Boleslaw V the Chaste
Encyclopedia
Bolesław V the Chaste or the Shy (21 June 1226 – 7 December 1279) was Duke of Sandomierz
in Lesser Poland
from 1232 and High Duke of Poland from 1243 until his death.
He was the son of High Duke Leszek I the White
, who was assassinated in 1227. In the following internal struggle for supremacy among the Piast dynasty
, Duke Henry I the Bearded
of Silesia
prevailed, who unchallengedly ruled the Seniorate Province
at Kraków
from 1232 onwards and vested minor Bolesław with the Sandomierz duchy once held by his father Leszek. Several years after the death of High Duke Henry II the Pious
at the 1241 Battle of Legnica
, Bolesław with the support of the Lesser Polish nobility prevailed as prince at Kraków against his uncle Konrad I of Masovia
, and thus became the predominant ruler in fragmented Poland.
In 1239 he married Kinga
(Cunegunda), daughter of King Béla IV of Hungary
. According to medieval chronicles, the marriage was never consummated. Kinga, being extremely pious, was averse to fulfilling her marital duties. At first Bolesław tried to change her mind, but she demurred and he reluctantly accepted the situation. His religious convictions forbade him to take a mistress, hence the epithet "the Chaste" or "the Shy."
During his reign the city of Kraków, which had been destroyed in 1241 during the Mongol invasion of Poland
, was rebuilt, and mainly settled by German
immigrants in the course of the Ostsiedlung
. The new city was vested with Magdeburg rights
and rebuilt on a regular grid pattern (the "location" of 1257). During his rule there was a second Tatar
raid of the Golden Horde
against Poland in 1259, when the lands were devastated and Sandomierz, Kraków and other cities were plundered by the invading forces led by Nogai Khan
. Bolesław furthermore had to deal with the claims of his Upper Silesia
n cousin Duke Władysław of Opole, culminating in an armed conflict in 1273. Władysław was defeated, but the prestige of the title of High Duke was severely eroded.
As Bolesław had no heirs, he bequested the Seniorate Province to his nephew Leszek II the Black
, the eldest son of his cousin Duke Casimir I of Kuyavia
.
Sandomierz
Sandomierz is a city in south-eastern Poland with 25,714 inhabitants . Situated in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship , previously in Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship . It is the capital of Sandomierz County . Sandomierz is known for its Old Town, a major tourist attraction...
in Lesser Poland
Lesser Poland
Lesser Poland is one of the historical regions of Poland, with its capital in the city of Kraków. It forms the southeastern corner of the country, and should not be confused with the modern Lesser Poland Voivodeship, which covers only a small, southern part of Lesser Poland...
from 1232 and High Duke of Poland from 1243 until his death.
He was the son of High Duke Leszek I the White
Leszek I the White
Leszek I the White , also listed by some sources as Leszek II the White, was Prince of Sandomierz and High Duke of Poland from 1194 until his death, except for the short periods following when he was deposed as Polish ruler...
, who was assassinated in 1227. In the following internal struggle for supremacy among the Piast dynasty
Piast dynasty
The Piast dynasty was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. It began with the semi-legendary Piast Kołodziej . The first historical ruler was Duke Mieszko I . The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir the Great...
, Duke Henry I the Bearded
Henry I the Bearded
Henry I the Bearded , of the Silesian line of the Piast dynasty, was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1201 and Duke of Kraków and thus High Duke of all Poland - internally divided - from 1232 until his death.-Heir of Wroclaw:...
of Silesia
Duchy of Silesia
The Duchy of Silesia with its capital at Wrocław was a medieval duchy located in the historic Silesian region of Poland. Soon after it was formed under the Piast dynasty in 1138, it fragmented into various Duchies of Silesia. In 1327 the remaining Duchy of Wrocław as well as most other duchies...
prevailed, who unchallengedly ruled the Seniorate Province
Seniorate Province
Seniorate Province, also known as the Senioral Province , Duchy of Kraków , Duchy of Cracow, Principality of Cracow, Principality of Kraków, was the superior among the five provinces established in 1138 according to the Testament of Bolesław III Krzywousty...
at Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
from 1232 onwards and vested minor Bolesław with the Sandomierz duchy once held by his father Leszek. Several years after the death of High Duke Henry II the Pious
Henry II the Pious
Henry II the Pious , of the Silesian line of the Piast dynasty was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław and Duke of Kraków and thus High Duke of all Poland as well as Duke of Southern Greater Poland from 1238 until his death. During 1238–1239 he also served as a regent of two other Piast duchies: Sandomierz...
at the 1241 Battle of Legnica
Battle of Legnica
The Battle of Legnica , also known as the Battle of Liegnitz or Battle of Wahlstatt , was a battle between the Mongol Empire and the combined defending forces of European fighters that took place at Legnickie Pole near the city of Legnica in Silesia on 9 April 1241.A combined force of Poles,...
