The
Jagiellons (
Lithuanian Jogailaiciai,
Polish Jagiellonowie) were a royal
dynasty originating from the
Lithuanian House of Gediminas dynasty that reigned in
Central European countries (present day Lithuania, Belarus, Poland, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, parts of Russia (including nowadays Kaliningrad oblast), Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia) between the 14th and 16th century. Members of the dynasty were Grand Dukes of
Lithuania 1377–1392 and 1440–1572,
kings of
Poland 1386–1572, kings of
Hungary 1440–1444 and 1490–1526, and
kings of
Bohemia 1471–1526.
The dynastic union between the two countries (converted into a full administrative union only in 1569) is the reason for the common appellation "Poland–Lithuania" in discussions about the area from the Late Middle Ages onwards. One Jagiellonian briefly ruled both Poland and Hungary (1440–44), and two others ruled both Bohemia (since 1471) and Hungary (1490–1526) and then continued in distaff line as the Eastern branch of the House of Habsburg.
The name (other variations used in English include Jagiellonians, Jagiellos, Jogailos, Jagiellas) comes from Jogaila (Polish Jagiello), the first Polish king of that dynasty. In Polish, the dynasty is known as Jagiellonowie (singular Jagiellon, adjective, used of dynasty members, also patronimical form Jagiellonczyk); in Lithuanian it is called Jogailaiciai (sing. Jogailaitis), in Belarusian ?????????? (Jagajlavicy, sing. ?????????, Jagajlavic), in Hungarian Jagellók (sing. Jagelló), and in Czech Jagellonci (sing. Jagellonec; adjective Jagellonský), as well as Jagello or Jagellon (fem. Jagellonica) in Latin. In all variations of that name, the letter J should be pronounced as in "Hallelujah" (or as Y in "yes"), and G – as in "get".
The rule of Piasts, the earlier Polish ruling house (c.962–1370) had ended with the death of Casimir III.
