Mindaugas (pronounced /ˈmındoʊgʌs/, simplified Lithuanian transcription [mindaŭgas])) (ca. 1203 – 12 September 1263) was the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania, a title he gained ca. Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje 1235, and was crowned King of Lithuania in 1251. King of Lithuania, the title of rulers of Lithuanian state recognised by the Pope. He is generally considered the founder of the Lithuanian state, and the first leader to unite the Balts. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the The Balts or Baltic peoples (People who live by the Baltic Sea) defined as speakers of one of the Baltic languages, a branch of the Indo-European In 1250 or 1251, during the course of internal power struggles, he was baptised as a Roman Catholic; this action enabled him to establish an alliance with the Livonian Order, and on June 29 or July 6, 1253, he was crowned King of Lithuania. The Livonian Order was autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1418&ndash1561 Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland. Events 1044 - The Battle of Ménfő takes place 1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England King of Lithuania, the title of rulers of Lithuanian state recognised by the Pope. However, in 1261 Mindaugas, along with the rest of the Lithuanian state, returned to paganism, breaking Lithuania's peace with the Teutonic Order for a very long time. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order.
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Rise to power
The first conclusive evidence that the Baltic tribes in the area were uniting is usually considered to be Lithuania's treaty with Galicia-Volhynia, signed in 1219. The Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia ( Ruthenian: sla Галицко-Волинскоє Королѣвство Regnum Galiciæ et Lodomeriæ or Galicia-Vladimir, was [1] The treaty's signatories include 21 Lithuanian dukes; it specifies that five of those were elder and thus took precedence over the remaining 16. Early dukes of Lithuania (including Samogitia) reigned before Lithuanians were unified by Mindaugas into a state the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Mindaugas, despite his youth, and men presumed to be his brothers are listed among the elder dukes, implying that they had inherited their titles. [2]
Duke Mindaugas, who primarily governed the Duchy of Lithuania (eastern Lithuania),[3] is referred to as the ruler of all Lithuania in the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle in 1236. Duchy of Lithuania (Ducatus Lithuaniae Lietuvos kunigaikštystė was a state-territorial formation of ethnic Lithuanians, that existed from the 12th century until 1413 The Livonian Rhymed Chronicle (Livländische Reimchronik was a Chronicle written in Low German by an anonymous writer [4] The means by which he managed to acquire this title are not well known. Ruthenian chronicles mention that he murdered or expelled various other dukes, including his relatives. [1] In about 1239 Mindaugas appointed his son Vaišvilkas to govern Black Ruthenia. Vaišelga or Vaišvilkas (also spelled as Vojszalak, Vojšalk, Vaišalgas, killed on December 9 1268) was the Prince Black Ruthenia, Black Rus' or Black Russia are variant term used for a region around Novgorodok (Navahrudak in the western part of contemporary Belarus [4]
During the 1240s, Mindaugas strengthened and established his power in various Baltic and Slavic lands. [5] In 1248, Mindaugas sent his nephews Tautvilas and Edivydas, the sons of his brother Dausprungas, along with Vykintas, the Duke of Samogitia, to conquer Smolensk, but they were unsuccessful. Tautvilas or Tautvila (died in 1263 was Duke of Polatsk and one of the sons of Dausprungas and nephews of King of Lithuania Mindaugas Gedvydas or Edivid (believed to have died ca 1253 was one of the sons of Dausprungas and nephews of King of Lithuania Mindaugas. Vykintas (died ca 1253 was Duke of Samogitia and rival to future King of Lithuania Mindaugas. Samogitia ( Samogitian: Žemaitėjė, Žemaitija literally lowlands) is one of the five Ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. Smolensk (Смоленск is a city in western Russia, located on the Dnieper River, the administrative centre of Smolensk Oblast. In 1249, an internal war erupted as Mindaugas sought to seize his nephews' and Vykintas' lands. [4]
Path to coronation
