The vacant throne of Poland was occupied (1082) by his brother Vladislav Herman, a weak monarch, whose reign was disturbed by foreign aggression and domestic war. Vladislav's son, Boleslav III., was a great monarch, whose reign was illustrious for many victories and for the conversion of the idolatrous Pomeranians. At his death its 1139 Boleslav divided the kingdom among his four sons, who were styled dukes ; and the subdivision of the kingdom did not atop till the aristocratical government of territorial lords was substituted for the absolute sway of the kings. In the 13th century Poland was ravaged by the Tartars, and the petty princes of the country peopled their deserted towns with colonies from Germany. Vladislav crowned at Krakow in 1319, resumed the title of king ; he was ono of the greatest monarchs that ever governed Poland. He was educated iu the school of adversity, having been twice driven from his throne into exile ; and it was only on his last restoration that he succeeded in firmly establishing his authority, Ile exerted himself to settle the disturbed date of the country, to repel foreign aggression, and to curb the licence of the powerful vassals. His most formidable enemies were the Lithuanians and the Teutonic Knights, who having subdued the half-savage Prussians, became the most dangerous neighbours of Poland. Vladislav gained a great victory over them in the battle of Plowed, in 1331. Ile was then 70 years of ago ; he died two years afterwards. But the most memorable event of his reign is the first diet of Poland, which he assembled at Chenciny a few months before the tattle of Plowed.
The reign of his son, estaimir the Great, was devoted to the con of the advantages gained by his father. lie made great territorial concessions to Bohemia and the Teutonic order for the maintenance of peace, which was necessary to a kingdom that had so long lehonred under the evils of war. His chief care was directed to the protection of agriculture ; and tho nobles, who were no longer permitted to oppress the peasants at their will, gave him the nickname of the Peasant King. The first code of laws was published in Poland by his orders at the assembly of Vislitza, in 1347. It was during his reign that the Russian principality of lIalich (now Galicia) was united with Poland.
The ancient dynasty of Phut, which reigned in Poland from a date anterior to the introduction of Christianity, ended with Casimir's death, 1370. He was succeeded by his nephew Louis, king of Hungary. This monarch entirely neglected Poland, which he visited only twice during his reign. Ilia youngest daughter, Iledvige, was proclaimed after his death Queen of Poland, in 1332, and was crowned at Cracow, being then only 15 years of age. The extraordinary beauty of this princess, which was united to the noblest qualities and the most exalted virtues, have rendered liedvige'a memory an object of national veneration. She married Jsgellon, grand-duke of Lithuania, a pagan
prince, who was baptised on that occasion, and converted to the Christian religion. This completely united Lithuania with Poland. Hedvige died in 1399, but .Tagellon, who on his baptism bed received the name of Vladislav, continued on the throne till his death, 1434. In his reign the power of the Teutonic knights was crushed in the battle of Gnnwald by the united forces of Poland and Lithuania. The 11w/sites offered Jagellon the throne of Bohemia. lie refused the offer ; but permitted the princes of his house to assist the Hussites against the Roman Catholics. Jagcllon was succeeded by his son, Vladislav III., a prince 11 years old. He was scarcely of ago when the Hungarians, threatened by the fast-spreading power of the Otto. mans, invited him to their throne. In prosecuting a hostile attack against the Turks, Vladislav perished at the battle of Varna, in the 21st year of his age. The throne of Poland remained vacant till 1445, when it was offered to Casimir, brother to Vladislav, and grand-duke of Lithuania. Casimir was reluctant to accept the crown of Poland; but when the states of Poland threatened to transfer their allegiance to li a new sovereign he accepted their offers, and left Lithuania, for which he preserved to the end of his life a strong predilection. The most important event of his reign was the union with Poland of the Prussian provinces, which revolted from the Teutonic knights, and placed themselves under the crown of Poland. A war ensued (1454)—termi Dated in 1462 by the peace of Thorn, which gave to Poland a rich and fertile country with a large population. The acquisition of Danzig proved particularly advantageous to the commerce of Poland. Under Casimir's reign Poland was divided into electoral districts, each returning a representative in order to form a deliberative body distinct from the senate or nobles (whose representatives were styled nuocios '). A measure to become law had to pass these assemblies, and then be sanctioned by the king. Deputies from the towns were admitted to the senate or chamber of nuncios. Of the subsequent sovereigns of the Jagellon dynasty, one of the most illustrious was Sigismund, who was elected king after the death of his brother Alex ander in 1506. Sigismund engaged in a severe and protracted contest with Russia, which was concluded by a treaty that left the frontier of the belligerent powers in the same state as it was before the war. In 1510, Bohdan, prince of Moldavia and Wallachia, invaded the southern provinces of Poland : he was however soon defeated, and compelled to conclude a treaty, by which he acknowledged himself the vassal of the kings of Poland. This acquisition became afterwards the origin of long and bloody wars with the Ottoman Porte, but an immediate collision with that power was avoided by the prudence of Sigismund.