Duke of Cracow (Polish: (Wielki) Ksiaze Krakowski) during the era of fragmented Poland, 1138 - 1320, was the holding that belonged to the rotating head of the Piast dynasty, a principality that he held as the overlord of other Polish dukes. This article is about a Polish dynasty. ... In feudalism, an overlord is a supreme lord; one who is the lord of other lords. ...

The overlord generally had his own principality, which he had inherited within his own branch of the dynasty, and left to his personal heirs within his own branch, whereas Cracow followed the overlordship. Cracow was a substantial addition to the resources of the incumbent, whomever it was, and was intended to put him higher in might than his vassal dukes.

The duke of Cracow, in territorial terms, meant a long strip of lands from south of Cracow (traditional dynastic seat) to over Gniezno (eccleasiastical center of Polish). It neighbored originally each of the four partition duchies (Masovia, Sandomir, Silesia, Greater Poland) and even after many of those were further partitioned, neighbored at at least almost all principalities, and was at least close to all.

List of Dukes of Cracow

In this list, titular claims are not noted, not as full rule; only true and real ducal power over Cracow is noted.

• -1138 Boleslaw III, of all Poland, who divided it into duchies to his sons
• 1138-46 Wladyslaw II, Duke of Silesia, deposed by his younger brothers and exiled
• 1146 (possibly already earlier in power in Cracow) - 1173 Boleslaw IV, Duke of Masovia
• 1173-77 Mieszko III, Duke of Greater Poland, deposed
• 1177-(90/90-)94 Casimir II, Duke of Sandomir
  • 1190 briefly Mieszko III again
• 1194-99 Leszek I, Duke of Sandomir, deposed
• 1199-1202 Mieszko III, again
• 1201 Leszek I, again, deposed
• 1202 Conrad, Duke of Masovia, deposed
• 1202-06 Wladyslaw III, Duke of Greater Poland, deposed
  • 1202- Leszek I in strife against Wladyslaw III
• 1206-27 Leszek I, again
  • 1210-11 Mieszko IV, Duke of Upper Silesia
• 1227-29 Wladyslaw III, again, deposed
• 1227-28 Conrad of Masovia, again, deposed (strife against Wladyslaw III)
• 1228-38 Henry I, Duke of Lower Silesia (strife)
  • 1229-32 Conrad, in strife
• 1238-41 Henry II, Duke of Lower Silesia
• 1241 Boleslaw, Duke of Lower Silesia, driven away 1241
  • Mongols (Conrad of Masovia was again overlord, though hardly held Cracow)
• 1243-79 Boleslaw V, Duke of Sandomir
• 1279-88 Leszek II, Duke of Sandomir
• 1288-90 Henry IV, Duke of Wroclaw (in Lower Silesia)
• 1290-91 Przemysl II, Duke of Greater Poland, crowned king 1295
  • 1291-1305 Venceslas II of Bohemia
  • 1305 Venceslas III of Bohemia, deposed
• 1305- Wladyslaw IV, Duke of Kujavia, crowned king 1320