Tautvilas, Edivydas, and Vykintas formed a powerful coalition in opposition to Mindaugas, along with the Samogitians, the Livonian Order, Daniel of Galicia (Tautvilas and Edivydas' brother-in-law), and Vasilko of Volhynia. A Papal bull is a particular type of Letters patent or charter issued by a Pope. Pope Innocent IV, born Sinibaldo Fieschi was Pope from June 28, 1243 to December 7, 1254. The Bishop of Rome is the bishop of the Holy See, more often referred to in the Catholic tradition as the Pope. Voruta may have been the Capital city of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Lithuania during the reign of king Mindaugas in the Samogitia ( Samogitian: Žemaitėjė, Žemaitija literally lowlands) is one of the five Ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. Daniel of Galicia or Daniil Romanovich (Данило Галицький Danylo Halytskyi (1201&ndash1264 King of Galicia ( Galich or The princes of Galicia and Volhynia managed to gain control over Black Ruthenia, an area ruled by Vaišvilkas. Tautvilas travelled to Riga, where he was baptized by the Archbishop. Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. In 1250, the order organized a major raid through the lands of Nalšia into the domains of Mindaugas in Lithuania proper, and a raid into those parts of Samogitia that still supported him. Nalšia or Nalšėnai was an ancient land (regional duchy a subject of Polatsk) in the early stages of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Lithuania proper (Lithuania propria Lietuva siaurąją prasme tikroji Lietuva, literally "Lithuania in a narrow sense" "Genuine Lithuania " [3] Attacked from the north and south and facing the possibility of unrest elsewhere, Mindaugas was placed in an extremely difficult position, but managed to use the conflicts between the Livonian Order and the Archbishop of Riga to further his own interests. The Archbishopric of Riga (Archiepiscopatus Rigensis Erzbisdom Riga was an independent Archbishopric established in 1255. He succeeded in bribing Andreas von Stierland,[3] the master of the order, who was still angry at Vykintas for the defeat at the Battle of Saule in 1236. The Battle of Saule (Schlacht von Schaulen Saules kauja Saulės mūšis or Šiaulių mūšis was fought on September 22 1236 between the Livonian [2]
In 1250 or 1251, Mindaugas agreed to receive baptism and relinquish control over some lands in western Lithuania, in return for an acknowledgement by Pope Innocent IV as king. Pope Innocent IV, born Sinibaldo Fieschi was Pope from June 28, 1243 to December 7, 1254. During the spring or summer of 1251, Tautvilas and his remaining allies attacked Mindaugas' warriors and the Livonian Order's crossbow-men in Voruta Castle. A crossbow is a Weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles often called bolts Voruta may have been the Capital city of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Lithuania during the reign of king Mindaugas in the The attack failed and Tautvilas' forces retreated to defend themselves in Tviremet Castle (presumed to be Tverai in Samogitia). Tverai is a small town in Rietavas municipality, Lithuania. It is situated on Aitra River, tributary to Jūra, about 17 km east from Vykintas died in 1251 or 1252, and Tautvilas was forced to rejoin Daniel of Galicia. Daniel of Galicia or Daniil Romanovich (Данило Галицький Danylo Halytskyi (1201&ndash1264 King of Galicia ( Galich or Daniel reconciled with Mindaugas in 1255; the Black Ruthenian lands were transferred to Roman, son of Daniel. Roman Danylovich (b ca 1230 d ca 1261 Prince of Black Ruthenia ( Navahradak) 1254&ndash1258 Prince of Slonim ? After this event Mindaugas' son Vaišvilkas decided to join a monastery;[5] Tautvilas recognized Mindaugas' superiority and received Polatsk as a fiefdom. Polotsk ( Polatsk, По́лацк Полоцк Polockas Połock is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina river Under the system of Feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud, feoff, or fee, often consisted of inheritable lands or revenue-producing [4]
The Kingdom of Lithuania
After establishing the Kingdom of Lithuania on July 17, 1251, Mindaugas and his wife Morta were crowned during the summer of 1253. Selonia (Sēlija Sėla also known as Augšzeme (the "Highland" is a cultural region in Latvia encompassing the eastern part of the historical The Kingdom of Lithuania was a Lithuanian Monarchy which existed from 1251 to roughly 1263 Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Morta ( Baptized c 1252 by the bishop of Chełmno, died c 1263 was the Grand Duchess of Lithuania (until 1253 and later Queen July 6th is now celebrated as "Statehood Day" (Lithuanian: Valstybės diena); it is an official holiday in modern Lithuania. [6] However, the exact date of the coronation is not known; the scholarship of historian Edvardas Gudavičius, who promulgated this date, is sometimes challenged. Edvardas Gudavičius (born on September 6, 1929 in Kaunas) is one of the best known historians in modern Lithuania specializing in history of [7] The location of the coronation remains unknown. However, as later events showed, Lithuanians were not prepared to accept Christianity, and Mindaugas' baptism had little impact on further developments. [5]
