# Siemowit expands the Polans' lands (880)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/880-siemowit-expands-the-polans-lands
Location: Gniezno

Siemowit, son of Piast, is remembered as the first Piast duke who enlarged the territory of the Polans. Within the broader Slavic Tribes period: Slavic tribes settled the region from the sixth century, building fortified gords and tribal territories. Legends of Lech, Krakus and Piast preserve memories of this age, which ended with the rise of the Polans around Gniezno. At this point in the timeline (880), the governing authority was Siemowit (Duke of the Polans (semi-legendary)). Son of Piast named by Gallus Anonymus as the first Piast duke; probably a historical person about whom little is known. This ruler is known only from legend or from a later chronicle tradition, so the dating is approximate. Siemowit expands the Polans' lands mattered because dynastic ties determined who ruled Poland and which alliances it could rely on. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Siemowit expands the Polans' lands mattered because dynastic ties determined who ruled Poland and which alliances it could rely on.

Ruler at the time: [Siemowit](https://poland-history.com/rulers/siemowit)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Siemowit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siemowit)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Siemowit expands the Polans' lands](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Siemowit+expands+the+Polans%27+lands)
- [Wikipedia — Polish tribes (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_tribes)