Jan Gostautas, Duke

Jan Iwaszko Gasztołd (Jan Gasztold, Jonas Gostautas, Jonas Goštautas) herbu Abdank – (ur. 1393 w Wilnie- zm. 1458 w Wilnie), wojewoda trocki w latach 1440-1443, wojewoda wileński 1443-1457, możnowładca litewski.

Jego matką była NN Buczacka, ojcem Andrzej Gasztołd. Żonaty dwukrotnie (Dorota Zadora, Księżniczka Elżbieta Drucka-Trabska). Biorąc udział w zjeździe w 1413 r. na mocy unii horodelskiej uzyskał polski tytuł szlachecki i przyjął herb Awdaniec. W 1422 starosta dorsuński, od 1426 do 1431 r. marszałek dworski księcia litewskiego Witolda, a od śmierci Witolda na dworze Świdrygiełły, a po rozłamie w jego obozie przeszedł na stronę Zygmunta Kiejstutowicza. Brał udział w podpisaniu unii grodzieńskiej w 1432, a następnie unii trockiej w 1433. W tym samym roku w zamian za poparcie, z rąk Zygmunta Kiejstutowicza zostało mu nadane miasto Tykocin wraz z przyległymi wioskami (26 wsi na Podlasiu). W 1436 r. został namiestnikiem smoleńskim. W 1456 r. uczestniczył w próbie obalenia wielkiego księcia litewskiego Kazimierza Jagiellończyka.

Miał trzech synów i dwie córki:

   * Wojciech Gasztołd

   * Marcin Gasztołd

   * Jerzy Gasztołd

   * Maria Gasztołd

   * Aleksandra Gasztołd

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JONAS-1 GOSTAUTAS was born in 1379 or 1393 and he died in 1458 or 1460. He accompagnied Great Duke Vytautas when the later met the Emperor Sigismund at the begining of the year 1410. The same year he was nominated "Supreme Hetman" of Lithuanian army. At that time the Teutonic Knights were occupying Samogitia, building fortified castles and oppressing the population, leading the Samogitians to look towards Lithuania. In 1409 Samogitia was in an uprising situation even Jogaila asked the Knights to keep quiet. As a reponse to Jagaila the Teutonic Knights declared war. The polish army and the lithuanian army (this one under the orders of Jonas-1 Gostautas) met in the region of Tcherwinsk on June 30, 1410. In an area between Tannenberg and Grünwald (Zalgiris today) the Knights of the Order were definitively beaten for what concern Lithuania. On October 2nd, 1413, nobles from Lithuania and Poland met together, in Horodlo-Poland voïvodia of Lublin, in the presence of Jogaila and Vytautas. The two countries confirmed their desire to live in good relationship. Lithuania got its independance and a lot of documents were established and signed to bring closer togehter the two countries.

It is on this occasion that forty seven Lithuanian nobles’ families received polish Coats of Arms. The Gasztold-Gostautas-Gasztowtt-Gosztowtt-Gochtovtt family received the "Habdankas" (Abdank) Coats of Arms while before that date and according to Niesiecki, Stryjkowski, Kojalowicz, they were wearing the "Kolumna" arms (blazon-Trys Stulpai=Three Columns).

Jonas-1 Gostautas, who had participated at the Horodlo meeting, signed the resulting pact. On this document we can see the Jonas-1 visa, written: Iwaszo Gasztowtt, while at the bottom of the latin version Jonas-1 signed: Johaunés Gastoldi.

In 1429 Jonas-1 Gostautas was promoted Governor (Voiëvode) of Vilnius and Marshal of the Court of the Great Duchy. Accordint to this position Jonas-1 G. participated to the meeting held in Torun between Jogaila and the Great Master of the Teutonic Order.

At the begining of the year 1429 Vytautas prepared in Luck a meeting with several European sovereigns to study how to fight the Turks together. Emperor Sigismund was ready to offer the Royal Crown to Vytautas at the condition Vytautas will separate defenitively from Jogaila. Knowing that Jogaila offered the same crown through Jonas-1 G. This last offer was not accepted because Vytautas prefered to receive the Crown from the emperor Sigismund better than from the King Jogaila. In 1430 Emperor Sigismund sent a Crown made specially for Vytautas, but intercepted by the Poles, the Crown never reached Vilnius and so Vytautas was never crowned as a King and soon after this incident he died on October 27, 1430.

A successoral crisis occured, because Swidrigajlo, the younger Jogailo’s brother, very ambitious and having friends among the Lithuanian and Russian nobles with whom he had already in past fought against Jagailo and Vytautas.

Jonas-1 Gostautas was Swidrigajlo supporter (in the contrary of Jonas-2 Gostautas who was Zygimantas supporter as we will see later on). Jonas-1 Gostautas kept his position of Grand Marshall of the Great Duchy Court and he was a very close collaborator of the new Grand Duke.

On June 14th, 1431 Jonas-1 G. accompagnied Swidrigajlo to meet the Great Master of the Order at Skertymon.

