150px, right Mikołaj Mielecki h.

Gryf Gryf (Polish for " Griffin"), also known as Jaxa, is a Polish coat of arms that was used by many noble families in medieval Poland and later under the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, branches of the original medieval Gryfita-Świebodzic fami ...

(ca. 1540 – 11 May 1585 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 ...

) was a Polish

nobleman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteristi ...

and politician. Since 1569 Mielecki was the voivod of

Podolian Voivodship The Podolian Voivodeship, uk, Подільське воєводство or Palatinate of Podolia was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Kingdom of Poland, since 1434 until 1793, except for the period of Ottoman occup ...

, between 1578 and 1580 he also served in the Polish Army as the

Grand Hetman of the Crown ( uk, гетьман, translit=het'man) is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders. Used by the Czechs in Bohemia since the 15th century. It was the title of the second-highest military co ...

Biography

One of the most notable partisans of the

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

faction in Poland, since 1562 he took part in various military campaigns to

Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...

under command of

Mikołaj Sieniawski Mikołaj Sieniawski (c. 1489 – 1569) was a notable Polish magnate, military commander and a prominent politician of his times. He built stone Brzeżany Castle round which the modern town of Berezhany has developed. He is not to be confused ...

. In 1579 he was the commander of all Polish armies in the war against

Ivan the Terrible Ivan IV Vasilyevich (russian: Ива́н Васи́льевич; 25 August 1530 – ), commonly known in English as Ivan the Terrible, was the grand prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and the first Tsar of all Russia from 1547 to 1584. Ivan ...

, Grand Duke of

Muscovy Muscovy is an alternative name for the Grand Duchy of Moscow (1263–1547) and the Tsardom of Russia (1547–1721). It may also refer to: *Muscovy Company, an English trading company chartered in 1555 * Muscovy duck (''Cairina moschata'') and Domes ...

. One of his most astonishing successes was capturing the city and the stronghold of

Połock Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Distr ...

. Following various disagreements with

Stefan Batory Stefan may refer to: * Stefan (given name) * Stefan (surname) * Ștefan, a Romanian given name and a surname * Štefan, a Slavic given name and surname * Stefan (footballer) (born 1988), Brazilian footballer * Stefan Heym, pseudonym of German writ ...

and

Jan Zamoyski Jan Sariusz Zamoyski ( la, Ioannes Zamoyski de Zamoscie; 19 March 1542 – 3 June 1605) was a Polish nobleman, magnate, and the 1st ''ordynat'' of Zamość. He served as the Royal Secretary from 1565, Deputy Chancellor from 1576, Grand Chance ...

he resigned his posts and retired from public life. Initially a lukewarm

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

and a member of the

Polish Reformed Church The Polish Reformed Church, officially called the Evangelical Reformed Church in the Republic of Poland (Polish: ''Kościół Ewangelicko-Reformowany w RP'') is a historic Calvinistic Protestant church in Poland established in the 16th century, ...

, in the late 1570s he converted to Catholicism, with his wife and children following him a few years later.

Marriage and issue

Mikołaj married

Elżbieta Radziwiłł Elżbieta or Elžbieta may refer to: * Elżbieta, Lublin Voivodeship, a village in eastern Poland * Elżbieta-Kolonia, a village in eastern Poland * Elżbieta, a Polish given name equivalent to Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: Peo ...

, the daughter of Hetman Mikołaj Czarny Radziwiłł in 1566 and had two children: *

Zofia Mielecka file:POL COA Gryf.svg, Gryf coat of arms of the Mielecki family Mielecki (plural: Mieleccy, feminine form: Mielecka) was a family of knights, a branch of the Gryfici (Świebodzice), Gryffin Clan. The founders and former owners of the City of Mielec ...

(1566-1619), married to Prince Szymon Olelkowicz Słucki and later to Hetman

Jan Karol Chodkiewicz Jan Karol Chodkiewicz ( lt, Jonas Karolis Chodkevičius, be, Ян Караль Хадкевіч ; 1561 – 24 September 1621) was a military commander of the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army, who was from 1601 Field Hetman of Lithuania, and from ...

* Katarzyna Mielecka (born ca. 1568), married to Jan Ostroróg, voivode of

Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John ...

Bibliography

Jan Łasicki Jan Łasicki ( la, Johannis Lasitii or Lasicius; 1534–1602) was a Polish historian and theologian. He was well-educated and traveled extensively in Western Europe from 1556 to 1581. Around 1557 he converted to Calvinism, becoming a follower of th ...

''Historia de ingressu Polonorum in Valachiam cum Bogdano Voivoda et caede Turcarum: ducibus Nicolao Mielecio et Nicolao Sieniawscio: A. 1572 ''
* Ryszard Przybyliński. ''Hetman wielki koronny Mikołaj Mielecki (ok. 1540-1585)''. Toruń 2002. * Marcin Spórna. ''Słownik najsłynniejszych wodzów i dowódców polskich''. Kraków 2006.

References

16th-century Polish nobility Great Crown Hetmans 1585 deaths French Roman Catholics Converts to Roman Catholicism from Calvinism Polish people of the Livonian campaign of Stephen Báthory Polish Roman Catholics Year of birth unknown Mikolaj {{Poland-noble-stub