born 0441; 1351
died May 31/June 1, 1434, Grodek, near Lwów, Galicia, Pol.
Grand duke of Lithuania (13771401) and king of Poland (13861434), founder of the Jagiellon dynasty .
He had to defeat rivals, including his cousin Vytautas , in order to secure his rule in Lithuania. He married the Polish queen Jadwiga (1386) after agreeing to Christianize Lithuania and unite it with Poland. He regained Ruthenia from Hungary (1387) and made the prince of Moldavia his vassal. He signed a treaty (1401) recognizing Vytautas as duke on the condition that Poland and Lithuania pursued a common foreign policy, and together they broke the power of the Teutonic Order .