KESTUTIS

born c. 1300 died Aug. 15, 1382, Kriavas, Lithuania? (Lithuanian), Polish Kiejstut grand duke of Lithuania (138182) who defended his country's western borders against the Teutonic Knights. Kestutis was one of the seven sons of Gediminas, the grand duke of Lithuania (reigned 131641), who had built that nation into a powerful east European empire. Kestutis fought to make his brother Algirdas (Olgierd) the official grand duke of Lithuania (1345), with himself as coruler. Thereafter, while Algirdas extended Lithuania's territory to the south and east, Kestutis prevented its neighbours, the Teutonic Knights, from conquering Lithuania and making it the centre of their eastern Baltic domain. Having unsuccessfully attempted in 1345 to occupy Samogitia (the land corresponding to most of present-day Lithuania), the Knights later resorted to a tactic of continual raids on Lithuanian territory. In response, Kestutis led expeditions into their Prussian lands, and in 1370 he and Algirdas attacked the order, imposing heavy losses upon it at the Battle of Rudava. In the same year, after a prolonged dispute (134970) with Poland over Galicia and Volhynia, Kestutis gained control over both regions. After Algirdas' death (1377) Kestutis became embroiled in a series of dynastic intrigues. Although Algirdas was succeeded by his son Jogaila (Jagiello), the harmonious relationship that had existed between Kestutis and the Grand Duke disappeared. Jogaila's brother Andrew sought alliances with the Livonian Order (a branch of the Teutonic Order) and with Muscovy against Kestutis, while another brother, Skirgaila (Skirgiello), plotted against Kestutis with the Teutonic Knights. These circumstances forced K estutis to sign a 10-year peace treaty with the Teutonic Order (1379). The following year Jogaila also concluded a secret treaty with the order against Kestutis. Informed of his nephew's act by the Knights, Kestutis arrested Jogaila and became grand duke of Lithuania (1381). But while Kestutis was suppressing a rebellion in his Russian territories beyond the Dnieper River in 1382, Jogaila escaped and seized the major Lithuanian cities of Vilnius and Trakai. When Kestutis arrived at Trakai, he was arrested and brought to Kriavas, where he was presumably killed. Four years later (1386) Jogaila became king of Poland as Wladyslaw II Jagiello.