Miecław's Rebellion
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| Miecław's Rebellion | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Crisis of the Piast dynasty | |||||||
 The Duchy of Poland in 1037, including the borders of Miecław's State | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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Duchy of Poland Kievan Rus' |
Miecław's State Duchy of Pomerelia Yotvingians | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Casimir I the Restorer Yaroslav the Wise |
Miecław † Siemomysł | ||||||
Miecław's Rebellion (Polish pronunciation: [ˈmjɛ.t͡swaf]; Polish: bunt Miecława) was a military conflict fought from c. 1037 to 1047 between the Duchy of Poland under Casimir I the Restorer and its ally, Kievan Rus', led by Yaroslav the Wise, against the forces of Miecław, the self-proclaimed leader of a breakaway state, who was allied with the Duchy of Pomerelia and the Yotvingians. The war began with the declaration of independence of Miecław's State in Masovia from the Duchy of Poland in c. 1037. It ended in 1047 with Miecław's death and the state being reconquered by Poland.[1]
Following the death of Mieszko II Lambert, King of Poland, in 1034, and the exile of his son, Casimir I the Restorer, to the Kingdom of Hungary, the Duchy of Poland fell into a period of destabilization that led to the start of a peasant uprising in 1038.[2] Seizing the opportunity, around 1038, Miecław, the king's cup-bearer, declared the independence of his own state in Masovia from the rest of Poland, and started his own royal dynasty.[1]
Miecław was a close associate of Mieszko II. Some scholars suggest that he may have been a descendant of the princely family that ruled Masovia before its subjugation by the Piasts, or that he was related to the Piasts (possibly belonging to a collateral branch). However, these views are not universally accepted. Kadłubek's view that Moisław was of low birth is also disputed.[3]
1041 campaign
Casimir I the Restorer, Duke of Poland, returned to the country from exile in 1039.[1] He had formed an alliance with Yaroslav the Wise, Grand Prince of Kiev and the leader of Kievan Rus', by marrying Maria Dobroniega. Expecting the attack from Rus', Miecław formed alliances with the Duchy of Pomerelia and the Yotvingians. In the spring of 1041, he began the campaign against Polish forces.[4] Miecław's forces met the army led by Casimir and Yaroslav in the Battle of Pobiedziska. The battle ended with a decisive Polish victory and the destruction of Miecław's army and led to the signing of a truce between both sides.[4][5]
