Polish - About Poland - History - 10th -12th century

Origin of Poland. The early feudal monarchy in Poland (10th -12th century)

Polish tribes of West Slavs during 6th -7th century A.D. inhabited the terrains between Oder (pol.Odra) and Vistula (Wisła) rivers: Dzidoszanie – Silesia (Śląsk), around Głowgów; Trzebowianie - around Legnica; Bobrzanie - over the Bóbr river; Silesians (Ślężanie) - around Wrocław over Oder and Trzebnica rivers; Opolanie - the upper Oder; Goplanie - Gołęszyce over Olza river in the area of Cieszyn, around the Gopło lake on Kujawy; Polans (Polanie) - Grater Poland (Wielkopolska); Masovians (Mazowszanie) - over middle Vistula river; Pomeranians (Pomorzanie) - between Oder, lower Vistula and the Baltic Sea up north and the Noteć river on the south; Vistulans (Wiślanie) - over the upper Vistula river, around Cracow and Wiślica; Lędzianie - over San and Wieprz rivers.

Polans established the strongest tribal state, they were concentrated around Gniezno, Poznań, Ostrów Legnicki and Ląd. In the middle of the 9th century the Piasts ousted the Popielid dynasty and started conquering adjacent lands: Kujawy, Sieradz, Łęczyce, Masovia and Sandomir (Sandomierz). Mieszko – fourth of the Piasts (after Siemowit, Lestek and Siemomyśl) born c.a. 930, made a pact with the Czech in order to become independent from the German and was baptized by the Czech clergy in 966. The first Polish Bishopric was established in Poznań. In consecutive years Mieszko attempted to conquer the mouth of the Oder (972), Silesia (990) and Minor Poland (Małopolska) (992),these actions united the Polish tribes. The successor of Mieszko I – Bolesław Chrobry (the Brave) noticed that the lands between Łaba and Oder rivers are terrains of German expansion and focused his interest on the lands of Prussia located near areas of Masovia and the Gdańsk Pomerania. He started by sending missionaries there along with the Prague Bishop – Wojciech, who died a martyr’s death in 997 because of his lack of respect for the local customs.

In 1000 Otto III agreed to form an archbishopric in Gniezno and increase the number of Polish bishoprics in exchange for the support of the imperial plans to create a universal monarchy consisting of Germany, Italy, Gaul and Slavs. After the death of the “friendly” Otto, Bolesław Chrobry for 14 years was at war with his successor Henry II. The treaty in Budyisyzn granted Morawy, Milsko and Łużyce to Poland. During the last year of his life (1025) Bolesław made himself king of Germany by taking advantage of the period of interregnum. His successor – son Mieszko II lost his crown and had to leave the country owing to a conspiracy of his brothers, supported by the German emperor and the Russian duke. Around 1034 after the death of Mieszko II a people’s rebellion broke out against the mighty and the clergy, and in 1039 Bretislaus of Bohemia invaded Poland; Poznań suffered most out of this situation, especially Gniezno, from where the Bohemians took the saint Wojciech relic. The reunion of the country was accomplished by his son Kazimierz Odnowiciel (Casimir I the Restorer), who rebuild the towns and churches and introduced the obligation of military service for land owners, according to the so called knight’s law. By taking advantage of a conflict between the emperor and the pope in a struggle over the investiture, son of Kazimierz – Bolesław Śmiały (the Bold) in 1076 renewed the monarchy in Poland. The expansive foreign policy of the king caused a conflict between the might, Stanisław – bishop of Cracow became a victim of that conflict. Bolesław has been banished from the country and his brother – Władysław Herman – seized the power. Władysław was dependent from the emperor and the might, under their pressure he divided the country among his sons – Zbigniew and Bolesław Krzywousty (the Wry-Mouthed). When Bolesław attained his majority he banished his brother and seized his district. Emperor Henry IV invaded Poland under the pretext of defending Zbigniew’s rights; after the defeat in Głogów, Bytom and Wrocław he was forced to retreat, however. During 1116 -1122 Krzywousty subjected the Pomerania of Gdańsk and the Western Pomerania to Poland. In 1138 he divided the country into districts, introducing the rule of seniority, i.e. superior power over the districts’ dukes for the oldest of the Piasts. Władysław II became the first senior, who besides the hereditary Silesia received a senior district (Cracow, part of the Greater Poland along with Gniezno, part of Kujawy, Sieradz and the superiority over Pomerania), the younger brothers received: Bolesław Kędzierzawy (the Curly) – Masovia and a part of Kujawy, Mieszko III Stary (the Old) – Grater Poland.

At the beginning of the 12th century Poland was inhabited by c.a. 1,5 million people. Biggest cities: Gniezno, Cracow, Wrocław and Wolin had 4-5 thousand inhabitants on average. The duke exercised his power through the might , who held the highest offices: governor, bailiff, chancellor, czesnik (cup bearer) and stolnik. Cities were the basic territory and administration units, they were managed by a castellan; tributes and taxes due to the duke were collected there, the country’s defense was organized on the basis of the location of the cities.

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10th -12th century