Dynasty de Charnekow
Bolko I z Czarnkowa
(Latin: Boleslas I de Charnekow)
King of Poland 1109-1142
King of Bohemia 1116-1142
Born: 24.1.1096, Gdansk, Kingdom of Poland
Died: 6.1.1142, Krakow, Kingdom of Poland
Bolko crowned King of Poland, 13 year old
Bolko was only 13 years old when he inherited the Polish Crown.
He was the only legitimate son of Bartosz.
His mother was Gwenhwyfur Marthruful (1078-1097) who died in labor a year after he was born.
Bolko was born in 1096 in Gdansk, the at the time capital of the Duke of Pomeralia.
Without a mother and his father's only son, he was mostly raised by Bartosz and nannies.
At the age of 13, his father committed suicide and Bolko became on orphan but also the King of Poland.
Raised by his father, Bolko became know in his youthful years to be as vengeful as his father.
And willing to complete what his father started and avenge his forefather. He was also known to be quite lustful for his age.
But most of all he was known to be Pragmatic. As a men with power he didn't have time to deal with social morality.
Just like his father he was ambitious and wanted to expend his family influence.
In his later years he became a Just and Merciful King.
Following the family tradition he married twice and assassinated his first wife.
The day after he became 16 he married Radica Vojislavjevic, a Serbian daughter of a Duke.
10 years later, still no children he ordered his Spy Master to assassinate Radica.
He then married Adele de Montgomery(b:1104), niece of the Duke of Canterbury.
With Adele he had 4 children: Konrad (b:1121) his heir. Mieszko (b:1122) the fierce rival of Konrad.
Katarzyna(B1123) who married Marshal Pomian and Dobieslaw (1128-1144) who died few days after his marriage.
Bolko also had a Bastard son Wladislaw (1119-1140) Who died in battle.
Situation at the start:
Titles:
King of Poland
Duke of Pomeralia
Count of: Stettin (Catholic,Wend,3), Danzig (Catholic,Wend,6), Chelminskie (Pagan,Prussian,3),
Sambia (Catholic,Prussian,5), Scalovia (Pagan,Lithuanian,1), Sudovia (Pagan.Lithuanian,0) and Lubusz (Catholic,Polish,4)
Poland was torn apart by the Civil war. Many counts ware independent. Others like the heir to the Piast, Vgdadu of Atholl
joined his relatives in the Kingdom of Bohemia. To the North The Pagan Kingdom of Finland is expending.
In the west The Holy Roman Empire becomes stronger and bigger with the day and in the East The Russian Princes joined the Byzantine Empire.
His deeds:
In 1110 Bartosz's Small Castles in Danzig and Stettin were finished.
In 1114 the year finally came. Bolko was 18 and ready to avange his forefather and retake the rest of the Kingdom.
He began with the Dukes of Plock and Lesser Poland. Both of them joined the kingdom without a big struggle.
After that he concentrated on the heir to Piast and his rival, Borivoj the King of Bohemia. Relative of the Piasts.
Bolko had a claim on Borivojs throne from his grandfather Janislaw. It was now time to take it!
The war lasted nearly three years, and Bolko got injured in the battle with Bohemians.
But the vengeance was complete. Bolko conquered Krakowskie, Praha and Liberec.
He made all the other independent counts his vassals.
On 25th on January 1116 he was crowned Bolko I King of Bohemia.
He made his uncle, brother of Bartosz, Lambert Duke of Pomeralia and gave him land in Chelminskie.
The following years Bolko spent mostly in his bed, ill from the war wound.
He moved his capital to the old Piast capital in Krakow.
He also began to build up the country. In 1119 he build the first War Academy in Poland in Krakow.
In 1120 his trusted ally, the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold managed to excommunicate the King of Hungary.
Bolko convinced Leopold and the Pope that he would punish the Arpads and he claimed the Kingdom.
But Hungary was a strong country and in 1121 Bolko (recovered from illness and wounds) decided to pursue other interests.
Jerusalem was still not conquered, but the Fatimids were too strong. So he decided to go on a Crusade to Africa.
He declared war with Hammadids!
With an army 20,000 men strong he sailed for Tripolitana.
After 1,5 year he arrived with only 17,000 men left.
Bolko did manage to conquer Djerba and Tripolitana. After that he traveled to the Hammadids and conquered Benni Yanni, Bejaija and Biskra.
But his troops were tired after years of war and so he had sigh a peace treaty.
His failed Crusade really hurt his reputation.
Bolko gave all he conquered to the church and made many bishops in Africa.
He returned to Poland after 5 years of absence, again wounded, his reputation destroyed. And the Pope wasn't amused
as well. Bolko didn't conquer Hungary like he promised to him. And so Bolko lost the claim on Kingdom of Hungary.
Bolko didn't really care much and he decided to built up his economy and army again.
In 1126 the year he returned to Krakow, Stettin became a Polish province.
In 1128 Liberec joined the Polish culture and in Sambia a small Castle was finished.
In Stettin and Danzig harbors were built.
In the years 1134-38 Bolko built an Naval Harbor in Danzig and a Medium Castle in Krakow.
Danzig also became officially Polish.
Bolko claimed the Croatian throne in 1135 after Petar, their King insulted Bolko in a tournament.
The pope didnt forgot how Bolko treated him respect-less and excommunicated Bolko in 1140.
Bolko was furious about this and declared war on the Pope!
But after thinking it over he made peace with the pope before any other kings decided that Poland looked nice in the summer.
In 1141 Bolko decided that Galindia and Marienburg would be a good addition to the Kingdom and attacked the vassals to
the pagan King of Finland. Bolko didn't see the end to this war as he
died of old age on 6th of January 1142.
His 21 year old son Konrad succeeded him.
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