Siemowit IV, Duke of Masovia
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Siemowit IV | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Masovia | |
| Born | c. 1353/1356 |
| Died | 21 January 1426 |
| Noble family | House of Piast |
| Spouse(s) | Alexandra of Lithuania |
| Issue | Kazimierz II of Masovia Trojden II of Masovia] Władysław I of Płock Siemowit V of Masovia Alexander of Masovia Euphemia of Masovia Cymburgis of Masovia Jadwiga of Masovia Amelia of Masovia Anna of Masovia Maria of Masovia Alexandra of Masovia Katarzyna of Masovia |
| Father | Siemowit III of Masovia |
| Mother | Euphemia of Opava |
Siemowit IV (Ziemowit IV), also known as Siemowit IV the Younger (pl: Siemowit IV Młodszy; ca. 1353/1356[1] – 21 January 1426[2]), was a Polish prince member of the House of Piast from the Masovian branch, from 1373/74 Duke of Rawa, and after the division of the paternal inheritance betweem him and his brother in 1381, ruler over Rawa, Płock, Sochaczew, Gostynin, Płońsk and Wizna, since 1386 hereditary Polish vassal, since 1388 ruler over Belz, during 1382-1401 he loss Wizna and during 1384-1399 and 1407-1411 he loss Zawkrze, during 1384-1399 he loss Płońsk, taken by the Teutonic Order.
He was the second son of Siemowit III, Duke of Masovia and his first wife Euphemia, daughter of Nicholas II of Opava.
Already during his father's lifetime, Siemowit IV received his own district, Rawa Mazowiecka (ca. 1373/74), and as a the result of the partition of Masovia between him and his older brother Janusz I after the death of their father on 16 June 1381, Siemowit IV finally obtain the totally of his domains: Rawa, Płock, Sochaczew, Gostynin, Płońsk and Wizna
Life
Siemowit IV chosen to be opposed to his older brother Janusz I in the relations with the Polish Kingdom - in particular, when he attempted to obtain the royal crown. One year after the acquisition of his own domains, King Louis of Poland and Hungary died (10 September 1382), and with this emerged the oportunity to place his candidacy to the crown, supported by the Greater Poland and Kujawy nobility (centered around the powerful Bartosz Wezenborg). However, the late King had made arrangements among the Lesser Poland nobility who guaranteed the support to his eldest daughter and heiress Mary and her husband Sigismund of Luxembourg. Without waiting for a favorable settlement, in January 1383, Siemowit IV marched to Greater Poland at the head of his troops, marked the beginning of the Greater Poland Civil War.
Unexpectedly, in Buda the Dowager Queen Elizabeth of Bosnia decided to change the decision of her husband and accepted to reign of her youngest daughter Jadwiga over Poland instead of Mary and Sigismund, who remained rulers of Hungary. This decision caused that several supporters of Siemowit IV hoped that he could married the young Queen (despite the fact that she was already betrothed to William of Habsburg) and in this way, both factions could reconcile and in addition this union with the old Piast dynasty could legitimized the ruling Angevin dynasty.
He minted his own coin and attempted to influence the election of archbishop of Poland. Because of his meddling in the Crown politics his Masovian territories were subject of a ravaging summer raid, Polish and Hungarian forces, by young Sigismund of Luxemburg, then Margrave of Brandenburg, sent there by his father-in-law Louis I of Hungary and Poland in 1382. After the death of king Louis I of Hungary and Poland duke Siemowit, having found support in Greater Poland, become de facto one of the pretenders to the Polish throne. He took part in the civil war that took part in Greater Poland, raging between the two powerful Polish clans: Nałecze (Nałęcz coat-of-arms) clan and the Grzymalici ( Grzymała coat-of-arms) clan during 1382-85. In 1383 Siemowit conquered Cuyavia, but was soon expelled by the joint forces of szlachta from Lesser Poland and armies of Hungary. In 1386 he was forced to accept the rule of Queen Jadwiga and her husband Jogaila and became a hereditary vassal of Poland. The following year he married Jogaila's sister, Alexandra of Lithuania, becoming his brother-in-law and received land of Bełz.
Duke Siemowit, being ambitious, was very active in politics of the period and thus needed cash to finance his policies so several times he mortgaged some of his domains to the Teutonic Order, including Wizna, Zawkrze and Płońsk. In order to preserve his independence, albeit having sworn vassalage to the King of Poland, he tried to play his neighbours to his advantage, but was forced to take part in the war of 1409–1410 between Poland, Lithuania and the Teutonic Order although he was no enemy of the Order. During the Battle of Grunwald he fielded two banners of his own troops under his son Siemovit V, that fought alongside the 'Royal' Poles and Lithuanian troops. His banners had white eagle without a crown on a red filed as their badge according to Banderia apud Grunwald.[3]
Issue
Alexandra bore Siemowit IV 13 children, to wit, 5 sons:
- Kazimierz II of Masovia
- Trojden II of Masovia
- Władysław I of Płock
- Siemowit V of Masovia
- Alexander of Masovia; who was a diplomat and Bishop of Trento, titular Bishop of Chur, titular Cardinal of Damascus, and Patriarch of Aquileia.
And 8 daughters:
- Euphemia of Masovia
- Cymburgis of Masovia
- Jadwiga of Masovia
- Amelia of Masovia; married William II, Margrave of Meissen
- Anna of Masovia
- Maria of Masovia; married Bogislaw IX, Duke of Pomerania
- Alexandra of Masovia
- Katarzyna of Masovia
Alexandra's and Siemowit's daughter Cymburgis married Ernest, Duke of Austria in 1412. The wedding took place in Buda (German: Ofen), at the residence of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor. At the time the emperor mediated negotiations between Alexandra's brother Władysław II Jagiełło and the Teutonic Knights.[4] Two other daughters married Michael Žygimantaitis, pretender to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.[5] Grandchildren of Alexandra and Siemowit IV included Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, Przemyslaus II, Duke of Cieszyn, Sophie of Pomerania, Duchess of Pomerania and Dorothy Garai, queen of Bosnia.
References
- ^ Kazimierz Jasiński: Rodowód Piastów mazowieckich. Poznań - Wrocław 1998, p. 87-88.
- ^ Kazimierz Jasiński: Rodowód Piastów mazowieckich. Poznań - Wrocław 1998, p. 88-89.
- ^ Andrzej Klein, Nikolas Sekunda, Konrad A. Czernielewski: Banderia Apud Grunwald. Łódź 2000, p. 58-59.
- ^ Urban, William (2003). Tannenberg and After. Chicago: Lithuanian Research and Studies Center. p. 191. ISBN 0-929700-25-2.
- ^ Template:Lt icon Vaclovas Biržiška, ed. (1933–1944). "Aleksandra". Lietuviškoji enciklopedija. Vol. I. Kaunas: Spaudos Fondas. p. 219.