Polish History: Biographies

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Dynasties of the World Further reading

Piast

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

Piast , 1st dynasty of Polish dukes and kings. Its name was derived from that of its legendary ancestor, a simple peasant. The first historic member, Duke Mieszko I (reigned 962–92), began the unification of Poland and introduced Christianity. His son, Boleslaus I , was crowned king in 1025 with papal approval. However, some of his successors did not claim the royal crown. His successors were Mieszko II (reigned 1025–34), Casimir I (reigned c.1040–1058), Boleslaus II (reigned 1058–79), Ladislaus Herman (reigned 1079–1102), and Boleslaus III (reigned 1102–38). For his four sons Boleslaus III created four hereditary duchies— Silesia , Mazovia , Great Poland (with Gniezno and Poznan), and Sandomierz . In addition, the royal throne at Kraków and the rest of the Polish territory was to be held by the oldest member of the dynasty; thus the supreme power would pass in rotation to the different branches. This law of succession caused the temporary disintegration of the kingdom. However, Casimir II (who, probably a posthumous child, was left out of Boleslaus's will) united Mazovia and Sandomierz under his power, was made duke at Kraków in 1177, and secured (1180) for his descendants the hereditary right to the kingship. Nevertheless, dynastic struggles resumed after Casimir's death (1194) and continued until Ladislaus I restored the royal authority in 1320. With the death (1370) of his son, Casimir III , the Piast dynasty ended in Poland; it was finally succeeded by the Jagiello dynasty. Another branch of the Piasts ruled as dukes of Mazovia until 1526. In 1339, Casimir III had officially recognized John of Luxemburg, king of Bohemia, as suzerain over the Piast domains in Silesia, which in the meantime had broken up into many principalities. The Silesian Piasts, as vassals of Bohemia and mediate princes of the Holy Roman Empire, retained the ducal title and continued to hold the duchy of Oppeln until 1532 and the principalities of Brieg, Liegnitz, and Wohlau until their extinction in 1675.

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Poland, Kingdom of

Dynasties of the World | 2002 | | Copyright

Poland, Kingdom of

House of Piast – Dukes of Poland

960?–992	Mieszko I (prince or duke; fourth in descent from Piast, traditional founder of Polish ruling house)
992–1025	Bolesław I, the Brave (son; crowned king of Poland 1025)
1025–1034	Mieszko II (Lambert) (son; king)
1034–1058	Casimir I, the Restorer (son)
1058–1079	Bolesław II, the Bold (son; crowned king 1076; deposed, died 1081)
1079–1102	Władysław I ( Herman) (brother)
1102–1107	Zbigniew (son; deposed)
1102–1138	Bolesław III, Wrymouth (brother)

Dukes of Cracow

1138–1146	Władysław II, the Exile (son; deposed, died 1159)
1146–1173	Bolesław IV, the Curly (brother)
1173–1177	Mieszko III, the Old (brother; deposed)
1177–1194	Casimir II, the Just (brother)
1194–1199	Leszek I, the White (son; deposed)
1199–1202	Mieszko III (restored)
1202	Władysław III, Spindleshanks (son; deposed)
1202–1210	Leszek I (restored; deposed)
1210–1211	Mieszko IV, Shamblefoot (son of Władysław II)
1211–1227	Leszek I (restored)
1227–1228	Władysław III (restored; deposed, died 1231)
1228–1229	Henry I, the Bearded (grandson of Władysław II; deposed)
1229–1232	Conrad of Mazovia (son of Casimir II; deposed)
1232–1238	Henry I (restored)
1238–1241	Henry II, the Pious (son)
1241–1243	Conrad (restored; deposed, died 1247)
1243–1279	Bolesław V, the Chaste (son of Leszek I)
1279–1288	Leszek II, the Black (grandson of Conrad)
1288–1290	Henry III, Probus (grandson of Henry II)
1290–1291	Przemysł (fourth in descent from Mieszko III; abdicated; king of Great Poland 1295–6)

House of Bohemia

1291–1305

Wenceslas (married Elizabeth, daughter of Przemysł; crowned king 1300)

House of Piast – Kings of Poland

1305–1333	Władysław I, the Short (brother of Leszek II; crowned king 1320)
1333–1370	Casimir III, the Great (son)

House of Anjou

1370–1382	Louis the Great (son of Elizabeth, daughter of Władysław I, and Charles I of Hungary)
1383–1399	St. Jadwiga (daughter)

House of Lithuania

1386–1434	Władysław II Jagiełło ( Jogaila, grand duke of Lithuania; married Jadwiga)
1434–1444	Władysław III (son; interregnum 1444–6)
1446–1492	Casimir IV (brother)
1492–1501	John I Albert (son)
1501–1506	Alexander (brother)
1506–1548	Sigismund I, the Old (brother)
1548–1572	Sigismund II Augustus (son; co-regent 1529)

House of France

1573–1575

Henry (deposed; king of France 1574–89)

House of Bathory

1576–1586

Stephen (prince of Transylvania 1571–6; married Anne, daughter of Sigismund I)

House of Sweden

1587–1632	Sigismund III (son of Catherine, daughter of Sigismund I, and John III of Sweden)
1632–1648	Władysław IV (son)
1648–1668	John II Casimir (brother; abdicated, died 1672)

House of Wiśniowiecki

1669–1673

Michael Korybut

House of Sobieski

1674–1696

John III

House of Saxony

1697–1704,	Augustus II, the Strong (elector of Saxony as Frederick
1709–1733	Augustus I; deposed; restored)

House of Leszczyński

1704–1709,	Stanislas I (deposed; restored; abdicated; duke of Lorraine
1733–1736	1737–66)

House of Saxony

1733–1763

Augustus III (son of Augustus II; rival king; elector of Saxony)

House of Poniatowski

1764–1795

Stanislas II Augustus (abdicated, died 1798; partition of Poland among Russia, Prussia and Austria)

Notes

Names and Titles

The title of king was not hereditary until Władysław I (1320).

Bibliography

BibliographyPolski słownik biograficzny (39 vols. to date, Cracow and Warsaw, 1935–2000).
Łowmiański, H., ed., Historia Polski do roku 1764 (2 vols., Łódí, 1957) (Historia Polski, ed. T. Manteuffel, I: 1–2).

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JOHN E. MORBY. "Poland, Kingdom of." Dynasties of the World. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN E. MORBY. "Poland, Kingdom of." Dynasties of the World. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O130-PolandKingdomof.html

JOHN E. MORBY. "Poland, Kingdom of." Dynasties of the World. 2002. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O130-PolandKingdomof.html

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