page_title: Leszek the White
section_title: Struggle for the succession
hierarchical_section_title: Leszek the White / Struggle for the succession
caption_attribution_description: English: Leszek the White and Voivode Goworek
context_page_description: Leszek the White was Prince of Sandomierz and High Duke of Poland during 1194–1198, 1199, 1206–1210, and 1211–1227. During the early stages of his reign his uncle, Duke Mieszko III the Old, and cousin Władysław III Spindleshanks, from the Greater Polish branch of the royal Piast dynasty, contested Leszek's right to be High Duke.
  Leszek was the third or fourth, but eldest surviving son of Casimir II the Just and his wife Helen of Znojmo.
context_section_description: When Casimir II died on 5 May 1194, Leszek was only nine or ten years old. K. Jasiński, writing in 2001, puts his birth year as 1184 or 1185, while older historiography claimed 1186 or 1187. The regency was exercised by his mother Helen, who counted on the help of Mikołaj Gryfita, wojewoda of Kraków, and Fulko, Bishop of Kraków.
  However, Leszek's uncle Mieszko III the Old – who had been ruler of Kraków from 1173–77 and was deposed after a national rebellion against him – refused to accept this, and with the help of powerful Lesser Poland families, decided to reconquer Kraków.
  The war began in 1195. On the side of Leszek and his youngest brother Konrad fought the nobility of Kraków and Sandomierz, and the Rurikid Prince Roman of Vladimir-in-Volhynia. Mieszko III the Old was able to negotiate with his Silesian relatives Mieszko Tanglefoot, Duke of Racibórz, and his nephew Jarosław, Duke of Opole, who promised to send food to him during the campaign.
  An extremely bloody battle took place on 13 September 1195 at Mozgawa near Jędrzejów. In the first phase of the battle, the Greater Poland armies – personally commanded by Mieszko III and his son Bolesław – faced the forces of wojewoda Mikołaj and Prince Roman. This battle was inconclusive and ended with the withdrawal of Mieszko III, distraught after the death of his son during the fight. The supporters of Leszek and Konrad decided not to pursue the retreating enemy and returned to Kraków, because the casualties were great and among the injured was Prince Roman. However this was not the end of the battle, as the troops of Sandomierz led by wojewoda Goworek arrived and attacked the Silesian army of Mieszko Tanglefoot and Jarosław of Opole, who also arrived late to the battlefield. This second phase of the battle was decisively won by the Silesians, but with the escape of Mieszko III to Greater Poland, the Silesians also decided to retreat, taking with them the captured wojewoda Goworek, who regained his freedom a few months later by payment of a ransom.
  The withdrawal of Mieszko III the Old during the Battle of Mozgawą allowed Leszek (or more accurately, his regents) to maintain power for the next three years. However, in 1198, Mieszko III finally regained power over the Seniorate Province through an agreement with Helen of Znojmo. On behalf of her eldest son, the Dowager Duchess and Regent formally resigned his control of Kraków in exchange for recognition of his rights over Lesser Poland and Masovia, and receipt of Kujavia (for according to historians, Mieszko III and his son Bolesław had taken over the government of Kujavia after the death of Leszek, Duke of Masovia). This time (with a short interruption in 1199), Mieszko III remained in control over Kraków until his death on 13 March 1202.
  Some time earlier (ca. 1200), Leszek and Konrad, who had reached their majority and began to rule personally, decided to divide their domains. Konrad received Masovia and Kuyavia, while Leszek retained only Sandomierz, probably with the hope of eventually reconquering the Seniorate Province and the adjacent land of Sieradz-Łęczyca.
  After the death of Mieszko III, the reinstallment of Leszek was proposed. His former ally Mikołaj Gryfita, fearing his loss of political influence, demanded the dismissal of Leszek's closest collaborator, Goworek. The wojewoda of Sandomierz was ready to step down in order to obtain Kraków for his master, but Leszek, unwilling to discard him, strongly refused this request. In view of this impasse, Mikołaj Gryfita invited the youngest and only surviving son of Mieszko III, Władysław III Spindleshanks, to be the new ruler of Kraków.
  It is unknown how long Władysław III ruled over Kraków. According to some historians, his reign ended a few months after the death of his father, in autumn 1202; according to others (and this version seems more likely) it lasted until 1206 or even 1210. In any case, some time after the death of Mikołaj Gryfita (also in 1202), the Kraków nobility invited Leszek to reassume the government without any conditions.
  In 1207, Leszek placed hi
caption: Leszek and wojewoda Goworek, by Daniel Kondratowicz (ca. 1844).
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