Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16th to 18th centuries). The first Polish ruler whose existence is not debatable was Duke Mieszko I, who adopted Christianity under the authority of Rome in the year 966. He was succeeded by his son, Bolesław I the Brave, who greatly expanded the boundaries of the Polish state and ruled as the first king in 1025. The following centuries gave rise to the mighty Piast dynasty, consisting of both kings such as Mieszko II Lambert, Przemysł II or Władysław I the Elbow-high and dukes like Bolesław III Wrymouth. The dynasty's rule over Poland ceased with the death of Casimir III the Great in 1370. In the same year, the Capetian House of Anjou became the ruling house with Louis I as king of both Poland and Hungary. His daughter, Jadwiga, later married Jogaila, the pagan Grand Duke of Lithuania, who in 1386 was baptized and crowned as Władysław II Jagiełło, thus creating the Jagiellonian dynasty and a personal union between Poland and Lithuania. During the reign of Casimir IV Jagiellon and Sigismund I the Old, culture flourished and cities developed. This era of progress, also known as the Polish Renaissance, continued until the Union of Lublin under Sigismund II Augustus, which unofficially marked the end of the Polish Golden Age. After the death of the last Jagiellonian king, the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth became an elective monarchy with mostly foreigners elected as monarchs such as Henry III of France, who witnessed the introduction of the Golden Liberty system and Stephen Báthory, a capable military commander who strengthened the nation. The meaningful rule of the Vasa dynasty initially expanded the Commonwealth as the arts and crafts developed, as well as trade and commerce. King Sigismund III Vasa, a talented but somewhat despotic ruler, involved the country in many wars, which subsequently resulted in the successful capture of Moscow and the loss of Livonia to Sweden. His son, Władysław IV Vasa, fiercely defended the Commonwealth's borders and continued the policy of his father until his death, unlike John II Casimir whose tragic rule resulted in his abdication. The election of John III Sobieski to the Polish throne proved to be beneficial for the Commonwealth. A brilliant military tactician, John III led the coalition forces to victory at Vienna in 1683 and he partially recaptured land from the Ottoman Empire. However, the years that followed were not as successful. The long and ineffective rule of the Wettin dynasty (Augustus II the Strong and Augustus III) placed the Commonwealth under the influence of Saxony and the Russian Empire. Additional feuds with rebel nobility (szlachta) and most notably Stanislaus I Leszczyński and France diminished the influence of Poland–Lithuania in the region, which led to the partitions that occurred under King Stanislaus II Augustus, yet another enlightened, but ineffective monarch. The last true sovereign of Poland was Frederick Augustus I as Duke of Warsaw, who throughout his political career attempted to rehabilitate the Polish state. Following the Napoleonic Wars, many sovereigns claimed the title of Polish king, duke or ruler, notably German (the King of Prussia was also the sovereign of the Grand Duchy of Posen 1815-1918), Russian (the Congress Kingdom of Poland was founded in 1815 with the widely unrecognized title of King of Poland to the Emperor of Russia until 1915) and Austrian emperors (the Emperor of Austria was sovereign of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria between 1772 and 1918, and the Grand Duchy of Kraków between 1846 and 1918). The new Kingdom of Poland was proclaimed as an independent state in 1916 with a Regency Council but the monarchy was abolished and a parliamentary republican authority was established when Poland was re-constituted as a sovereign state in 1918.

Legendary

Most of the legendary Polish rulers appear for the first time in chronicles from the 13th century and their existence has not been determined. also Krak or Grakch c. 8th century c. 8th century Son of Krakus I c. 8th century Son of Krakus I, brother of Krakus II also Wąda c. 8th century Daughter of Krakus, sister of Krakus II and Lech II Leszko I also Leszek c. 7th centuries – c. 8th centuries – c. 8th centuries – c. 8th centuries Leszko II c. 8th century Presumed son of Leszko I, Alleged progenitor of the Popielids dynasty Leszko III c. 8th century Presumed son of Leszko II Popiel I c. 8th century Presumed son of Leszko III Popiel II c. 9th century Presumed son of Popiel I c. 9th century Son of Chościsko

Debatable rulers

The three direct predecessors of Mieszko I are known only from the account of Gallus Anonymus, who wrote the oldest Polish chronicle, Gesta principum Polonorum at the beginning of the 12th century. Though their historicity was once debatable, now historians tend to consider them actually existing rulers. Siemowit also Ziemowit 9th century Presumed son of Piast the Wheelwright and Rzepicha Lestek also Leszek or Lestko 9th century – 10th century Presumed son of Siemowit Siemomysł also Ziemomysł Latin: Zemomislaus 10th century – c. 950/960 Presumed son of Lestek

