Mstislav of Chernigov
Grand Prince of Rus'
983 CE to 1036 CE
Mstislav of Chernigov (or Mstislav the Brave) is the earliest attested ruler of Chernihiv.
He wis Vladimir the Great's son, probably by Rogneda of Polotsk, although his exact position in the family has been disputed.
It is not clear, for instance, whether Yaroslav the Wise is his younger or elder brother.
Some historians such as Simon Franklin and Jonathan Shepard hypothesize that he is identical with Sfengus.
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The exact date and circumstances of Tmutarakan's takeover by the Kievan Rus are uncertain, but the Hypatian Codex mentions Tmutarakan as one of the towns that Vladimir the Great gave to his sons, which implies that Russian control over the city was established in the late tenth century and certainly before Vladimir's death in 1015.
Bronze and silver imitations of Constantinople’s coinage are struck by the new rulers during this period.
Vladimir's son Mstislav of Chernigov is the prince of Tmutarakan at the start of the eleventh century.
Mstislav of Chernigov was about five years old when his father baptized himself and his family.
On this event, Mstislav received the Christian name of Constantine, alluding to the founding emperor of the imperial city, and was dispatched to rule Tmutarakan on the Black Sea.
His relations with the Empire are cordial for the most part.
In 1016, he subdues the last Crimean strongholds of the Khazar, led by Georgius Tzul.
This campaign, conducted in conjunction with imperial forces, helps the Greeks to reassert their control of the Crimea.
Georgius Tzul appears only in the account of the Byzantine court historians Kedrenos and John Skylitzes, who place him at Kerch and calls him "khagan" (the title of the Khazar emperors).
Kedrenos states that he was captured by the expeditionary force but does not relate his ultimate fate.
Inscriptions and other references exist referring to a Tzul or Tsal clan in Crimea during this period; presumably he was a member although the relationship of that family to the original ruling dynasty of Khazaria is unknown.
Almost nothing else about him, including the extent of his holdings, is known.
Despite the fact that earlier writers maintained that the Khazar khagan was required to adhere to Judaism, Georgius is a Christian name.
Whether Georgius Tzul was himself a Christian, a Jew or Shamanist with an unusual Greek name, or whether the name is merely a Byzantine attempt to transliterate a Turkic or Hebrew name, is unknown.
It is worth noting that Constantinople’s campaigns occurred roughly during this period against the Georgians and Bulgarians, suggesting a concerted effort to reestablish imperial dominance in the Black Sea region.
Bezprym had taken refuge in Kievan Rus and probably used the weakened position of Mieszko II as an excuse to gain the alliance of the Rurikid rulers Yaroslav I the Wise and Mstislav.
In 1031, while Mieszko is defending the western border from the German expedition of Conrad II, Bezprym and the Kievan forces enter into Poland.
Busy defending Lusatia and consequently unable to repel the Kievan attack, Mieszko II is forced to escape to Bohemia.
Yaroslav annexes Red Ruthenia to his domains and Bezprym ascends to the Polish throne.
Having degraded the power structure in Poland, Bezprym loses his authority shortly after taking power, and is forced to surrender the royal crown and regalia to the Emperor.
Thus, he resigns from the royal title and accepts the primacy of his western neighbor.
The crown and regalia are personally delivered by Mieszko's wife, Queen Richeza, who together with her children Casimir, Ryksa and Gertruda, leaves the country in 1031 for the court of Emperor Conrad II, where the deposed Queen is received with all honors and allowed to continuous use of the royal title.
The departure of Richeza, and especially of her son, is extremely beneficial for Bezprym, because this eliminates (at least temporarily) a possible pretender to the throne.
Mieszko II isn't considered too dangerous at this time, since he is imprisoned and castrated in Bohemia by orders of Duke Oldrich.
This is a retaliation for Boleslaw I Chrobry’s blinding of Duke Boleslaus III the Red, Oldřich's brother, thirty years before.
