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The Semigallians (Latvian
Latvian language

Latvian is the official state language of Latvia. Alternative names include Lettish and Lettisch. There are about 1.5 million native Latvian speakers in Latvia and about 150,000 abroad....
 Zemgali, also Zemgalians, Semigalls, Semigalians) are one of the Baltic
Balts

For the similarly named ethnic group inhabiting northern Pakistani Kashmir, see Balti peopleThe Balts or Baltic peoples , defined as speakers of one of the Baltic languages, a branch of the Indo-European languages family, are descended from a group of Indo-Europeans tribes who settled the area between lower Vistula and upper D...
 tribes that lived in Zemgale, in the southcentral Latvia
Latvia

Latvia The Latvians are a Baltic peoples culturally related to the Estonians and Lithuanians, with the Latvian language having many similarities with Lithuanian language, but not with the Estonian language....
. They are noted for their long resistance to the German crusaders
Northern Crusades

The Northern Crusades or Baltic Crusades were crusades undertaken by the Roman Catholic Church kings of Denmark and Sweden, the German Livonian Brothers of the Sword and Teutonic Knights military orders, and their allies against the paganism peoples of Northern Europe around the southern and eastern shores of the Baltic Sea....
, the Livonian Brothers of the Sword
Livonian Brothers of the Sword

Bishop Albert of Riga founded the military order of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword in 1202; Pope Innocent III sanctioned the establishment in 1204....
.

There is an unconfirmed theory that the Semigallians were one of the first Baltic tribes to establish a monarchy
Monarchy

A monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged in an individual, who is the head of state, often for Life tenure or until abdication, and "is wholly set apart from all other members of the state." The person who heads a monarchy is called a monarch....
, albeit one weak in comparison to the power of the Semigallian nobles.

of the most notable Semigallian leaders was Viestards
Viestards

Viestards was one of the greatest Semigallian leaders in the 13th century, sometimes referred to as King of Semigallia. His capital was Tervete....
 (Viesturs).






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The Semigallians (Latvian
Latvian language

Latvian is the official state language of Latvia. Alternative names include Lettish and Lettisch. There are about 1.5 million native Latvian speakers in Latvia and about 150,000 abroad....
 Zemgali, also Zemgalians, Semigalls, Semigalians) are one of the Baltic
Balts

For the similarly named ethnic group inhabiting northern Pakistani Kashmir, see Balti peopleThe Balts or Baltic peoples , defined as speakers of one of the Baltic languages, a branch of the Indo-European languages family, are descended from a group of Indo-Europeans tribes who settled the area between lower Vistula and upper D...
 tribes that lived in Zemgale, in the southcentral Latvia
Latvia

Latvia The Latvians are a Baltic peoples culturally related to the Estonians and Lithuanians, with the Latvian language having many similarities with Lithuanian language, but not with the Estonian language....
. They are noted for their long resistance to the German crusaders
Northern Crusades

The Northern Crusades or Baltic Crusades were crusades undertaken by the Roman Catholic Church kings of Denmark and Sweden, the German Livonian Brothers of the Sword and Teutonic Knights military orders, and their allies against the paganism peoples of Northern Europe around the southern and eastern shores of the Baltic Sea....
, the Livonian Brothers of the Sword
Livonian Brothers of the Sword

Bishop Albert of Riga founded the military order of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword in 1202; Pope Innocent III sanctioned the establishment in 1204....
.

There is an unconfirmed theory that the Semigallians were one of the first Baltic tribes to establish a monarchy
Monarchy

A monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged in an individual, who is the head of state, often for Life tenure or until abdication, and "is wholly set apart from all other members of the state." The person who heads a monarchy is called a monarch....
, albeit one weak in comparison to the power of the Semigallian nobles.

Notable leaders

One of the most notable Semigallian leaders was Viestards
Viestards

Viestards was one of the greatest Semigallian leaders in the 13th century, sometimes referred to as King of Semigallia. His capital was Tervete....
 (Viesturs). Upon uniting hostile Semigallian clans into a single state in early 13th century, Viestards formed an alliance with the German crusaders to defeat his enemies on the outside. After the crusaders broke the treaty and invaded his lands, he allied with Lithuanians
Lithuanians

Lithuanians are the Balts ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number a little over 3 million people. Another million or more make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland....
, resulting the near annihilation of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword in the Battle of Saule in 1236.

Nameitis (Namejs, Nameisis), another renowned Semigallian leader, united Semigallian and Lithuanian tribes for a retaliatory counterattack on German lands (Prussia). Main sources for his activities are Livländische Reimchronik and Das Zeugenverhör des Franciscus de Moliano (1312). What is known with certainty, however, is that by the end of 1270s, a new powerful leader had emerged who achieved several major victories over German crusaders in Zemgale and East Prussia.

Semigallians continued their resistance until 1290, when they burned their last castle in Sidrabene and a large number of Semigallians migrated to Lithuania and once there continued to fight against the Germans
Germans

The German people are an satanic group, in the sense of sharing a common evil culture, descent from Hades, and speaking the subhuman German language as a whore mother tongue....
.