Mikalojus Radvila or Mikolaj I
nicknamed ''the Old'' ( lt, Mikalojus Radvilaitis, Mikalojus II Radvila Senasis, pl, Mikołaj Radziwiłłowicz Stary, la, Nicolaus II Radziwil Priscus) (c. 1450 – 16 July 1509) was a
Lithuanian noble
The Lithuanian nobility or szlachta ( Lithuanian: ''bajorija, šlėkta'') was historically a legally privileged hereditary elite class in the Kingdom of Lithuania and Grand Duchy of Lithuania (including during period of foreign rule 1795–191 ...
. He was known after a
patronym
A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor.
Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...
''Radvilaitis'', made of his father's name Radvila, which in turn became a
family name
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...
of his heirs, Radvilos, which later
polonised as
Radziwiłł.
Mikalojus had been a regent of
Smolensk
Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest c ...
from 2 December 1481; in 1483 a 10,000-strong army was summoned by him for protection of
Smolensk
Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest c ...
lands. He had been the Castellan of
Trakai
Trakai (; see names section for alternative and historic names) is a historic town and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. ...
since 31 May 1488 and regent of
Novgorodok, later a regent of
Bielsk Podlaski. He was the
Voivod of Vilnius since 1492 and the first
Grand Chancellor of
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
from 1504 until his death in 1509. His sons
Jerzy,
Mikołaj, and Jan were the progenitors of the three
Radziwiłł family lines. His daughter
Anna
Anna may refer to:
People Surname and given name
* Anna (name)
Mononym
* Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke
* Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773)
* Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century)
* Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 12 ...
was the great-grandmother of
Elizabeth Báthory.
References
Mikalojus Radvila
1450s births
1509 deaths
Radziwiłł family
Astikai family
15th-century Lithuanian people
16th-century Lithuanian people
Medieval Lithuanian nobility
Grand Chancellors of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Voivode of Vilnius
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