Bolesław V the Chaste
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Roman Catholic |
Bolesław V the Chaste (
Birth and nickname
Bolesław V was born on 21 June 1226 at
Named after his great-grandfather
Youth
Father's death
On 24 November 1227, during the Congress of Gąsawa, Bolesław V's father, Leszek the White, was killed. Like his own father and paternal grandfather before him, he was orphaned at young age. After Duke Leszek's death many people claimed the custody of his only son. The nobility of Kraków wanted the regency to be exercised by Dowager Duchess Grzymisława, jointly with the local voivode and bishop; however, this was contrary to the treaty of mutual inheritance signed in 1217 by Leszek and Władysław III Spindleshanks, under which it was agreed that in the event of the death of one of them, the other would take the government of his domains and custody of his minor children.
On 6 December 1227
Adoption by Władysław Spindleshanks
On 5 May 1228, a meeting was organized in Cienia between Władysław Spindleshanks and a delegation of Kraków nobles, which included Bishop Iwo Odrowąż; voivode Marek Gryfita; Pakosław Awdaniec the Old, voivode of Sandomierz; and Mściwój, castellan of Wiślica. Under the terms of the meeting, Władysław agreed to the adoption of Bolesław V, making him his successor over Kraków and Greater Poland. After the meeting, Władysław arrived in Kraków, where Grzymisława formally gave him the rule of the city. The dowager duchess and her son received the Duchy of Sandomierz, where she exercised the regency.
Shortly afterwards Władysław Odonic escaped from prison and the fight for Greater Poland was resumed. Władysław Spindleshanks was forced to leave Kraków. Then the local nobility, with the consent of Grzymisława, called Henry the Bearded to Kraków, but only to rule as a governor.[9] In the summer of 1228 Konrad I of Masovia attacked Kraków, but was defeated at the Battle of Skała by Henry I's son, Henry the Pious. However, a year later Konrad I captured Henry the Bearded and occupied Sieradz-Łęczyca and later Sandomierz, removing Grzymisława from power, despite resistance from the local nobility. In 1230 Władysław Spindleshanks, with the help of Henry I, made an unsuccessful attempt to recover his lands. Władysław died one year later in exile in Racibórz.
Władysław's will named Henry the Bearded heir to Kraków and Greater Poland. In 1231, with the support of the
Imprisonment by Konrad I of Masovia
In 1233 Konrad I of Masovia captured Grzymisława and her son after personally robbing and beating them, according to a bull of Pope Gregory IX. Bolesław V and his mother were imprisoned firstly in Czersk and then in Sieciechów. The humiliations to the dowager duchess continued there, including a slap in the face by Konrad I.
Henry the Bearded decided to rescue the imprisoned prince and his mother; shortly thereafter Bolesław and Grzymisława managed to escape from the monastery of Sieciechów with the help of Kraków voivode Klement of Ruszcza and Mikołaj Gall, who was in charge of the prisoners. Both Klement and Mikołaj bribed the guards, who were busy drinking, and did not pay attention to the prisoners, who left the monastery in disguise. Jan Długosz described the events as follows:
- When one night the guards after drink and feast forgot their duties, abandoned their posts and quietly during the night Duke Bolesław and his mother secretly left the monastery.
For safety reasons, Henry the Bearded hid Bolesław and his mother in the fortress of Skała near the valley of the Prądnik river. Then, on behalf of her son, Grzymisława renounced his rights over Kraków to Henry. In 1234 a war between Henry and Konrad for Lesser Poland broke out. Thanks to Archbishop Pełka, the Treaty of Luchani was signed in August of that year, under which Bolesław received Sandomierz and gave several castles to Henry. In June 1235, Pope Gregory IX approved the Treaty of Luchani; however, shortly afterwards Konrad invaded Sandomierz, and as a result of this invasion Bolesław lost the district of Radom.
Henry the Bearded died in 1238, and his son Henry the Pious succeeded him. Like his father, he took the regency of Bolesław and his Duchy of Sandomierz. In 1239 in Wojnicz, the 13-year-old Bolesław met his bride, the 15-year-old Kinga (also known as Kunigunda), daughter of King Béla IV of Hungary. The wedding was celebrated shortly thereafter. Kinga spent her first years in Sandomierz with her mother-in-law. On 9 July of that year, a meeting also took place in Przedbórz between Bolesław and Konrad, at which the Masovian ruler agreed to renounce his claims over Sandomierz. It was at this point that Bolesław began his personal government.
