Mindaugas
|
Mindaugas King of Lithuania |
Mindaugas (approximate
English transcription [ˈmın.dəʊ.gʌs],
simplified Lithuanian transcription [m
indaŭgas]; also known as
Ruthenian: Миндовгъ (
Mindowh), , ) (c.
1203 -
12 September 1263) ruled
Lithuania as
grand duke (
Lithuanian: "didysis
kunigaikštis", Belarusian: "вялікі князь") from c.
1236 and as
king ("
karalius", "кароль") from
1253.
A man of strong character amongst five established grand dukes he was able to win personal power in
Lithuania and turned his sight to the Ruthenian lands, where he conquered vast areas. On
July 6,
1253 Mindaugas was crowned
King of Lithuania. There are only a few probable locations for his coronation:
Vilnius, legendary
Voruta (Mindaugas stayed here during the civil war in 1251, but its location is still unknown) or
Trakai (Old Trakai). It is only known that Mindaugas and his wife
Morta were crowned by the order of
Pope Innocent IV, and that for this occasion a
Catholic church was built.
Mindaugas was originally a pagan (as were most of the
Balts), but circa
1252 with his wife Morta he was baptized by the
bishop of
Kulm (now
Chełmno) in the presence of the Master of the
Livonian Brothers of the Sword. A member of the Order named Christian was
consecrated as the first bishop of Lithuania.
This raised opposition among some of the
Balts tribes, and there was some resistance. Because of this struggle for power, still-strong roots in Baltic paganism, and his people's disbelief in the
conversion to Christianity, after his defeat in the
Kuršiai Uprising of
1260, for along time there was a belief that Mindaugas had renounced Christianity in
1262. There is however, no valid proof of this supposed renounciation. On
September 12th of
1263, Mindaugas was killed (with his 2 younger sons) by his
nephews Treniota and
Daumantas (the latter was duke of
Nalšia). Under the usurper
Treniota, a person of strong pagan beliefs, the country relapsed into
paganism until the re-conversion in
1386 by
Grand Duke Jogaila.
Only with
Gediminas, Grand Duke from
1316, did Lithuania's revival as a European power began. While most of the Lithuanian Grand Dukes from Jogaila onward reigned also as Kings of Poland, their titles remained separate, and Mindaugas was the only
King of Lithuania, recognized as such by Western European rulers.
# Name unknown, mother of
Vaisvilkas; died before
1253#
Morta, baptized c.
1252 by the bishop of
Kulm, mother of Gerstutis, Ruplys and Rupeikis; died
1262# Sister of Morta, wife of
Daumantas. Mindaugas took her from Daumantas after Morta's death.
Dowsprunk (
? -
1213 near
Lielvarde), Grand Duke of Lithuania ? -
1213Vaišvilkas (Woyszwiłk, Vojszalak, Vojšalk, Vaišelga, Vaishyalga, Vaišalgas, Rymont Lawrasz, Rimond Laurent; killed on
9 December 1268 Vladimir),
Prince of
Black Ruthenia 1239 -
1254,
Grand Duke of Lithuania 1254,
1258 "
1263Mindowhowna (
1201 -
1264), married King
Švarn of
Halych-Volhynia in
1255*
List of Belarusian rulers*
List of Lithuanian rulers*
Mindaugas II of Lithuania*
Early dukes of Lithuania*
Pages and Forums on the Lithuanian History
