The Battle of Tarczek took place on 13 February 1241, during the

first Mongol invasion of Poland The Mongol Invasion of Poland from late 1240 to 1241 culminated in the Battle of Legnica, where the Mongols defeated an alliance which included forces from fragmented Poland and their allies, led by Henry II the Pious, the Duke of Silesia. ...

. It ended in the defeat of the Polish armies of

Lesser Poland Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name Małopolska ( la, Polonia Minor), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a ...

. In March 1241, after a successful winter campaign, in which Mongol forces captured and ransacked

Sandomierz Sandomierz (pronounced: ; la, Sandomiria) is a historic town in south-eastern Poland with 23,863 inhabitants (as of 2017), situated on the Vistula River in the Sandomierz Basin. It has been part of Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Holy Cross Prov ...

, Asiatic hordes entered Poland in full force. Near Sandomierz, the Mongol forces were divided into two groups. The stronger one, probably with 15,000 warriors under

Baidar Baidar Khan, also known as Peta, was the sixth son of Chagatai Khan. He participated in the European campaign ("The elder boys campaign" as it was known in Mongolia) with his nephew Büri from 1235-1241. He commanded the Mongol army assigned to Po ...

and

Orda Khan Orda Ichen ( Mongolian: c. 1206 – 1251) was a Mongol Khan and military strategist who ruled the eastern part of the Golden Horde (division of the Mongol Empire) during the 13th century. First Khan of the White Horde Orda Ichen (-1251 ...

, headed westwards, defeating Poles in the Battle of Chmielnik. The second army, with 10,000 warriors under

Kadan Kadan (also Qadan) was the son of the second Great Khan of the Mongols Ögedei and a concubine. He was the grandson of Genghis Khan and the brother of Güyük Khan. During the Mongol invasion of Europe, Kadan, along with Baidar (son of Chaga ...

(according to

Jan Długosz Jan Długosz (; 1 December 1415 – 19 May 1480), also known in Latin as Johannes Longinus, was a Polish priest, chronicler, diplomat, soldier, and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki of Kraków. He is considered Poland's first histo ...

) headed northwards, to the Land of Łęczyca and

Kujawy Kuyavia ( pl, Kujawy; german: Kujawien; la, Cuiavia), also referred to as Cuyavia, is a historical region in north-central Poland, situated on the left bank of Vistula, as well as east from Noteć River and Lake Gopło. It is divided into three ...

. On 19 March 1241 this army clashed with Polish knights near Tarczek. Most likely, the Polish forces which participated in the battle, were knights from

, survivors of the Battle of Chmielnik. They were defeated, and Tarczek itself was burned to the ground. After the battle, the Mongols ransacked central Poland for a few more days. On 1 April 1241 they appeared in

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

, and on 8 April they reached

Wrocław Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, rou ...

, where they joined the army of Baidar.

Sources

* Piastowie. Leksykon biograficzny, wyd. 1999, str. 397 * Wielka Historia Polski cz. do 1320, wyd. Pinexx 1999, s. 187-188 * Stanislaw Krakowski, Polska w walce z najazdami tatarskimi w XIII wieku, wyd. MON 1956, str.136-137 {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Tarczek Conflicts in 1241 1241 in Europe Tarczek Battles during the first Mongol invasion of Poland