Fall of Kraków
In 1241 the
After the death of Henry the Pious, his eldest son,
Adulthood
Struggle with Konrad
Konrad I of Masovia until his death attempted to realize his ambition to become high duke and ruler of Kraków. In 1246, together with his son Casimir and supported by Lithuanian and Opole troops, he attacked Lesser Poland again. In the Battle of Zaryszów the troops of Bolesław were defeated. The duke of Kraków lost Lelów, but Kraków and Sandomierz managed to resist. The lack of funds for war forced Bolesław to take some properties of his wife, Kinga, which were paid only on 2 March 1257 during a meeting at Nowy Korczyn, when she received the district of Stary Sącz. In the autumn of 1246 was brought the final solution to the conflict when Bolesław retook Lelów. Konrad died on 31 August 1247, but his son Casimir continued the fight.
During 1254-1255 Bolesław sought the release of Siemowit I of Masovia and his wife, Pereyaslava, who were captured by his brother Casimir. They were finally released in the spring of 1255 after lengthy negotiations. In 1258 Bolesław the Pious started a long and destructive war against Casimir and his ally Świętopełk (Swantopolk) II for the castellany of Ląd. Bolesław the Chaste joined in the Greater Poland coalition against the duke of Kuyavia.
Between 29 September and 6 October 1259 Bolesław the Chaste, together with Bolesław the Pious, sacked
Cooperation with Hungary
Bolesław the Chaste and Bolesław the Pious were both allies of the Kingdom of Hungary. Their links with the Hungarians probably resulted from their family relationships, as both of their wives were daughters of King Béla IV and most of their Polish and Hungarian knights were descendants of the Sarmatian Iazyges, Siraces and Serboi. In 1245 both rulers supported the expedition of Rostislav Mikhailovich, who was the Hungarian candidate for the throne of Halych. On 17 August the Battle of Jarosław took place, where the Polish and Hungarian troops were defeated. Finally, a peace treaty was signed at Łęczyca.
In June and July 1253 Polish-Russian forces, including the army of Bolesław the Chaste, rushed to
In 1260 another conflict erupted between Hungary and Bohemia, when the Hungarian prince
On 29 January 1262 during a meeting at Iwanowice, Bolesław the Chaste promised to give military support to Bolesław the Pious in his conflict with
King Béla IV came into conflict with his son Stephen, which caused a civil war in Hungary. In March 1266 Bolesław and his wife Kinga arranged a meeting at Buda, at which Stephen was committed to maintain peaceful relations with his father, Ottokar II, Bolesław the Chaste, Leszek the Black, and Bolesław the Pious.
In 1270 the new King
King Stephen V died on 6 August 1272, and after this the alliance between Bolesław the Chaste and the Kingdom of Hungary was completely broken. In 1277 Bolesław finally made a peace treaty with Bohemia at
Christianization of the Yotvingians
One of the aims of Bolesław's foreign policy was the Christianization of the Yotvingians. During 1248-1249 he organized an expedition against them, supported by Siemowit I. However, the expedition ended in failure.
Between 1256-1264 the Yotvingians invaded and plundered Lesser Poland. In the spring of 1264, Bolesław organized a retaliatory expedition against them, which ended with a victory of the Kraków-Sandomierz troops and the death of the Yotvingian prince Komata. For the Christianization of this tribe, Bolesław created a bishopric in Łuków on the northeastern border of Lesser Poland. In this cause he counted on the support of his sister Salomea and Pope Innocent IV, who in 1254 issued a special document. In the end the mission failed.
Second Mongol invasion
Prince
In November 1259 the Mongols and Ruthenians invaded and destroyed Sandomierz, Lublin and Kraków; Bolesław fled to either Hungary or Sieradz, ruled by Leszek the Black. In February 1260 the Mongols left Lesser Poland, and Bolesław then returned to his lands. At this point his relations with Daniel of Galicia improved; in 1262 they signed a treaty in Tarnawa.
After Daniel's death in 1265 a Lithuanian-Russian army invaded and ravaged the Lesser Poland districts of
In July 1273 the Lithuanians invaded Lublin. In retaliation, Leszek the Black organized an expedition to Yotvingia in December of that year. In 1278 the Lithuanians again invaded Lublin, and they clashed with Leszek's army at the Battle of Łuków.
