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Władysław II Jagiełło

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Władysław II Jagiełło (modern artistic representation)
Jagello redirects here. See Jagiellon dynasty for the dynasty article.

Władysław II Jagiełło or Jogaila; (Polish: Władysław II Jagiełło; Lithuanian: Jogaila Algirdaitis; Hungarian: II. Jagelló Ulászló; Belarusian: Jahajła (Ягайла); Ukrainian: Volodislav Jahajlo (Володислав Ягайло); 1351? – June 1, 1434, Gródek Jagielloński) was the monarch of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1377, and became King of the Polish Kingdom in 1386, after converting to Christianity. He was the last pagan ruler of medieval Lithuania, with the title didysis kunigaikštis which would be translated as High King according to the contemporary perception. The later construct for its translation is Grand Duke (for its etymology, see Grand Prince). His Lithuanian realm chiefly meant that of Lithuanians and Ruthenians and it was at least half-Slavic. At his baptism, he changed his name from Jogaila to Władysław II. He married Jadwiga, the second of Poland's Angevin rulers, and reigned for 49 years.

The Jagiellon era is commonly characterized as the beginning of Poland's "Golden Age", and of the Polish-Lithuanian union. His reign set those countries on the road to becoming a major European power, and extended their frontiers to the north, east and west.

Royal title

  • Royal title in Latin: Wladislaus Dei gracia rex Polonie necnon terrarum Cracovie, Sandomirie, Syradia, Lancicie, Cuiavie, Lithuanie princeps supremus, Pomoranie Russieque dominus et heres etc.
  • English translation: Vladislaus by God's grace king of Poland, and lands of Kraków, Sandomierz, Sieradz, Łęczyca, Kuyavia, supreme-prince of Lithuania, lord and heir of Pomerania and Ruthenia, etc.
  • Polish translation: Władysław, z Bożej łaski król Polski, ziemi krakowskiej, sandomierskiej, sieradzkiej, łęczyckiej, kujawskiej, Nadrzędny Książe Litewski, pan i dziedzic Pomorza i Rutenii, etc
  • Lithuanian translation: Vladislovas, Dievo valia karalius Lenkijos ir žemių Krokuvos, Sandomiro, Sieradžo, Lenčycos, Kujavijos, Lietuvos didysis kunigaikštis, Pomeranijos ir Rusios valdovas ir paveldėtojas, etc.
  • Belarusian translation: Уладзіслаў, з Божай ласкі кароль польскі, зямлі кракаўскай, сандамерскай, серадзкай, лучыцкай, куяўскай, князь літоўскі, пан і дзедзіч паморскі і рускі, etc.

Please note that Jogaila's title was 'supreme duke/prince of Lithuania' while as the same time the traditional title of 'high duke/prince of Lithuania' was reserved for his cousin Vytautas.

Biography

Władysław II Jagiełło's royal seal.
Equestrian statue of Władysław II Jagiełło in Central Park, New York City.

Jogaila was descended from the Gediminid dynasty of dukes and Grand Dukes of Lithuania. He was born in Vilnius, Lithuania to Algirdas (or Olgierd, ruled 1345-1377), Grand Prince of Lithuania and Uliana of Tver. His paternal grandparents were Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania and Jewna.

With the Union of Krewo in 1385, Jogaila married Queen Jadwiga of Poland (who was then only 11 years old) and established the Jagiellon dynasty, which would rule in Poland and Lithuania until 1572. At the same time, Jogaila accepted Roman Catholicism, as did some other Lithuanian nobles. Thus he became King Władysław II Jagiełło (Latin:Wladislaus II) of Poland.

After the death of Jadwiga and their newborn daughter in 1399, Władysław II Jagiełło continued to rule, for yet another 35 years. Some believed that he had lost his entitlement to the throne with the death of Jadwiga. However, there were no obvious other sucessors, and all potential competitors, of which there existed a vast number, were distant relatives. Although Jogaila faced difficulties from time to time, he remained king more or less by default. He tried to strengthen his position and authority by next marrying Anna of Cilli, granddaughter of Kazimierz III (d. 1370), whose mother Anna, Countess of Cilli (died 1425), was the daughter of King Casimir. Anna of Cilli also died childless in 1416. Władysław II Jagiełło did not yet have any heirs. His next marriages were with ladies from Polish and Lithuanian dominions, apparently having nothing to do with ancestors among Polish monarchs.

