Narimantas facts for kids
Narimantas (also known as Narymunt) was a brave prince from Lithuania. He was born around 1277 or just before 1300. He was the second oldest son of Gediminas, who was the Grand Duke of Lithuania. A Grand Duke was like a powerful king who ruled a large area.
Narimantas ruled over different lands during his life, including Pinsk and Polotsk. In 1333, people from Novgorod asked him to come and protect their northern lands. These lands included Ladoga, Oreshek, and Korela. He started a tradition where Lithuanian fighters helped protect the border with Sweden. This continued until 1477.
A Prince Captured and Freed
Around 1338, Narimantas was captured by a powerful group called the Golden Horde. They were a large army from the east. The ruler of Moscow, Ivan Kalita, paid a lot of money to free Narimantas. This is called a ransom. Narimantas then stayed in Moscow for a few years as a hostage. This meant he was held there to make sure certain promises were kept.
Family Struggles and a Final Battle
Narimantas had a brother named Jaunutis. In 1345, two other brothers, Algirdas and Kęstutis, took away Jaunutis's power. Narimantas supported Jaunutis. To stay safe from his younger brothers, Narimantas left Vilnius in 1344.
He traveled to Jani Beg, who was the leader (Khan) of the Golden Horde. Narimantas hoped to get help against Algirdas. He didn't get the help he wanted. Some stories say he married a Tatar princess while he was there.
After returning, Narimantas made peace with his brother Algirdas. Sadly, Narimantas was killed in a big battle on February 2, 1348. He was leading his army against the Teutonic Knights in the Battle of Strėva. His family line continued through his children. Many famous families, like the Princes Kurakin and Galitzine, are his descendants.
Narimantas was baptized in 1333 in or near Veliki Novgorod. This meant he became a Christian. Because of this, he could not become the ruler of Lithuania after his father. Even though he was the oldest son, the rules meant he couldn't take over.
Narimantas's Sons
It is believed that Narimantas had five sons:
- Aleksander (who died after 1386), a Prince of Podolia
- Yury (who died in 1392), a Prince of Belz
- Nikolai, a Prince of Pinsk
- Patrikas (who died around 1387), a Prince of Starodub-Seversky
- Simeon (who died after 1386)
Historians have different ideas about who the mother of Narimantas's sons was. Some believe she was an Orthodox Ruthenian lady. Others suggest his wife was Marija, a daughter of Toqta, who was a Khan of the Golden Horde. Marija's mother was Maria Palaiologina, who was a daughter of Andronikos II Palaiologos, the Emperor of Byzantium.
See also
- Family of Gediminas – This shows the family tree of Narimantas.
- Gediminids – This is the name for the family line of Gediminas.
