Treniota was the Grand Duke of Lithuania

Grand Duchy of Lithuania

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...

 (1263–1264).

Treniota was the nephew of Mindaugas

Mindaugas

Mindaugas was the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania and the only King of Lithuania. Little is known of his origins, early life, or rise to power; he is mentioned in a 1219 treaty as an elder duke, and in 1236 as the leader of all the Lithuanians...

, the first and only king of Lithuania. While Mindaugas had converted to Christianity

Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

 in order to discourage Livonian Order

Livonian Order

The Livonian Order was an autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1435–1561. After being defeated by Samogitians in the 1236 Battle of Schaulen , the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword were incorporated into the Teutonic Knights...

 and Teutonic Knights

Teutonic Knights

The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...

 attacks on Lithuania, becoming king in the process, Treniota remained a staunch pagan

Paganism

Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....

. It is believed that Treniota was trusted to rule Samogitia

Samogitia

Samogitia is one of the five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. It is located in northwestern Lithuania. Its largest city is Šiauliai/Šiaulē. The region has a long and distinct cultural history, reflected in the existence of the Samogitian dialect...

.

Despite Mindaugas's conversion, the Teutonic Knights regularly made incursions in Lithuanian territory. After the Battle of Durbe

Battle of Durbe

-External links:**...

 in 1260, Treniota convinced Mindaugas to relapse from Christianity and attack the Teutonic Order, though the attack was ineffective and the Teutonic Knights were barely weakened. Mindaugas began to question his alliance with Treniota. However, before he was able act against his pagan nephew, Treniota together with Daumantas

Daumantas of Pskov

Daumantas, later Dovmont , Christian name Timothy , ; c. 1240? – May 17, 1299), was a Lithuanian princeling best remembered as a military leader of the Pskov Republic between 1266 and 1299...

 assassinated Mindaugas and two of his sons in 1263. Treniota usurped the throne and reverted the nation back to paganism. However, he only ruled for a year before being deposed by Vaišvilkas

Vaišvilkas

Vaišelga or Vaišvilkas was the Grand Duke of Lithuania...

, the younger son of Mindaugas.

See also

• House of Mindaugas
  House of Mindaugas
  The House of Mindaugas was the first royal family of Grand Duchy of Lithuania, centered around Mindaugas, the first known and undoubted sovereign of Lithuania. He was crowned as King of Lithuania in 1253 and assassinated ten years later...
  
   – family tree of Treniota
• List of Belarusian rulers
• List of Lithuanian rulers