Polish-Lithuanian coat-of-arms.
Władysław Jagiełło. Tomb effigy.

Jogaila's conversion marked the establishment of Catholic Christianity as the official religion of Lithuania following a brief period of Catholic kingship in the 1250s. Though pagan beliefs continued in the country for some time, the Lithuanian nobility gave its support to the new order upon being promised (in 1401) a voice in the election of the future Polish-Lithuanian rulers.

In military terms, his reign is noted for the crushing defeat inflicted on the Teutonic Knights in neighbouring Prussia by Polish and Lithuanian forces under his supreme command at the Battle of Grunwald (1410).

Jogaila was the first of the dynasty of Lithuanian princes who were also kings of Poland (1386-1572). He was succeeded by his son Władysław III, and after his death at the battle of Varna by second son Casimir IV. Previously rulers from this dynasty, called Gediminaičiai, were grand princes of Lithuania, and after the Union of Krewo, Jogaila adopted both titles (Supreme duke of Lithuania and King of Poland). Later, however, up until the Union of Lublin (1569), the title of Grand duke of Lithuania was sometimes under dispute and not always belonged to the King of Poland. However, both titles, if separate, were used to be held by members of same Gediminaičiai dynasty who were related to each other in close family ties.

Before that the Piasts were monarchs of Poland, in last century intermitting with the Bohemian Przemysls and followed by a brief period of Angevins.

Although Jagiellonian dynasty was not hereditary and in theory each king of this dynasty was elected, in reality every time when the father died, his son (or brother) was elected as new king.

After the last male member of the Jagiellonian dynasty died, the kings of Poland were elected by the nobility (szlachta) of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Dynastic Relations

File:100zl r.jpg
Polish 100-złoty banknote with likeness of Władysław II Jagiełło.

Władysław II Jagiełło was married in 1386 to Queen Jadwiga of Poland (1374-1399). Their only child was:

  • Elzbieta-Bonifacja (born and died 1399)

His second wife was Anna of Cilli (1386-1416), married in 1402, a Slovenian noblewoman, and (more importantly) the only child of Anna, a superseded daughter of Casimir III of Poland (d 1370). The mother, Anna Countess of Cilli died 1425 without surviving children. The only child of Jagiello and Anna of Cilli was:

  • Jadwiga (1408-1431)

The third wife was Elisabeth of Pilica (Granowska). No children.

The fourth wife was Sophia of Halshany, a noblewoman from Lithuanian nobility. Their children were:

Władysław II Jagiełło. A 19th-century drawing by Jan Matejko.

Mother

Father

Wives

Brothers

Sisters

Sons

Daughters

See also

Bibliography

  • Dlugosz, Jan, The Annals of Jan Dlugosz, translated and abridged by Maurice Michael, commentary by Paul Smith (Chichester, UK: IM Publications, 1997).
  • Drabina, Jan, “Die Religionspolitik von König Wladyslaw Jagiello im polnisch-litauischen Reich in den Jahren 1385-1434,” Zeitschrift für Ostforschung vol. 43 (1994), p. 161-173.
  • Jogaila, parašė J. Jakštas, Z. Ivinskis, S. Sužiedėlis, A. Šapoka, P. Šležas; redagavo A. Šapoka, Kaunas, 1935, 333
  • Sruogienė-Sruoga, Vanda, “Jogaila (1350-1434),” Lituanus, vol. 33 (4) (Winter 1987), p. 23-34.
  • Tęgowski, Jan. Pierwsze pokolenia Giedyminowiczow, Poznań-Wrocław, 1999, 319, [1] p.
Preceded by Grand Prince of Lithuania
1377-1392 		Succeeded by
Preceded by King of Poland
1386-1434 		Succeeded by
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