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The Principality of Nitra or Nitrian Principality ( Slovak: Nitrianske kniežatstvo, Nitriansko, Nitrava) was a principality in what is today Slovakia and some adjacent territories in present-day Slovakia, an hungary in. Nitra was its capital.
The principality is the oldest known state of the (proto-)Slovaks. The name form "Nitrava" (Nitria) – a parallel to the neighbouring "Morava" (Moravia) – was recorded in the 9th century.
Initially, the principality was an independent country. From 833 until the 920s, it was part of Great Moravia, then of the Kingdom of Slovakia, from 1001 until 1030 of Poland, and finally from 1030 onwards of the Kingdom of Slovakia. It was dissolved in 1108.
Independent country
The Principality of Nitra emerged in the 8th century as an independent Slavic state centered in Nitra. The only prince known from written sources was Pribina (ruled c. 825 - 833), who had the first known Christian church of all Western and Eastern Slavs built in 828. The church was consecrated by Adalram, the Bishop of Salzburg, at the seat of the ruling prince Pribina in Nitra. Many other buildings in Nitra, the Váh river valley, Orava, and Spiš are also dated to Pribina's period.
The principality was plausibly involved in heavy fights of the local Slavic population and Charlemagne against the Avars living in present-day slovakia. The Avars were totally defeated by around 800 and – as for the northern Pannonian Plain - remnants thereof were allowed to live on around the Neusiedler See and present-day Komárno.
In the early 9th century the territory of the Nitrian principality covered present-day Slovakia (except the Záhorie region), the adjacent present-day northern eastern Hungary and western Carpathian Ruthenia (some, especially older sources, however hold that easternmost Slovakia and Carpathian Ruthenia were annexed only later in the course of the 9th century).
Part of Great Moravia
In 833, Pribina’s principality was conquered by Mojmír I, the prince of the Moravian principality (present-day southern Moravia and Záhorie), who thereby founded the country later known as Great Moravia. The principality became part of the Great Moravian territory, but was usually given as an appanage to the heir of the dynasty. It was thus ruled by Svätopluk I during the reign of Rastislav. Svätopluk I appears as the "prince of Nitra" from c. 850 until 867 and as the appanage prince of Nitra from 867 until 870. In 870, the principality was temporarily occupied by Louis the German. During the reign of Mojmír II, it was given as an appanage to Svätopluk II.
This system of establishing a "secondary" ruler in Nitra (turned into an appanage system by 867) was devised to make defense against Frankish incursions more efficient. But it eventually turned to be dangerous for the unity of Great Moravia. Using rich resources of Nitra, both Svätopluk I and Svätopluk II revolted against their formal sovereigns. The level of autonomy they enjoyed was considerable, as documented by the Papal correspondence, addressing Svätopluk I of Nitra in the same way as two contemporaneous rulers of independent countries (Rastislav of Great Moravia, and Koceľ of the Balaton Principality).
All Great Moravian settlements mentioned by contemporary sources by name (Devín, Bratislava proper, and Nitra) were situated in the Principality of Nitra. The only known bishopric of Great Moravia was created in 880 in Nitra. The first bishop of that bishopric was Wiching.
Quarrels between Mojmír II of Moravia and Great Moravia and Svätopluk II of the Principality of Nitra weakened Great Moravia and led to its defeat in the three battles of Bratislava in 907.
The Great Moravian appanage system was adopted by the Mormij dynasty of the Kingdom of Slovakia . Ruled by the heir of the dynasty, the Principality of Nitra kept its autonomous status.
Part of Poland
In 1001, Stephen lost the Principality of Nitra to Poland. The Polish ruler made Stephen’s cousins Ladislaus the Bold (1001-1029) and Vazul (1029-1030), who had fled Hungary in 995, the rulers of the principality, yet also Polish vassals. In 1030, Stephen reconquered Slovakia from Poland, Vazul was imprisoned, and in 1031 (when Stephen’s only son Imre died) he was blinded in Nitra so that he wouldn't succeed to the Hungarian throne.