House of Piast

Mieszko I Latin: Misico, dux Wandalorum 960 – 25 May 992 (0 years years) c. 965 2 children Oda of Haldensleben c. 980 3 children Poznań Aged about 62 Bolesław I the Brave also Boleslaus I the Great 992–1025 (as duke) 18 April 1025–17 June 1025 (as king) (0 years years) Poznań Son of Mieszko I and Doubravka of Bohemia Kraków Aged about 58 Mieszko II Lambert 25 December 1025–1031 (0 years years) Poznań Aged about 44 Bezprym 1031–1032 (0 years years) Aged about 46 Otto 1032–1033 (0 years years) Aged about 33 Dytryk also Dietrich and Theoderick 1032–1033 (0 years years) Aged about 41 Mieszko II Lambert 1032–1034 (0 years years) Poznań Aged about 44 Bolesław the Forgotten 1034–1038/1039 (0 years years) Casimir I the Restorer 1034/1040–1058 (0 years years) Poznań Aged 41 Bolesław II the Generous 1058–1076 (as duke) 26 December 1076–1079 (as king) (0 years years) Hungary or Ossiach Aged about 39 Władysław I Herman 1079–4 June 1102 (0 years years) Płock Aged about 58 Zbigniew 1102–1107 (0 years years) Aged about 40 Bolesław III Wrymouth also Boleslaus III 1107–1138 (0 years years) Płock Son of Władysław I Herman and Judith of Bohemia Sochaczew Aged 52

Fragmentation of Poland (1138–1320)

Władysław II the Exile 1138–1146 (0 years years) Kraków Son of Bolesław III Wrymouth and Zbyslava of Kiev Altenburg Aged 54 Bolesław IV the Curly 1146–1173 (0 years years) Aged about 51 Mieszko III 1173–1177 (0 years years) Kalisz Aged about 75 Casimir II the Just 1177–1190 (0 years years) Kraków Aged about 56 1190–1190 1190–1194 Leszek I the White 1194–1198 (0 years years) Marcinkowo Górne Aged about 43 1198–1199 1199–1199 1199–1202 Władysław III Spindleshanks 1202–1206 (0 years years) Aged about 64 1206–1210 Mieszko IV Tanglefoot 1210–1211 (0 years years) Aged about 81 1211–1227 (0 years years) 1227–1229 Konrad I of Masovia 1229–1232 (0 years years) Aged about 60 Henry I the Bearded 1232–1238 (0 years years) Głogów Son of Bolesław I the Tall and Christina (?) Krosno Odrzańskie Aged about 73 Henry II the Pious 1238–1241 (0 years years) Głogów Son of Henry the Bearded and Hedwig of Andechs Legnickie Pole Aged about 45 Bolesław II the Horned 1241–1241 Głogów Son of Henry II the Pious and Anne of Bohemia Euphemia of Pomerania Sophia of Dyhrn Legnica Konrad I of Masovia 1241–1243 (0 years years) Aged about 60 Bolesław V the Chaste 1243–1279 (0 years years) Stary Korczyn Son of Leszek I the White and Grzymisława of Luck Kraków Aged 52 Leszek II the Black 1279–1288 (0 years years) Brześć Kujawski Son of Casimir I of Kuyavia and Constance of Wrocław Kraków Aged about 47 Henryk IV Probus English: Henry the Righteous 1288–1290 (0 years years) Wrocław Aged about 32

Attempt at restoration (1295–1296)

Przemysł II English: Premislaus II 1290–1291 (as duke) 1295–1296 (as king) (1 year) Poznań Son of Przemysł I of Greater Poland and Elisabeth of Wrocław Rogoźno Aged 38

Přemyslid House

Wenceslaus II of Bohemia 1296–1300 (as High Duke) 1300–1305 (as King) (0 years years) Prague Son of Ottokar II of Bohemia and Kunigunda of Slavonia Prague Aged 33 Wenceslaus III of Bohemia 1305–1306 (1 year) Prague Son of Wenceslaus II and Judith of Habsburg Olomouc Aged 16

House of Piast (restored)

