Testament of Bolesław III Krzywousty

[
thumb|right|250px|Fragmentation_of_Poland_betweens_the_sons_of_Bolesław:legend|lightgreen|Pomeranian vassals of the ruler of the seniorate province]

The Testament of Bolesław III Krzywousty was a political act of Bolesław III Krzywousty, High Duke of Poland, [Norman Davies, "God's Playground", pages: [http://books.google.com/books?id=b912JnKpYTkC&pg=PR27&vq=krzywousty&dq=Krzywousty&sig=b3X1mTRor58Iy1Zys6jR-dWjPwA xxvii] ] in which he established rules for governance of the Kingdom of Poland by his sons after his death. By issuing it, Bolesław planned to guarantee that his heirs would not fight among themselves, and would preserve the unity of his lands under the House of Piast. However, he failed; soon after his death his sons fought each other, and Poland entered a period of fragmentation lasting about 200 years. [Norman Davies, "God's Playground", page: [http://books.google.com/books?id=b912JnKpYTkC&pg=PA60&vq=krzywousty&dq=Krzywousty&sig=4ndMa0yWAu_xtbAeOUMtHhRzurA 60] ]

The testament

Bolesław issued the document around 1115-1118 (between the birth of his son Mieszko and the rebellion of Skarbimir); it would be enacted upon his death in 1138. [Norman Davies, "God's Playground", pages: [http://books.google.com/books?id=b912JnKpYTkC&pg=PA53&vq=krzywousty&dq=Krzywousty&sig=9j86X5eATco8Q9cniJvO9OXQWTc 53] accessed 7 January 2008]

Bolesław divided the country into five principalities:
* the Seniorate Province (or Duchy of Kraków), composed of Eastern Greater Poland, Lesser Poland, Western Kuyavia, Łęczyca Land (assigned to Bolesław's wife, Salomea of Berg) and Sieradz Land. It was assigned to Bolesław's eldest son, Władysław II the Exile,
* the Silesian Province (or Duchy of Silesia), composed of Silesia, assigned also to Władysław II the Exile
* the Masovian Province (or Duchy of Masovia), composed of Mazovia with eastern Kuyavia. It was assigned to Bolesław IV the Curly,
* the Greater Poland Province (or Duchy of Greater Poland), composed of Western Greater Poland. It was assigned to Mieszko III the Old,
* the Sandomir Province (or Duchy of Sandomierz), composed of territories centered around the city of Sandomierz. It was assigned to Henry of Sandomierz.
Casimir II the Just was not assigned any province; it is speculated that he was born after Bolesław's death, or he was destined for a religious career.

The senioral principle established in the testament stated that at all times the eldest member of the dynasty (the Senior Prince, the "Princeps", the High Duke) was to have supreme power over the rest ("Dux", the Dukes) and was also to control an indivisible "seniorate province" : a vast strip of land running north-south down the middle of Poland, with Kraków (the Kingdom of Poland's capital) its chief city. The Senior's prerogatives also included control over Pomerania, a fief. The Senior was tasked with defense of borders, the right to have troops in provinces of other Dukes, carrying out foreign policy, supervision over the clergy (including the right to nominate bishops and archbishops), and minting of currency.

Aftermath

The senioral principle was soon broken, with Władysław attempting to increase his power and the rest of the Dukes opposing him. After initial success (taking over the Łęczyca Land after the death of Salomea), he was eventually defeated, and only with the help of the Holy Roman Empire managed to retain his Silesian Province, losing the Seniorate. This lead to a period of nearly 200 years of Poland's feudal fragmentation; deepening after the disastrous battle of Legnica in 1241. Once Władysław I Łokietek was crowned King of Poland in 1320 he would reign on a smaller dominium, with Pomerania and Silesia mostly outside Polish sphere of influence.

ee also

*
*Principate
*Seniorate

References

Further reading

*Bieniak J., "Powstanie księstwa opolsko-raciborskiego jako wyraz przekształcania się Polski w dzielnicową poliarchię", (w:) "Sacra Silentii Provintia. 800 lat dziedzicznego księstwa opolskiego (1202-2002)", Opole 2003, s. 37-81.
*Bieniak J., "Polska elita polityczna XII wieku", cz. I, (w:) "Społeczeństwo Polski średniowiecznej" t. II, Warszawa 1982, s. 29-61,
*Buczek K., Jeszcze o testamencie Bolesława Krzywoustego, „Przegląd Historyczny” 60, 1969, z. 4, s. 621-637,
*Dowiat J., "Polska – państwem średniowiecznej Europy", Warszawa 1968, s. 225-229,
*Dalewski Z., "Władza Przestrzeń Ceremoniał. Miejsce i uroczystość stanowienia władcy w Polsce średniowiecznej do końca XIV w", Warszawa 1996, s. 72-85.
*Dworsatschek M., "Władysław II Wygnaniec", Wrocław 1998, s. 13, 36-51.
*Gawlas S., "O kształt zjednoczonego Królestwa. Niemieckie władztwo terytorialne a geneza społeczno-ustrojowej odrębności Polski", Warszawa 2000, s. 78-79.
*Labuda G., "Testament Bolesława Krzywoustego", (w:) "Opuscula Casimiro Tymieniecki septuagenario dedicata", Poznań 1959, s. 171-194.
*Labuda G., "Zabiegi o utrzymanie jedności państwa polskiego w latach 1138-1146", „Kwartalnik Historyczny” 66, 1959, z. 4, s. 1147-1167,
*Łowmiański H., "Początki Polski", t. VI cz. I, Warszawa 1985, s. 134-165,
*Maleczyński K., "Testament Bolesława Krzywoustego" (recenzja z: G. Labuda, "Testament"...), „Sobótka” 16, 1961, z. 1, s. 109-110
*Natanson-Leski J., "Nowy rzut oka na podziały według statutu Bolesława Krzywoustego", „Czasopismo Prawno-Historyczne”, t. 8, 1956, z. 2, s. 225-226.
*Rymar E., "Primogenitura zasadą regulującą następstwo w pryncypat w ustawie sukcesyjnej Bolesława Krzywoustego", cz. I „Sobótka” 48, 1993, z. I, s. 1-15, cz. II „Sobótka” 49, 1944, z. 1-2, s. 1-18,
*Sosnowska A., "Tytulatura pierwszej generacji książąt dzielnicowych z dynastii Piastów (1138-1202)", „Historia” 5, 1997, nr 1, s. 7-28.
*Spors J., "Podział dzielnicowy Polski według statutu Bolesława Krzywoustego ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem dzielnicy seniorackiej", Słupsk 1978,
*Teterycz A., "Rządy księcia Henryka, syna Bolesława Krzywoustego w ziemi Sandomierskiej", (w:) "Mazowsze, Pomorze, Prusy. Gdańskie Studia Historyczne z Dziejów Średniowiecza" t. 7, red. B. Śliwiński, Gdańsk 2000, s. 245-269
*Wojciechowski T., "Szkice historyczne jedenastego wieku", „Kwartalnik Historyczny” 31, 1917, s. 351 i następna.,