Władysław II Jagiełło
Grand Duke of Lithuania (1377–1434); King of Poland (1386–1434) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jogaila (Lithuanian: [jɔˈɡâːɪɫɐ] ⓘ; c. 1352/1362 – 1 June 1434), later Władysław II Jagiełło (Polish: [vwaˈdɨswaf jaˈɡʲɛwwɔ] ⓘ),[nb 1] was Grand Duke of Lithuania (1377–1381 and 1382–1401), later giving the position to his cousin Vytautas in exchange for the title of Supreme Duke of Lithuania (1401–1434) and then King of Poland (1386–1434), first alongside his wife Jadwiga until 1399, and then sole ruler of Poland. Born a Lithuanian polytheist, he converted to Catholicism in 1386 and was baptized as Ladislaus (Polish: Władysław) in Kraków, married the young Queen Jadwiga, and was crowned King of Poland as Władysław II Jagiełło.[1][2] In 1387, he converted Lithuania to Catholicism. His own reign in Poland started in 1399, upon the death of Queen Jadwiga, lasted a further thirty-five years, and laid the foundation for the centuries-long Polish–Lithuanian union. He was a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty in Poland that bears his name and was previously also known as the Gediminid dynasty in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The dynasty ruled both states until 1572,[nb 2] and became one of the most influential dynasties in late medieval and early modern Europe.[3]
Władysław II Jagiełło | |
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Grand/Supreme Duke of Lithuania | |
Reign |
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Predecessor | |
Successor |
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Regent |
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King of Poland with Jadwiga (1386–1399) | |
Reign | 4 March 1386 – 1 June 1434 |
Coronation | 4 March 1386 |
Predecessor | Jadwiga |
Successor | Władysław III |
Born | c. 1352/1362 Vilnius, Grand Duchy of Lithuania |
Died | (1434-06-01)1 June 1434 (aged 71-72/81-82) Gródek Jagielloński, Kingdom of Poland |
Burial | |
Spouse | |
Issue | |
Dynasty | Jagiellon (cadet branch of the Gediminid dynasty) |
Father | Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania |
Mother | Uliana of Tver |
Jogaila was the last pagan ruler of medieval Lithuania. After he became King of Poland, as a result of the Union of Krewo, the newly formed Polish-Lithuanian union confronted the growing power of the Teutonic Order. The allied victory at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, followed by the Peace of Thorn, secured the Polish and Lithuanian borders and marked the emergence of the Polish–Lithuanian alliance as a significant force in Europe. The reign of Władysław II Jagiełło extended Polish frontiers and is often considered the beginning of Poland's Golden Age.