Piast dynasty
The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland.[3] The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (c. 960–992).[4] The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of King Casimir III the Great.
This article is about a Polish dynasty. For other uses, see Piast (disambiguation).Piast
c. 9th century
Piast the Wheelwright (legendary)
Mieszko I of Poland (historical)
Casimir III the Great (Kingdom of Poland)
Yuri II Boleslav (Galicia-Volhynia)
Janusz III (Masovia)
George IV William of Legnica (Silesia)
- Duke of the Polans (c. 9th century – 966)
- Duke of Poland (966–1025, 1031–1076, 1082–1138)
- King of Poland (1025–1031, 1076–1082, 1295–1296, 1320–1370)
- High Duke of Poland (1138-1227)
- Duke of Kraków (1227–1291, 1306–1320)
- Duke of Bohemia (1003–1004)
- Duke of Galicia-Volhynia (1325–1340)
- Duke of Silesia (1138–1675)
- Duke of Masovia (1138–1526)
- Duke of Greater Poland (1138–1295)
- Duke of Kuyavia (1233–1364)
- Duke of Sandomierz
- Duke of Sieradz-Łęczyca
1388 (outside Silesia and Masovia)
1675 (male)
1707 (female)
- Silesian Piasts, the agnatically senior and later last surviving branch of the dynasty
- Masovian Piasts (dissolved in 1526)
- House of Griffins[1][2] (uncertain)
Branches of the Piast dynasty continued to rule in the Duchy of Masovia (until 1526) and in the Duchies of Silesia until the last male Silesian Piast died in 1675. The Piasts intermarried with several noble lines of Europe, and possessed numerous titles, some within the Holy Roman Empire. The Jagiellonian kings ruling after the death of Casimir IV of Poland were also descended in the female line from Casimir III's daughter.
Origin of the name[edit]
The early dukes and kings of Poland are said to have regarded themselves as descendants of the semi-legendary Piast the Wheelwright (Piast Kołodziej),[5] first mentioned in the Cronicae et gesta ducum sive principum Polonorum (Chronicles and deeds of the dukes or princes of the Poles), written c. 1113 by Gallus Anonymus. However, the term "Piast Dynasty" was not applied until the 17th century.[6][7] In a historical work the expression Piast dynasty was introduced by the Polish historian Adam Naruszewicz, it is not documented in contemporary sources.[8][9]