, Bolesław with the support of the Lesser Polish nobility prevailed as prince at Kraków against his uncle Konrad I of Masovia
Konrad I of Masovia
Konrad I of Masovia , from the Polish Piast dynasty, was the sixth Duke of Masovia from 1194 until his death and High Duke of Poland from 1229 to 1232.-Life:...
, and thus became the predominant ruler in fragmented Poland.
In 1239 he married Kinga
Kinga of Poland
Saint Kinga of Poland is a saint in the Catholic Church and patroness of Poland and Lithuania....
(Cunegunda), daughter of King Béla IV of Hungary
Béla IV of Hungary
Béla IV , King of Hungary and of Croatia , duke of Styria 1254–58. One of the most famous kings of Hungary, he distinguished himself through his policy of strengthening of the royal power following the example of his grandfather Bela III, and by the rebuilding Hungary after the catastrophe of the...
. According to medieval chronicles, the marriage was never consummated. Kinga, being extremely pious, was averse to fulfilling her marital duties. At first Bolesław tried to change her mind, but she demurred and he reluctantly accepted the situation. His religious convictions forbade him to take a mistress, hence the epithet "the Chaste" or "the Shy."
During his reign the city of Kraków, which had been destroyed in 1241 during the Mongol invasion of Poland
Mongol invasion of Poland
The Mongol Invasion of Poland from late 1240 to 1241 culminated in the battle of Legnica, where the Mongols defeated an alliance which included forces from fragmented Poland and members of various Christian military orders, led by Henry II the Pious, the Duke of Silesia. The first invasion's...
, was rebuilt, and mainly settled by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
immigrants in the course of the Ostsiedlung
Ostsiedlung
Ostsiedlung , also called German eastward expansion, was the medieval eastward migration and settlement of Germans from modern day western and central Germany into less-populated regions and countries of eastern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The affected area roughly stretched from Slovenia...
. The new city was vested with Magdeburg rights
Magdeburg rights
Magdeburg Rights or Magdeburg Law were a set of German town laws regulating the degree of internal autonomy within cities and villages granted by a local ruler. Modelled and named after the laws of the German city of Magdeburg and developed during many centuries of the Holy Roman Empire, it was...
and rebuilt on a regular grid pattern (the "location" of 1257). During his rule there was a second Tatar
Tatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
raid of the Golden Horde
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde was a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate that formed the north-western sector of the Mongol Empire...
against Poland in 1259, when the lands were devastated and Sandomierz, Kraków and other cities were plundered by the invading forces led by Nogai Khan
Nogai Khan
Nogai , also called Isa Nogai, was a general and de facto ruler of the Golden Horde and a great-great-grandson of Genghis Khan. His grandfather was Baul/Teval Khan, the 7th son of Jochi...
. Bolesław furthermore had to deal with the claims of his Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
n cousin Duke Władysław of Opole, culminating in an armed conflict in 1273. Władysław was defeated, but the prestige of the title of High Duke was severely eroded.
As Bolesław had no heirs, he bequested the Seniorate Province to his nephew Leszek II the Black
Leszek II the Black
Leszek the Black , named after his black hair, was one of the High Dukes of the fragmented Kingdom of Poland. He ruled from 1279 to 1288, and was married to Agrippina of Slavonia with no children.- Life :...
, the eldest son of his cousin Duke Casimir I of Kuyavia
Casimir I of Kuyavia
Casimir I of Kuyavia was Prince of Kujawy, Mazovia and Wielkopolska, from 1233 until his death. He was the son of Konrad I of Masovia, King of Poland, and his wife Agafia of Rus.- Life :...
.
Ancestry
See also
- History of Poland (966-1385)