The Principality of Alšėnai () was a feudal patrimony of the
Alšėniškiai
The House of Alšėniškiai ( be, Гальшанскі, pl, Holszański) was a Lithuanian princely family of Hipocentaur coat of arms. Their patrimony was the Principality of Alšėnai, which included the castles of Rokantiškės and Alšėna ...
in the late 13th and mid-16th centuries.
History
It was first mentioned in the
Bychowiec Chronicle The Bychowiec Chronicle (also spelled ''Bykhovets'', ''Bykovets'' or '' Bychovec'') is an anonymous 16th-century chronicle of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Although one of the least reliable sources of the epoch, it is considered the most extensive ...
, where , son of (slavicized as ''Holsza'', son of ''Romunt''), according to legend, was the one who "founded a town on the river Korablis; He arose from there, began reigning and called himself the duke of Alšėnai".
Maciej Stryjkowski
Maciej Stryjkowski (also referred to as Strykowski and Strycovius;Nowa encyklopedia powszechna PWN. t. 6, 1997 – ) was a Polish historian, writer and a poet, known as the author of ''Chronicle of Poland, Lithuania, Samogitia and all of Rutheni ...
also relates the origins of the Alšėniškiai family to Alšis Romuntavičius (), coming from the line of
Dausprungas Dausprungas (also ''Dovsprunk'' in Russian sources, died before 1238) was the older brother of Mindaugas, the first King of Lithuania. Dausprungas is mentioned in the peace treaty with Galicia–Volhynia in 1219 among the 21 early dukes of Lithuan ...
.
The princes of Alšėnai held high positions in the
Lithuanian state for a long time. In 1440 and 1492, meetings were held in Alšėnai to determine the candidates for the Grand Ducal throne. In the middle of the 16th century, the ancestral possession of the Alšėniškiai passed to the
Sapiega family.
Geography
The principality's center was Alšėnai (now
Halshany
Halshany ( be, Гальшáны, lt, Alšėnai or Galšia, russian: Гольшáны, pl, Holszany, yi, אלשאן ''Olshan'') is a village and former town in the Grodno Region of Belarus. It is known as the former seat of the Olshanski prin ...
) and it was the territory between the rivers
Vilija and
Nemunas
The Neman, Nioman, Nemunas or MemelTo bankside nations of the present: Lithuanian: be, Нёман, , ; russian: Неман, ''Neman''; past: ger, Memel (where touching Prussia only, otherwise Nieman); lv, Nemuna; et, Neemen; pl, Niemen; ...
. In the 15th century, the principality stretched from north to south - from Vilkmergė (now
Ukmergė
Ukmergė (; previously ''Vilkmergė''; pl, Wiłkomierz) is a city in Vilnius County, Lithuania, located northwest of Vilnius, with a population of about 20,000.
Etymology and variant names
The city took its original name ''Vilkmergė'' from th ...
) and
Pastavy
Pastavy ( be, Паставы, lt, Pastovys, russian: Поставы, pl, Postawy) is a city in the Vitebsk Region of Belarus, an administrative center of Pastavy District.
Location
Pastavy is located on the river Myadelki. Postavy Air Base ...
to
Hlusk
Hlusk ( be, Глуск; russian: Глуск, Glusk; pl, Hłusk; ) is an urban-type settlement in the Hlusk District in the Mogilev Region of Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of the Hlusk District, and is home to nearly half of its ...
and
Turov, from east to west - from
Minsk
Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...
to
Masty.
References
Sources
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* {{Cite book , last=Wolff , first=Józef , url=https://www.wbc.poznan.pl/dlibra/doccontent?id=139252 , title=Kniaziowie litewsko-ruscy od końca czternastego wieku , year=1895 , location=Warszawa , pages=94–115 , language=pl , trans-title=Lithuanian-Ruthenian princes from the end of the fourteenth century
16th-century disestablishments
13th-century establishments
Olshanski family