Kingdom of Poland (1025–1385)
| Kingdom of Poland | ||||||||||
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Królestwo Polskie (pl) Regnum Poloniae (la) |
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 Widest span of the Kingdom of Poland before the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, during the years of conquest in 1002-1005.
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| Capital | Gniezno, Poznań, Płock, Kraków | |||||||||
| Languages | Old Polish | |||||||||
| Religion | Roman Catholic (institutional), Slavic paganism (widely practiced) | |||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | |||||||||
| Monarch | ||||||||||
| • | 1025 | Bolesław I the Brave first | ||||||||
| • | 1384-1385 | Jadwiga last | ||||||||
| History | ||||||||||
| • | Coronation of Bolesław I the Brave | 1025 | ||||||||
| • | Union of Krewo | 1385 | ||||||||
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The Kingdom of Poland (Polish: Królestwo Polskie [kruˈlɛstfɔ ˈpɔlskʲɛ]; Latin: Regnum Poloniae) was the Polish state from the coronation of the first King Bolesław I the Brave in 1025 to the union with Lithuania and the rule of the Jagiellon dynasty in 1385.
The basis for the development of a Polish state was laid by the Piast dynasty, which had been preeminent since the 10th century. The conversion of Duke Mieszko I to Christianity paved the way for Poland to become a member of the family of Christian kingdoms. In 1000, during the Congress of Gniezno, Poland was recognized as a state by the Holy Roman Empire and the Pope. In 1025, Duke Boleslaus I the Brave was crowned King of Poland, marking the starting date for a Polish Kingdom, though for long years the Poles were ruled not by Kings but by Dukes.
The King ruled the country in his own responsibility but was expected to respect traditional customs of the people. The succession to the rule was not legally restricted by primogeniture. All sons of the King or Duke had the same rights of inheritance, and the one that in some way proved the strongest succeeded to the throne.
Duke Bolesław III the Wrymouth, who reigned from 1102 to 1138, tried to end the repeated struggles between various claimants by setting the government of Poland on a more formal footing. In his testament, he divided his lands into five Duchies and distributed them among his sons.
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Wikipedia