Intensification of Poland's feudal fragmentation

Timeline

1. 1202Lesser Poland · PolandHereditary dukes independently levied taxes, appointed officials, and formed alliances within their territories, with the central royal authority unable to intervene in local affairs. Duchies such as Masovia and Silesia effectively became semi-independent political entities.
2. 1201–1202Greater Poland · PolandAfter a duke's death his heirs usually divided the territory by custom, and new duchies kept splitting off from old ones. Poland's political map became ever more fragmented, with frequent wars and marriage diplomacy among the magnates.