Caupo of Turaida

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Caupo of Turaida, or Kaupo (year of birth unknown; died on September 21, 1217) was a leader of the Finnic-speaking people of Livonians in the beginning of the 13th century in what is now Latvia. Sometimes called 'King of Livonia'; Chronicle of Henry of Livonia calls him quasi rex, 'like a king'.

He was the first prominent Livonian to be christened. He was probably baptized around 1191 by a priest called Theoderic. He became an ardent Christian and friend of Albert of Buxhoeveden, Bishop of Riga, who took him 1203-1204 all the way to Rome and introduced him to Pope Innocent III. The Pope was impressed of the converted pagan chief and presented him a manuscript Bible. When he returned from travel, his tribe rebelled against him and Caupo helped to conquer and destroy his own former Castle of Turaida in 1212. The castle was rebuilt two years later as a stone castle that is well preserved even today.

Caupo participated in a crusader raid against the still pagan, related Finnic-speaking Estonians and was killed in the 1217 Battle of St. Matthew's Day against the troops of Estonian chief Lembitu. He did not have any male heirs as his son Bertold had been killed in the 1210 battle of Ymera (Ümera) against Estonians. He left his inheritance to the church, but the Lieven family later claimed descent from him.

Modern Estonians, Latvians, and the remaining few Livonians do not have consensus view about the historical role of Caupo. Some consider him traitor and enemy agent. Others consider him a visionary leader who wanted his people to be part of Western European culture.