While participating to the war between Lithuanians and Poles to recover Podolia and Volhynia, Jonas-1 Gostautas was made prisoner and was sent to Cracow to be emprisoned. Swidrigajlo sent a letter to his brother the King of Poland asking him to free Jonas-1 G and his friend Rumbowtt taken prisoner too. The letter was signed by Swidrigajlo but also by all the Council members. The two prisoners have been very lately freed. In the secret archives of Königsberg, there is a letter of Swidrigajlo dated on January, 5th, 1432 and adressed to the Great Master of the Order, saying that Jonas-1 G. has been freed and that he has been seen in Cracow on Christmas day but that he is not allowed to go back to Lithuania for some time.

The sympathy of Swidrigajlo towards the Russian "Magnates" and the preference he gave them moved away from him the catholic Lithuanian "Boyards" who were a group "pro-independance" of Lithuania towards Poland.

Not satisfied, this group became very close to Zygimantas, the Vytautas younger brother. Headed by Prince Simonas Holszanski, Petras Montwid and the young Jonas-2 Gostautas (the nephew of Jonas-1 G., the one involved in this chapter) attacked Swidrigajlo who was at that time close to Oszmiancy. Informed of the attack by Trakai Governor Swidrigajlo under the protection of his Tatars escort fled to Polock.

Zygimantas troups occupied Vilnius and Trakai, and he was accepted as Grand Duke by Lithuanians and Samogitians, while the western Russian Principalities stayed with Swidrigajlo. For some time two Grand Duchies, one Lithuanian, one Russian, were existing. It is during this period that appeared on the political scene a new Jonas-2 Gostautas

He started to play the first role, defending positions opposed to those of his uncle, who just coming back from captivity took an oath to Zygimantas, but since this time was kept in the shadow far from important events.

Recalling Zygimantas cruelties and disappointed by Swidrigajlo fearing his return Jonas-1 Gostautas adoted a new politic aiming the restauration of a "Union" with Poland under the reign of only one King, the King Ladislas, Jogailo oldest son (Jogailo died in 1434). This project found some support among the following people: Matas Vilnius bishop, Ostyn, Moniwid and Montygerdowicz. They sent an embassy to the King while a group: Czartoryski, Dowgird and Lelusz, prepared a plot to ask Swidrigajlo to come back, but they could not reach him before the first group reached the King Ladislas.

The young Jonas-2 G. and his friends intervened in the nomination of the Grand Duke. Finally they decided that Kazimieras 13 years old, the Jogaila youngest son, will get the throne of the lithuanian-russian Great Duchy.

Jonas-1 Gostautas and his friends at the last moment decided to join those who wanted to give the Lithuanian throne to Kazimieras. They went to meet him and participated to the coronation.

It is known that Jonas-1 G. as his father Andrius-1 or his older brother Albertas-Talvusas was a permanent benefactor of Cracow University. Jonas-1 and his wife Dorota were members of this university, which was built by Jogaila and Queen Hedwige for Lithuanians Nobles.

For rendered services to the state, Grand Duke Kazimieras gave to Jonas-1 G. the estates of, Zosli, Dorogobrez and other possessions. Jonas-1 G. sited in the Supreme Council of Lithuania. He died in 1458 leaving: two sons Andrius-2 and Martynas and a daughter Alexandra (some historians speak of five children).

• Википедия

Андрей (Пётр) Гаштольд оставил наследникам владения в Вильно, Каменце и Геранёнах. Его сын, Иван (или Ян) Гаштольд, добился максимальной власти в Великом княжестве Литовском. Как и его отец, он был виленским воеводой, но при этом сосредоточил в своих руках гораздо больше влияния.

Ян Гаштольд прославился в легендарной Грюнвальдской битве. Главным полководцем в войске Витовта тогда был брат Ягайлы и Витовта Иван Жедивид, а надворным гетманом Иван (Ян) Гаштольд. Когда воеводы (гетманы) Ягайло и Витовта стали строить полки, они не знали, что тевтоны выкопали и замаскировали ямы-ловушки, в которые многие упали, в том числе и главные полководцы Ягайлы и Витовта, Сокол Чех и Иван Жедивид, которые скончались на месте. Вместо погибших гетманов были поставлены Иван Гаштольд и Спытка.

Главной заслугой Гаштольда в Грюнвальдской битве исследователи считают не столько большой полководческий талант, не личные достоинства и храбрость, но самообладание, жёсткость и даже жестокость, начальственный тон и решительность.

Центральную роль сыграл Иван (Ян) Гаштольд в убийстве сына Кейстута, Сигизмунда, и сына Сигизмунда, Михаила (Михайлушки Сигизмундовича).

Главным закулисным организатором гражданской войны в Литве, советником и фактически инструктором Сигизмунда (он же и настоял на его кандидатуре), воспламенителем католиков и организатором заговора, окончившегося захватом Вильно, был Иван (Ян) Гаштольд.

В мае 1434 г. Ягайло умер по дороге в Галицию, где должен был принять вассальную присягу у молдавского воеводы Стефана III.

Малолетнего сына Владислава III объявили новым польским королем. Однако, фактическими правителями Речи Посполитой стали Збигнев Олесницкий и Ян (Иван) Гаштольд. Они и добились продолжения войны со Свидригайло любой ценой и до победного конца. Гражданская война в Литве достигла ещё большего накала.