Immediately after his coronation, Mindaugas transferred some western lands to the Livonian Order - portions of Samogitia, Nadruva, and Dainava. The litas ( ISO currency code LTL symbolized as Lt plural litai or litų) is the currency of Lithuania. The Commemorative coins of Lithuania are minted by the Lithuanian mint (Lithuanian Lietuvos monetų kalykla) headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania Samogitia ( Samogitian: Žemaitėjė, Žemaitija literally lowlands) is one of the five Ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. The Nadruvians were one of the now-extinct Prussian clans. They lived in Nadruvia (alternative spellings include Nadruva, Nadrowite, Dzūkija (dzuːkɪˈjʌ or Dainava is one of five Ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. [7] There has been much discussion among historians as to whether in later years (1255, 1257, and 1259) Mindaugas gave even more lands to the order. The deeds might have been falsified by the order[4]; the case for this scenario is bolstered by the fact that some of the documents mention lands that were not actually under the control of Mindaugas. [1] In any case, relative peace and stability were established for about eight years. Mindaugas used this opportunity to concentrate on expansion to the east, and to establish and organize state institutions. He strengthened his influence in Black Ruthenia, in Polatsk, a major center of commerce in the Daugava River basin, and in Pinsk. Black Ruthenia, Black Rus' or Black Russia are variant term used for a region around Novgorodok (Navahrudak in the western part of contemporary Belarus Polotsk ( Polatsk, По́лацк Полоцк Polockas Połock is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina river The Daugava or Western Dvina (Daugava Западная Двина́ (Zapadnaya Dvina Заходняя Дзвiна za'xodnʲaja dzʲvʲi'na Dźwina Düna Väina Pinsk (Пінск a town in Belarus, in the Polesia region traversed by the river Pripyat, at the confluence of the Strumen and [4] He also negotiated a peace with Galicia-Volhynia, and married his daughter to Svarn, the son of Daniel of Galicia, who would later become Grand Duke of Lithuania. Shvarn or Švarnas, known also by his Christian name John ( Ioann) was the Knyaz of Galicia, Grand Prince of Lithuania Lithuanian relationships with western Europe and the Holy See were reinforced. The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic In 1255, Mindaugas received permission from Pope Alexander IV to crown his son as King of Lithuania. Pope Alexander IV (1199 or ca 1185 &ndash May 25 1261) was Pope from 1254 until his death [3] A noble court, an administrative system, and a diplomatic service were initiated. [5]
Assassination
The Livonian Order used this period to gain control over Samogitian lands. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje However, in 1259 it lost the Battle of Skuodas, and in 1260 it lost the Battle of Durbe. The Battle of Skuodas or Schoden was a medieval battle fought in 1259 near Skuodas in present-day Lithuania during the Northern Crusades The Battle of Durbe (Durbes kauja Durbės mūšis was a medieval Battle fought near Durbe, 23 km east of Liepāja, in present-day The first defeat encouraged a rebellion by the Semigalians, and the later defeat spurred the Prussians into an uprising, the Great Prussian Rebellion, which lasted for 14 years. Zemgale, also known under Latinized names Semigalia or Semigallia (Zemgale Semgallen Žiemgala is an historical region of Latvia, sometimes also including "Prussians" redirects here "Prussians" may also refer to citizens of the former German state of Prussia. The Prussian uprisings were two major and three smaller uprisings by the Prussians, one of the Baltic tribes, against the Teutonic Knights that took [5] Encouraged by these developments and by his nephew Treniota, Mindaugas broke peace with the order. Treniota ( Troniata; ca 1210–1264 was the Grand Duke of Lithuania (1263–1264 Some chronicles hint that he also relapsed into his former pagan beliefs; this has been disputed,[4][1] but all the diplomatic achievements made after his coronation were lost. Lithuanian mythology is an example of pagan Mythology containing archaic elements developed by Lithuanians throughout the centuries [5] Treniota led an army to Cēsis and battled Masovia, hoping to encourage all the conquered Baltic tribes to rise up against the Christian orders and unite under Lithuanian leadership. Cēsis ( is a Town in Latvia located in the northern part of the Vidzeme central upland Masovia or Mazovia (Mazowsze is a geographic and historic region situated in eastern Poland 's Masovian Plain. His personal influence grew while Mindaugas was concentrating on the conquest of Ruthenian lands, dispatching a large army to Bryansk. Bryansk01jpg|thumb|left|200px|Forest Museum in Bryansk]]Ziu-9 Bryansk 2056 Treniota and Mindaugas began to pursue different priorities. [2] In the midst of these events Mindaugas' wife Morta died, and he expressed the wish to marry Daumantas' wife. Morta ( Baptized c 1252 by the bishop of Chełmno, died c 1263 was the Grand Duchess of Lithuania (until 1253 and later Queen Daumantas, later Dovmont ( Russian: Довмонт Ruthenian: Dowmont, Belarusian: Daǔmont) Christian name Timothy [3] In retaliation, Daumantas and Treniota assassinated Mindaugas and two of his sons in 1263. [1] Lithuania lapsed into years of internal disorder. Stability did not return until the reign of Traidenis, designated Grand Duke in 1268 or 1269. Traidenis or Troyden (died in 1282 was the Grand Duke Lithuania from 1270 (or 1269 till 1282 While most of the Lithuanian Grand Dukes from Jogaila onward also reigned as Kings of Poland, the titles remained separate, and Mindaugas was the only crowned King of Lithuania. Jogaila, later Władysław II Jagiełło (b about 1362 d 1 June 1434 was Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland.
