Under the duke stand the knightly kindreds who own villages in their own right (not as fiefs), serve as castellans and in the duke's retinue, and decide in the end which Piast rules.
The Pałuki, of the Topór arms, are the best attested in the 12th century: their kinsman Zbylut founded the Cistercian abbey of Łekno in 1153, and the lake country round it bears the same name, the Pałuki. The Nałęcz, the Łodzia, the Zaremba, the Awdańcy and the Grzymała appear in 13th and 14th-century charters with estates round Szamotuły, Czarnków and Ostroróg (Nałęcz), Bnin and Kórnik (Łodzia) and in the Kalisz land (Zaremba); their members and holdings on 1 January 1200 are not pinned, and we name no one.
Who he is
- Name
- Members on 1 January 1200 not pinned
- Title
- Kindreds (rody) of knights and magnates who hold their own hereditary estates under the duke and fill his offices
- Since
- 11th-12th centuries
- Born
- n/a
- Family
- Each kindred shares arms and a battle cry (zawołanie); branches hold scattered estates
- Confidence
- low
Kindred names and later estate clusters from the general literature; we could not reach the Greater Polish office lists (Urzędnicy wielkopolscy) for 1199-1200.
Overlord
Duke Mieszko III
What it holds
- Hereditary estates scattered through the castle districts (not mapped except the Pałuki's core)
- Offices: castellanies, the palatinate and court posts, by the duke's grant
How it was acquired
Hereditary; the Pałuki at Łekno by 1153.
Allies and rivals
Bound to the duke by service; the Greater Polish lords kept Mieszko in power after 1181 but have shown in 1177-79 that they can turn.
How things stand that morning
Loyal to Mieszko III as far as is known; no revolt in Greater Poland since 1179.
Wealth
Villages, mills, fishponds; a share of the duke's dues through office.
Military
They are the knights of the castle districts.
Threats
- The succession after Mieszko
Places of note
- Łekno: Cistercian abbey founded by Zbylut of the Pałuki in 1153 (Church map ground).
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Kindred estate clusters are attested from the 13th century; drawing them for 1200 would back-project, so only the Pałuki core round Łekno is drawn, and that loosely.
On the map: Only the Pałuki core is drawn; the other kindreds' 1200 estates are not known.
Primary sources for Greater Poland
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Chronicle of the Poles, by Master Vincent (Wincenty Kadłubek), Wincenty Kadłubek (about 1190 to 1208). Book 4 is a contemporary's account of the fight for the senior throne of Kraków. Read online
- The annals of the Kraków chapter and the other Polish annals (kept from the 11th century; the Kraków chapter annals continued to 1266). Short dated entries that fix the chronology Kadłubek blurs: the deaths of dukes and bishops, Mieszko the Old's captures of Kraków, Prussian raids on Masovia, church consecrations. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.