Adoption of Leszek the Black
Because Bolesław and his wife Kinga made a vow of chastity, their marriage was childless. In 1265 Bolesław adopted Leszek the Black as his heir. In 1273
Internal policies
Bolesław V paid particular attention to urban development. On 27 February 1253 he granted privileges to the city of
In addition, the reform in the administration of the
During his reign, Bolesław took special care of the church, and above all, to the
Death
Bolesław the Chaste died on 7 December 1279.[10] Jan Długosz recorded the event as follows:
- He was deeply grieved not only by his own people, but also by the neighboring nations because of the modesty and majesty that he showed.
His funeral took place three days later, on 10 December.[11] He was buried in the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Kraków. There is a gravestone with the inscription:
- Anno Domini MCCLXX obiit ilustrissimus princeps et dnus, Vladislaus dictus pius dux Cracov.
Kazimierz Stronczyński[12] alleged that the gravestone was false, but the fact that contemporary sources established that Bolesław's body was placed in the church, does not raise any objections.[13]
After the death of her husband, Kinga entered the Poor Clares convent in Stary Sącz. By virtue of the previous agreement, Leszek II the Black inherited Kraków and Sandomierz.
Church foundations
In 1263 Bolesław founded a church dedicated to Mark the Evangelist in Kraków (pl: Kościół św. Marka w Krakowie) built in the Gothic style.
Notes
- ^ Date provided by the Rocznik kapituły krakowskiej and Rocznik Traski. See: K. Jasiński: Rodowód Piastów małopolskich i kujawskich, Poznań – Wrocław 2001, p. 44.
- ^ August Bielowski: Pomniki dziejowe Polski, vol. 3, Lwów 1878, p. 294; K. Jasiński: Rodowód Piastów małopolskich i kujawskich, Poznań – Wrocław 2001, p. 44.
- ^ According to Aleksander Krawczuk the proper translation was "modest". See: Skromne jak dzieciątko in: wyborcza.pl [retrieved 11 February 2015].
- ^ Rocznik franciszkański krakowski, p. 46: "Lestko genuit [...] dueem Bolezlaum Pudicum". See. K. Jasiński: Rodowód Piastów małopolskich i kujawskich, Poznań – Wrocław 2001, p. 44.
- ^ J. Szymczak: Udział synów Konrada I Mazowieckiego w realizacji jego planów politycznych, "Rocznik Łódzki" 29, 1980, p. 9.
- ^ Benedykt Zientara: Henryk Brodaty i jego czasy, ed. TRIO, Warsaw 2006, p. 292
- ^ W. Semkowicz: Ród Awdańców w wiekach średnich, vol. 3, p. 163
- ^ Kazimierz Krotoski: Walka o tron krakowski w roku 1228, ed. W. L. Anczyc i Sp., 1895, p. 348.
- ^ Władysław Spindleshanks formally retained the rights of high duke, and in 1228 Henry I the Bearded did not accept the title of Duke of Kraków.
- ^ Kalendarz katedry krakowskiej, p. 190 (under 7 December entry): "Dux Bolezlaus Pudicus filius Lestkonis obiit".
- ^ Rocznik franciszkański krakowski, p. 50.
- ^ Kazimierz Stronczyński: Mniemany grobowiec Bolesława Wstydliwego w Krakowie, "Biblioteka Warszawska" 24, 1849, p. 502.
- ^ Latopis hipacki, p. 880; Udział Rusi, p. 175, footnote 25.
Bibliography
- Tomasz Biber, Anna Leszczyńska, Maciej Leszczyński: Poczet Władców Polski. Poznań: Wydawnictwo Podsiedlik-Raniowski i Spółka, 2003, pp. 73–78.
- Kazimierz Jasiński: Rodowód Piastów małopolskich i kujawskich. Poznań – Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Historyczne, 2001, pp. 43–49.
- Andrzej Marzec: Bolesław V Wstydliwy [in:] Piastowie. Leksykon biograficzny. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1999, pp. 191–197.
- Andrzej Marzec: Henryk I Brodaty [in:] Piastowie. Leksykon biograficzny. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1999, pp. 380–382.
- Krzysztof Ożóg: Władysław III Laskonogi [in:] Piastowie. Leksykon biograficzny. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1999, pp. 125–127.
- Stanisław Andrzej Sroka: Leszek Czarny [in:] Piastowie. Leksykon biograficzny. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1999, p. 204.
- Maciej Wilamowski: Konrad I Mazowiecki [in:] Piastowie. Leksykon biograficzny. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1999, pp. 261–263.
- Jerzy Wyrozumski: Historia Polski do roku 1505. Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1984, pp. 130–132.
See also
- History of Poland (966–1385)
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