191, in 1198, and — after a short ejection in favour of Leszek the White — in 1199, this time until his death in 1202. Some historians hold that Leszek, not Mieszko, ruled Kraków in 1200–1201.
- 1201–1238 Henry I the Bearded — Duke of Silesia provincial ruler
- 1202–1206 Władysław III Spindleshanks — the last senior duke senior duke
Took Kraków when Mieszko the Old died in 1202; some historians hold that the lords sent him away that autumn, others that he kept it until 1206. Leszek the White succeeded him, and from then on the Kraków throne no longer passed by seniority: the seniorate was over.
- 1205–1220 Mestwin I — Governor of Gdańsk, under Polish overlordship provincial ruler
- 1206–1227 Leszek the White — Duke of Kraków and Sandomierz Duke of Kraków
Mieszko Tanglefoot seized Kraków in 1210–11. Leszek was murdered at Gąsawa in 1227.
- 1207–1217 Władysław Odonic — Duke of Kalisz, by grant of Henry the Bearded provincial ruler
- 1210–1211 Mieszko IV Tanglefoot — Duke of Kraków, displaced Leszek the White Duke of Kraków
- 1211–1230 Casimir I of Opole — Duke of Opole and Racibórz provincial ruler
- 1220–1266 Świętopełk II the Great — governor, from 1227 independent Duke of Gdańsk provincial ruler
Broke with Poland after the attack at Gąsawa in 1227, in which Leszek the White was killed and which he is generally held to have organised.
- 1223–1228 Władysław Odonic — Duke at Ujście, from 1225 at Nakło too, at war with Spindleshanks provincial ruler
- 1227–1230 Bolesław V the Chaste — Duke of Sandomierz, a minor provincial ruler
- 1228–1229 Władysław III Spindleshanks — Duke of Kraków Duke of Kraków
- 1229–1232 Konrad I of Mazovia — Duke of Kraków Duke of Kraków
- 1229–1239 Władysław Odonic — Duke of Greater Poland provincial ruler
In 1234 he lost the land beyond the Warta, Kalisz included, to Henry the Bearded.
- 1230–1246 Mieszko II the Fat — Duke of Opole and Racibórz provincial ruler
- 1230–1232 Bolesław I of Mazovia — Duke of Sandomierz, installed by his father, Konrad of Mazovia provincial ruler
- 1232–1238 Henry I the Bearded — Duke of Kraków — the so-called monarchy of the Silesian Henrys Duke of Kraków
- 1232–1242 Bolesław V the Chaste — Duke of Sandomierz provincial ruler
- 1233–1267 Casimir I of Kuyavia — Duke of Kuyavia, of Łęczyca too from 1247 and of Sieradz until 1261 provincial ruler
- 1233–1248 Bolesław I of Mazovia — Duke of Płock (northern Mazovia) provincial ruler
- 1233–1271 Sambor II — Duke of Lubiszewo and Tczew provincial ruler
The start of his rule is disputed (between 1225 and 1233).
- 1233–1262 Ratibor — Duke of Białogarda provincial ruler
- 1234–1238 Henry I the Bearded — ruler of southern Greater Poland provincial ruler
- 1238–1241 Henry II the Pious — Duke of Kraków, killed at Legnica Duke of Kraków
- 1238–1241 Henry II the Pious — ruler of southern, from 1239 most of Greater Poland provincial ruler
- 1238–1241 Henry II the Pious — Duke of Silesia provincial ruler
- 1239–1257 Przemysł I — Duke of Greater Poland, from 1247 of Poznań provincial ruler
After his father’s death in 1239 he held only the province’s north-eastern edge, with Nakło and Ujście; from 1241 until 1247 he ruled jointly with his brother Bolesław.
- 1241 Bolesław II the Horned — Duke of Kraków for a few weeks after Legnica Duke of Kraków
- 1241–1243 Konrad I of Mazovia — Duke of Kraków, a second time Duke of Kraków
- 1241–1279 Bolesław the Pious — Duke of Kalisz, of all Greater Poland in 1257–73 provincial ruler
His Statute of Kalisz of 1264 gave the Jews a legal protection that later privileges built on for centuries.
- 1241–1278 Bolesław II the Horned — Duke of Wrocław, from 1248 of Legnica provincial ruler
From the division of 1248 Silesia broke into ever smaller duchies: Legnica, Głogów from 1251, then Jawor, Świdnica, Ścinawa and Oleśnica.
- 1243–1279 Bolesław V the Chaste — Duke of Kraków and Sandomierz Duke of Kraków
- 1246–1281 Władysław of Opole — Duke of Opole and Racibórz provincial ruler
- 1247–1262 Siemowit I of Mazovia — Duke of Czersk, of all Mazovia from 1248 provincial ruler
Killed by Lithuanian raiders at Jazdów in 1262.
