Jaunutis (; ; ; Christian name: Ioann; also John or Ivan; – after 1366) was Grand Duke of Lithuania after his father Gediminas died in 1341 until he was deposed by his elder brothers Algirdas and Kęstutis in 1345.
Succession
According to Polish historian Jan Tęgowski, he was probably born between 1306 and 1309.
Jaunutis was not mentioned in any written sources prior to Gediminas' death. Before Gediminas' death, all his sons had been granted a domain of Lithuania. Only the second-youngest son, Jaunutis, had not received any domains but lived with his parents in Vilnius. When his father died, he automatically became the ruler of Vilnius and the nearby lands. In Gediminas' time, it was already customary to regard the Duke of Vilnius as the ruler of the whole Grand Duchy of Lithuania. There are many theories why Gediminas chose Jaunutis, a middle son, as his successor. Some suggested that he was an acceptable compromise between pagan (Algirdas and Kęstutis) and Orthodox (Narimantas, Karijotas, Liubartas) sons of Gediminas. Others claimed that Jaunutis was the eldest son of Gediminas' second wife; thus the tradition that Gediminas was married twice: to a pagan and to an Orthodox duchess.
Rule
Very little is known about the years when Jaunutis ruled. Those were quite peaceful years, as the Teutonic Knights were led by the ineffective Ludolf König. Both Jaunutis and Narimantas had to reconcile with Algirdas. Jaunutis became the Duke of Zasłaŭje. Michal ruled Zasłaŭje until his death on August 12, 1399 in the Battle of the Vorskla River.
See also
- Family of Gediminas – family tree of Jaunutis
- Gediminids