Bolesław of Kuyavia
Encyclopedia
Bolesław of Kuyavia (1159 – 13 September 1195) was a Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...

 of Kuyavia
Kuyavia
Kujawy , is a historical and ethnographic region in the north-central Poland, situated in the basin of the middle Vistula and upper Noteć Rivers, with its capital in Włocławek.-Etymology:The origin of the name Kujawy was seen differently in history...

 since 1186 until his death.

He was the eldest child (but third-born son) of Mieszko III the Old
Mieszko III the Old
Mieszko III the Old , of the royal Piast dynasty, was Duke of Greater Poland from 1138 and High Duke of Poland, with interruptions, from 1173 until his death....

, Duke of Greater Poland
Greater Poland
Greater Poland or Great Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief city is Poznań.The boundaries of Greater Poland have varied somewhat throughout history...

 and since 1173 High Duke of Poland, by his second wife Eudoxia
Eudoxia of Kiev
Eudoxia Iziaslavna of Kiev , was a Kievan Rus' princess member of the Rurikid dynasty and by marriage Duchess of Greater Poland and since 1173 High Duchess of Poland....

, daughter of Grand Prince Iziaslav II of Kiev
Iziaslav II of Kiev
Iziaslav II Mstislavich , Prince of Pereyaslav , Prince of Turov , Prince of Rostov , Prince of Vladimir and Volyn , Pereyaslavl , Velikiy Kniaz of Kiev , was the oldest son of Mstislav Vladimirovich, Kniaz' , and...

.

Life

Almost immediately after his birth, Bolesław was considered the main successor to his father in the Greater Poland
Greater Poland
Greater Poland or Great Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief city is Poznań.The boundaries of Greater Poland have varied somewhat throughout history...

 inheritance, especially since Mieszko III became in the High Duke and overlord of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 in 1173 after the death of his brother Bolesław IV the Curly.

In 1177 the authoritary government of Mieszko III caused the rebellion of the 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...

 nobility, who called his brother Casimir II the Just
Casimir II the Just
Casimir II the Just was a Lesser Polish duke at Wiślica during 1166–1173, and at Sandomierz since 1173. He became ruler over the Polish Seniorate Province at Kraków and thereby High Duke of Poland in 1177; a position he held until his death, interrupted once by his elder brother and predecessor...

 to take the title of High Duke. At the same time was joined to the conspiracy Mieszko III's eldest son Odon (from his first marriage), who resented the favoritism of his father to the children born from his second marriage with Eudoxia of Kiev. The revolt who broke out in Greater Poland between 1177-1179 was a complete surprise to Mieszko III, who was forced to escape from Poland with Bolesław and his younger brothers Mieszko and Władysław. The deposed High Duke took refuge in Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...

 and Germany
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...

; later he went to the court of his son-in-law Bogislaw I, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw I, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw I of the House of Pomerania was Duke of Pomerania-Stettin from 1156 to 1187. He co-ruled the Duchy of Pomerania with his brother Casimir I of Pomerania-Demmin. His father was Wartislaw I...

.

Mieszko III regained the control over Greater Poland in 1181, thanks to the help of Pomeranian troops. One he recovered his domains, Mieszko III didn't divided his domains between his sons (as was expected) and already trying to pull his own political plans who were centered in the recovery of Kraków and with this, 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...

.

In 1186 Leszek, Duke of Masovia
Leszek, Duke of Masovia
Leszek of Masovia was the second Duke of Masovia and Kuyavia from 1173 until his death.He was the second but only surviving son of Bolesław IV the Curly, High Duke of Poland by his first wife Viacheslava, daughter of St. Vsevolod, Prince of Novgorod and Pskov...

 died without issue. In his will, he left all the Masovian-Kuyavian principality to his youngest uncle Casimir II the Just. However, Mieszko III could mastered Kuyavia; soon after, he passed his new acquisition to Bolesław (some historians believed that Bolesław only obtain Kuyavia in 1194 after the death of Casimir II the Just).

Another important year in Bolesław could be 1191, when his father, using the absence of Casimir II the Just (who was involved in the Kievan Rus' succession disputes) seized and conquer Kraków. Then, for unknown reasons, Mieszko III didn't took personally the government of the capital, but gave them to Bolesław (although some sources believed that the prince who was appointed Governor of Kraków was Mieszko the Younger). Bolesław's rule as governor in Krakow wasn't too long, because soon Casimir II the Just could recover his authority over the capital and imprisoned his nephew. However, the victorious Casimir II acted generously and sent the prince with his father.

On 5 May 1194 Casimir II the Just died unexpectedly, leaving to minor sons: Leszek and Konrad
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:...

. Mieszko III saw his brother's death as a new opportunity to regain the supreme power; however, this time the local nobility stood at the side of Casimir II's sons.

Mieszko III's Greater Poland and Kuyavian troops and the 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...

's troops (who fight on behalf of Leszek and Konrad), led by the voivode Mikołaj Gryfita, faced in the bloody Battle of Mozgawą (13 September 1195); Bolesław was among the casualties. Mieszko III, seriously injured, withdraw to Kalisz
Kalisz
Kalisz is a city in central Poland with 106,857 inhabitants , the capital city of the Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, the city forms a conurbation with the nearby towns of Ostrów Wielkopolski and Nowe Skalmierzyce...

 without waiting for the Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...

 troops who came to his aid, led by Mieszko I Tanglefoot and Jarosław of Opole.

Marriage and issue

Around 1187/89, Bolesław married with Dobroslawa (b. 1162/72 - d. 23 November 1206/after 1230?), a Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...

n princess. They certainly had only female offspring, but the exact amount remained also disputed. Sources showed the following three daughters, but not all together:
  1. Eudoxia (Audacia) (b. ca. 1190/95 - d. 1270), married in 1208 to Henry I, Count of Schwerin.
  2. Wierzchosława (b. bef. 1195 - d. 2 January/11 September? ca. 1212), a nun in Strzelno
    Strzelno
    Strzelno is a town in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. The town is located south of Inowrocław. According to the June 2005 Census, the population numbered 12,486.-History:...

    .
  3. Daughter (Dobroslawa?) (b. posthumously? bef. 1196 - d. aft. 1249/53), married in 1210/15 to Jaczo I, Lord of Gützkow.


After his death without male issue, Kuyavia
Kuyavia
Kujawy , is a historical and ethnographic region in the north-central Poland, situated in the basin of the middle Vistula and upper Noteć Rivers, with its capital in Włocławek.-Etymology:The origin of the name Kujawy was seen differently in history...

returned to his father Mieszko III, but in 1198 he ceded the Duchy to Casimir II's sons in exchange of his recognition as High Duke.
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