- 1248–1266 Henry III the White — Duke of Wrocław provincial ruler
- 1261–1288 Leszek II the Black — Duke of Sieradz, of Łęczyca too from 1267; of Inowrocław as well in 1273–78 provincial ruler
- 1262–1294 Konrad II of Czersk — Duke of Mazovia, from 1275 of Czersk provincial ruler
A Lithuanian captive in 1262–64, while his mother Pereyaslava and Bolesław the Pious governed as regents.
- 1262–1313 Bolesław II of Mazovia — Duke of Mazovia, from 1275 of Płock; of all Mazovia in 1294–1310 provincial ruler
- 1266–1290 Henry Probus — Duke of Wrocław provincial ruler
Under the guardianship of his uncle Władysław, Archbishop of Salzburg, until 1270, then of Ottokar II of Bohemia until 1273.
- 1266–1270 Wartislaw II — Duke of Gdańsk provincial ruler
- 1266–1294 Mestwin II — Duke of Świecie, of Gdańsk from 1270 provincial ruler
By the Kępno agreement of 1282 he made Przemysł II his heir.
- 1267–1287 Ziemomysł of Kuyavia — Duke of Inowrocław provincial ruler
Removed by his own subjects in 1271–78, when Bolesław the Pious and then Leszek the Black held Inowrocław.
- 1267–1300 Władysław I the Elbow-high — Duke of Brześć Kujawski provincial ruler
Under the regency of his mother, Euphrosyne of Opole, until 1275, and sharing the duchy with his brothers Casimir and Siemowit until 1288.
- 1273–1296 Przemysł II — Duke of Poznań, of all Greater Poland from 1279 provincial ruler
- 1279–1288 Leszek II the Black — Duke of Kraków and Sandomierz Duke of Kraków
- 1281–1313 Bolko I of Opole — Duke of Opole provincial ruler
At his father’s death Upper Silesia split into the duchies of Opole, Racibórz, Cieszyn and Bytom.
- 1287–1312 Siemowit of Dobrzyń — Duke of Dobrzyń provincial ruler
Died between 1306 and 1312.
- 1287–1314 the sons of Ziemomysł — Leszek, Przemysł and Casimir — joint Dukes of Inowrocław provincial ruler
Under their mother Salomea’s regency until 1294; vassals of Wenceslaus II from 1300.
- 1288–1289 Bolesław II of Mazovia — Duke of Kraków, briefly after Leszek the Black died Duke of Kraków
- 1288–1290 Henry Probus — Duke of Kraków Duke of Kraków
- 1288–1289 Bolesław II of Mazovia — Duke of Sandomierz provincial ruler
- 1288–1294 Casimir II of Łęczyca — Duke of Łęczyca provincial ruler
Łokietek’s brother; killed fighting the Lithuanians at Trojanów in 1294.
- 1288–1300 Władysław I the Elbow-high — Duke of Sieradz, of Łęczyca too from 1294 provincial ruler
- 1289 Władysław I the Elbow-high — styled himself Duke of Kraków; took the city but not the Wawel, and soon had to flee it Duke of Kraków
- 1289 Konrad II of Czersk — Duke of Sandomierz provincial ruler
- 1289–1292 Władysław I the Elbow-high — Duke of Sandomierz provincial ruler
In 1292 Wenceslaus II took Sandomierz and forced him to do homage.
- 1290–1291 Przemysł II — Duke of Kraków by Henry Probus’s will Duke of Kraków
- 1290–1296 Henry V the Fat — Duke of Legnica and Wrocław provincial ruler
- 1291–1299 Wenceslaus II — King of Bohemia, Duke of Kraków, of Sandomierz too from 1292 and of Greater Poland from 1299 Duke of Kraków
- 1294–1296 Przemysł II — Duke of Pomerania provincial ruler
- 1295–1296 Przemysł II — King of Poland monarch
The first coronation since 1076, at Gniezno. Murdered at Rogoźno seven months later.
- 1296–1300 Władysław I the Elbow-high — Duke of Greater Poland and Pomerania provincial ruler
Took the province after Przemysł II was murdered; pushed out by Wenceslaus II, he left the country in 1300 and came back in 1304.
- 1296–1309 Henry III of Głogów — Duke of Głogów; from 1296 of the land south of the Obra, from 1306 of most of Greater Poland provincial ruler
He styled himself heir of the Kingdom of Poland.
- 1296–1311 Bolesław III the Generous — Duke of Wrocław, with his brothers provincial ruler
A minor; Wenceslaus II was regent from 1302 to 1305.
- 1300–1305 Wenceslaus II — King of Bohemia and Poland monarch
Crowned at Gniezno in 1300; he governed through his captains and stayed in Prague.
- 1304–1305 Władysław I the Elbow-high — back from exile: Wiślica, then Sandomierz, Kuyavia, Łęczyca and Sieradz provincial ruler
- 1305–1306 Wenceslaus III — King of Bohemia and Poland monarch
Inherited the title but was never crowned in Poland. Murdered at Olomouc in August 1306 on his way to Poland.