See also
- House of Mindaugas – family tree of Mindaugas
- List of Lithuanian rulers
- List of Belarusian rulers
- Early dukes of Lithuania
- Mindaugas II of Lithuania
| Preceded by unknown |
Grand Duke/King of Lithuania 1235-1263 |
Succeeded by Treniota |
References
- ^ a b c d e Jakštas, Juozas (1969). The House of Mindaugas was the first royal family of Grand Duchy of Lithuania, centered around Mindaugas, the first known and undoubted sovereign of Lithuania The following is a list of rulers over Lithuania — grand dukes kings and presidents — the heads of authority over historical Lithuanian territory History of Belarusian states can be traced far to Principality of Polotsk. Early dukes of Lithuania (including Samogitia) reigned before Lithuanians were unified by Mindaugas into a state the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Mindaugas II of Lithuania (otherwise known as William Charles Florestan Gero Crescentius 2nd Duke of Urach ( Herzog von Urach) and Count of Wurttemberg May 30 The following is a list of rulers over Lithuania — grand dukes kings and presidents — the heads of authority over historical Lithuanian territory Treniota ( Troniata; ca 1210–1264 was the Grand Duke of Lithuania (1263–1264 "Lithuania to World War I", in Albertas Gerutis (ed. ): Lithuania: 700 Years, translated by Algirdas Budreckis, New York: Manyland Books, 43-58. LCC 75-80057. The Library of Congress Classification ( LCC) is a system of Library classification developed by the Library of Congress.
- ^ a b c (Lithuanian) (2002) Gimtoji istorija. Nuo 7 iki 12 klasės (CD), 1st ed. A Compact Disc (also known as a CD) is an Optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio , Vilnius: Elektroninės leidybos namai. ISBN 9986-9216-9-4.
- ^ a b c d e (Lithuanian) Butkevičienė, Birutė; Vytautas Gricius (July 2003). "Mindaugas — Lietuvos karalius". Mokslas ir gyvenimas 7 (547). ISSN 0134-3084.
- ^ a b c d e f g (Lithuanian) (2004) Lietuvos valdovai (XIII-XVIII a. ): enciklopedinis žinynas, Vytautas Spečiūnas (compiler), Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas, 15–78. ISBN 5-420-01535-8.
- ^ a b c d e f Kiaupa, Zigmantas; Jūratė Kiaupienė, Albinas Kunevičius [1995] (2000). The History of Lithuania Before 1795, English, Vilnius: Lithuanian Institute of History, 43–127. ISBN 9986-810-13-2.
- ^ (Lithuanian) Lietuvos Respublikos švenčių dienų įstatymas, Žin. , 1990, Nr. 31-757, Seimas. The Seimas is the Lithuanian Parliament. It has 141 members that are elected for a four-year term Retrieved on 2006-09-17. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought 1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec
- ^ a b (Lithuanian) Baranauskas, Tomas (March 23, 2003). "Mindaugo karūnavimo ir Lietuvos karalystės problemos". Voruta 6 (504). Voruta is a Lithuanian weekly historical newspaper History Preparations for publishing Voruta started in 1988 and first trial issue was published in 1989 ISSN 1392-0677.
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