Ladislaus the Short 1306–1320 (as High Duke) 20 January 1320 – 2 March 1333 (as King) Kraków Aged about 73 Casimir III the Great 25 April 1333 – 5 November 1370 Kowal Son of Władysław I the Elbow-high and Jadwiga of Kalisz Kraków Aged 60

House of Anjou

Louis 17 November 1370 – 10 September 1382 Visegrád Son of Charles I of Hungary and Elizabeth of Poland Nagyszombat (Trnava) Aged 56 Hedwig 16 October 1384 – 17 July 1399 Buda Daughter of Louis I of Hungary and Elizabeth of Bosnia Kraków Aged 25

House of Jagiellon

Władysław II Jagiełło 4 March 1386 – 1 June 1434 Vilnius Son of Algirdas and Uliana of Tver Gródek Aged 72–82 Władysław III English: Ladislaus III of Varna 25 July 1434 – 10 November 1444 Kraków Son of Jogaila and Sophia of Halshany Varna Aged 20 Casimir IV 25 June 1447 – 7 June 1492 Kraków Son of Jogaila and Sophia of Halshany Grodno Aged 64 John I Albert 23 September 1492 – 17 June 1501 Kraków Son of Casimir IV and Elizabeth of Habsburg Toruń Aged 41 Alexander 12 December 1501 – 19 August 1506 Kraków Son of Casimir IV and Elizabeth of Habsburg Vilnius Aged 45 Sigismund I the Old 8 December 1506 – 1 April 1548 Kozienice Son of Casimir IV and Elizabeth of Habsburg Kraków Aged 81 Sigismund II Augustus 1 April 1548 – 7 July 1572 Kraków Son of Sigismund I and Bona Sforza Knyszyn Aged 51

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, 1569–1795

Henry 16 May 1573 – 12 May 1575 Fontainebleau Son of Henry II and Catherine de' Medici Saint-Cloud Aged 37 Anna 15 December 1575 – 19 August 1587 (de facto) – 9 September 1596 (de jure) Kraków Daughter of Sigismund I and Bona Sforza Warsaw Aged 72 Stephen Báthory 1 May 1576 – 12 December 1586 Szilágysomlyó Son of Stephen Báthory of Somlyó and Catherine Telegdi Grodno Aged 53 Sigismund III 19 August 1587 – 30 April 1632 Gripsholm Son of John III of Sweden and Catherine Jagiellon Warsaw Aged 65 Władysław IV also Ladislaus IV 8 November 1632 – 20 May 1648 Łobzów Son of Sigismund III and Anne of Austria Merkinė Aged 52 John II Casimir 20 November 1648 – 16 September 1668 Kraków Son of Sigismund III and Constance of Austria Nevers Aged 63 Michael I 19 June 1669 – 10 November 1673 Biały Kamień Son of Jeremi Wiśniowiecki and Gryzelda Konstancja Zamoyska Lwów Aged 33 John III Sobieski 19 May 1674 – 17 June 1696 Olesko Son of Jakub Sobieski and Teofila Zofia Wilanów Aged 66 Augustus II 15 September 1697 – 1706 (1st reign, 9 years) Dresden Son of John George III and Princess Anna Sophie of Denmark Warsaw Aged 62 Stanislaus I 12 July 1704 – 8 July 1709 (1st reign, ) Lwów Son of Rafał Leszczyński and Anna Jabłonowska Lunéville Aged 88 Augustus II 8 July 1709 – 1 February 1733 (2nd reign, ) Dresden Son of John George III and Princess Anna Sophie of Denmark Warsaw Aged 62 Stanislaus I 12 September 1733 – 26 January 1736 (2nd reign, ) Lwów Son of Rafał Leszczyński and Anna Jabłonowska Lunéville Aged 88 Augustus III 5 October 1733 – 5 October 1763 (30 years) Dresden Son of Augustus II the Strong and Christiane Eberhardine Dresden Aged 66 Stanislaus II Augustus 7 September 1764 – 25 November 1795 Wołczyn Son of Stanisław Poniatowski and Konstancja Czartoryska Saint Petersburg Aged 66

Duchy of Warsaw, 1807–1815

Frederick Augustus I 9 June 1807 – 22 May 1815 Dresden Son of Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony and Maria Antonia of Bavaria 1 daughter Dresden Aged 76

Polish States 1815-1918

See the List of rulers of Partitioned Poland

Family tree of the rulers of Poland

Pretenders to the Polish throne

Modern

Not recognized royal elections