- 1306–1319 Władysław I the Elbow-high — Duke of Kraków, Sandomierz, Brześć, Łęczyca and Sieradz; of Greater Poland from 1314 — the reunifier Duke of Kraków
Gdańsk Pomerania, which he took in 1306, was seized by the Teutonic Order in 1308–09.
- 1309–1314 Henry IV the Faithful and his brothers — the sons of Henry of Głogów, Dukes of Greater Poland provincial ruler
In 1314 the Greater Poland knights drove them out and submitted to Łokietek.
- 1310–1345 Siemowit II of Mazovia — Duke of Warsaw, from 1313 of Rawa provincial ruler
- 1310–1341 Trojden I of Mazovia — Duke of Czersk, of Warsaw too from 1313 provincial ruler
- 1311–1335 Henry VI the Good — Duke of Wrocław provincial ruler
The last Duke of Wrocław: he did homage to the King of Bohemia in 1327, and at his death in 1335 the duchy passed to the Bohemian crown.
- 1313–1356 Bolko II of Opole — Duke of Opole provincial ruler
- 1313–1336 Wenceslaus of Płock — Duke of Płock provincial ruler
- 1314–1324 Leszek of Inowrocław — Duke of Inowrocław provincial ruler
- 1314–1327 Przemysł of Inowrocław — Duke of Bydgoszcz and Wyszogród provincial ruler
- 1314–1332 Casimir III of Gniewkowo — Duke of Gniewkowo provincial ruler
Events
- 1138The Testament of Bolesław Wrymouth 28 October loss
Bolesław III divides the country between his sons, with a rule of seniority meant to prevent a war of succession. Two centuries of fragmentation follow instead, and Poland came out of them smaller — without Silesia or Pomerania.
- 1226The Teutonic Knights are invited in loss
Konrad of Mazovia brings in the Teutonic Order to fight the pagan Prussians and grants it the land of Chełmno. The Order built its own state there and spent the next two centuries as Poland’s principal enemy.
- 1227The murder at Gąsawa turning point
At an assembly of the dukes at Gąsawa, Świętopełk of Pomerelia’s men kill Leszek the White, Duke of Kraków, and badly wound Henry the Bearded. Gdańsk Pomerania breaks away from Polish overlordship, and a struggle for Kraków begins that no duke will win for long.
- 1241The Battle of Legnica 9 April battle
Henry the Pious is killed and the Silesian knighthood destroyed by the Mongols. The invasion withdrew on its own, but it wrecked the one centre then capable of reuniting the country.
- 1264The Statute of Kalisz 16 August constitution
Duke Bolesław the Pious grants the Jews of Greater Poland a charter: protection of their persons, property and synagogues, courts of their own and freedom to trade, and anyone who accuses them of ritual murder without proving it is to be punished instead. Casimir the Great extends it to the whole kingdom, and on its footing Poland becomes for centuries the largest home of Europe’s Jews.
- 1295Przemysł II is crowned 26 June turning point
Archbishop Jakub Świnka crowns Przemysł II at Gniezno, the first coronation in more than two hundred years. The kingdom, though it holds only Greater Poland and Gdańsk Pomerania, exists again, and the eagle on Przemysł’s seal becomes the sign of the state.
- 1308The Teutonic Order seizes Gdańsk 13 November loss
Called in by Łokietek against Brandenburg, the Teutonic Knights take Gdańsk, deal bloodily with its defenders and keep the city. Within a year they hold all of Gdańsk Pomerania; Poland loses its access to the sea for more than a century and a half.
Wars, uprisings and longer processes
- 1211–1370Settlement under German law resettlement
Dukes, bishops and monasteries bring in settlers from Germany and found hundreds of towns and thousands of villages under German law — of Magdeburg, Środa or Chełmno — local people included. The market squares of Wrocław, Poznań and Kraków come from these charters, and Silesia and Western Pomerania begin to turn German. The dates are a convention: from Złotoryja’s charter to the end of Casimir the Great’s reign.
- 1230–1283The Teutonic conquest of Prussia war
From Chełmno Land, given it by Konrad of Mazovia, the Teutonic Order conquers the Prussian tribes in half a century — from the Pomesanians on the Vistula to the Sambians and, last, the Yotvingians — and crushes the Great Prussian Uprising of 1260–74. On the conquered land it builds its own state, a neighbour Poland will fight for two and a half centuries.
People of the age
- 1150–1223 Wincenty Kadłubek — Bishop of Kraków, author of the Chronica Polonorum
- 1174–1243 Saint Hedwig of Silesia — Duchess of Silesia, wife of Henry the Bearded; co-founded the convent at Trzebnica, canonised in 1267
- 1240–1314 Jakub Świnka — Archbishop of Gniezno; crowned Przemysł II in 1295 and Wenceslaus II in 1300, and supported reuniting the country