Mieszko and his wife will never reunite again; according to some sources they were either officially divorced or only separated.
It is possible that the new rule of Duke Bezprym is attractive to the Polish population.
However, there probably remains a large group of supporters of the former ruler.
It is believed that Bezprym began his bloody persecution against them shortly after he began his government.
Many representatives of the Polish social elite are forced to flee as a result.
According to sources, some of them took refuge in Masovia.
Perhaps among the victims of the repression, there were two bishops, whose date of death is recorded in 1032 in the Chronicles of the Chapter of Kraków: Roman and Lambert.
The brutal fight with the opposition could have led to the above-mentioned Pagan Reaction, however it was probably instigated by discontent against the power of the Church and with the state apparatus.
Contemporary historiography places the riots in 1031–1032, during the reign of Bezprym.
The reaction isn't only of a religious background, but social.
It is primarily a reflection of the economic state caused by the aggressive policy of Boleslaw I the Brave and less successful rule of Mieszko II.
The defeat in battle in the west during that period has cut off the basic source of livelihood of the Polish troops, who are forced to loot the western lands.
As a result, the cost of maintaining the existence of an extensive army is probably too much for the population.
In addition, the devastating incursions of foreign troops is another cause of dissatisfaction among the citizenry.
The rule of Bezprym is extremely cruel and short.
According to the Chronicles of Hildesheim, he was murdered by his own men no later than spring of 1032.
Probably the instigators of his death were his half-brothers, although the main conspirator was Otto, who remains free in Germany.
The place of his burial is unknown.
As a result of Bezprym's rule, the Polish state has been substantially weakened, and the Polish throne remains vacant.
Mieszko II is still imprisoned in Bohemia and Otto probably in Germany.
German sources report that the Empero organized an expedition in order to invade Poland.
It is unknown what happened after this, but certainly Mieszko II was released by Duke Oldrich and he could return to the country.
After his recent opponent regains the power, the Emperor immediately reacts and begins the preparations for the expedition against Poland.
Mieszko II isn't prepared for the confrontation, so he uses his influence in the German court in order to resolve the conflict.
A meeting takes place in Merseburg between Conrad II and the surviving heirs of the Piast dynasty on July 7, 1032.
Mieszko II, lacking alternatives, is forced to surrender the royal title and agree to the division of Poland between him and the other two competitors: his brother Otto and a certain Dytryk, a cousin, grandson of Duke Mieszko I and his third wife Oda.
Mieszko II probably receives Lesser Poland and Masovia, Otto obtain Silesia, and Dytryk takes Greater Poland.
Another proposal speculates that Mieszko II received Greater Poland, and other neighborhoods were given to Otto and Dytryk.
The division of Poland, although the distribution is uncertain, is short-lived: Otto is killed in 1033 by one of his own men and Mieszko II takes his domains.
He could probably have expelled Dytryk shortly after and thus has been able to reunite the whole country under his rule.
Mieszko II has regained full power, but he still has to fight against the nobility and his own subjects.
It should be noted that in Poland his renunciation of the royal crown isn't counted, and after 1032, in the chronicles he is still called King.
He dies suddenly between May 10 and 11, 1034, probably in Poznań.
The Polish chronicles clearly state that he died of natural causes; the information that he was murdered by the sword-bearer (Miecznik), given by the chronicles of Gottfried of Viterbo, refers to Bezprym.
However, the historians now think that he was killed in a plot hatched by the aristocracy.
He is buried in the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul.
After Mieszko II's death, Poland's peasants revolt in a "pagan reaction."
The exact reasons and date are unknown.
Mieszko II's only son and heir, Casimir I, is either expelled by this insurrection, or the insurrection is caused by the aristocracy's expulsion of him.
Some modern historians argue that the insurrection was caused more by economic than by religious issues, such as new taxes for the Church and the militarization of the early Polish polity.
Priests, monks and knights are killed; cities, churches and monasteries are burned.