The Duchies of Silesia resulted from divisions of the original Duchy of Silesia after 1138.
In accordance with the last will and testament of Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth, the Kingdom of Poland was, upon his death in 1138, divided into five hereditary provinces distributed among his sons, including the Seniorate Province of Kraków reserved for the eldest, who was to be High Duke of all Poland. This act inadvertently started the process known as Fragmentation of Poland.
Bolesław's son, Władysław II the Exile received the Duchy of Silesia and, as the eldest, was also granted the title of a High Duke among with the Seniorate Province of Kraków. Nevertheless, after he had tried to gain control over all Poland, he was banned and expelled by his younger brothers in 1146. Władysław's half-brother Bolesław IV the Curly, the Duke of Masovia, became High Duke. When, in 1163, Władysław's three sons, backed by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa returned to Poland, Bolesław IV had to restore their heritage. After ten years of joint rule, the sons finally divided Silesia in 1173:
Miezsko I Tanglefoot ruled over the Upper Silesian duchies of Racibórz and Opole until his death in 1211. His heir was Duke Casimir I of Opole, who died in 1230. Casimir's cousin Henry I the Bearded remained sovereign of the Lower Silesian Duchy of Wrocław, he acquired the Duchy of Kalisz in 1206, which he gave to Władysław Odonic, and Lubusz Land in 1210. After the death of Casimir I of Opole, Henry managed to reunite whole Silesia under his reign.
Henry I the Bearded was succeeded by his son Henry II the Pious in 1238, while Upper Silesia was inherited by Casimir's son Mieszko II the Fat in 1239. He and his brother, Władysław Opolski, had already received the Duchy of Kalisz in 1234.
Henry II was killed at the Battle of Legnica in 1241. His eldest son, Bolesław II the Bald, gave Lubusz to his brother Mieszko († 1242) and remained sole ruler of Lower Silesia until 1248.
Mieszko II the Fat, of Upper Silesia, in 1244, returned Kalisz to Duke Przemysł I of Greater Poland. He died in 1246 and his possessions were inherited by his brother Władysław Opolski.
Silesia was subsequently divided among the descendants and successors of the Piast dynasty, until they died out in 1675. Those Silesian Piasts, known as Dukes of Silesia, and territories they ruled were known as Duchies of Silesia.
Many of the Duchies shared similar fate: falling away from Kingdom of Poland sphere of influence, vassalization by John I of Bohemia in 1327, and under suzerainty of the Kingdom of Bohemia by the Treaties of Trentschin and Visegrád in 1335. After the Piasts had become extinct, the duchies were "State Countries" of the Bohemian Crown, which fell to the House of Habsburg in 1526. In 1742, Silesia was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia following the First Silesian War.
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There were also other little duchies: Bernstadt, Buchwald, Coschok, Cosel, Crossen, Falkenberg, Freistadt, Freudenthal, Gleiwitz, Goldberg, Grottkau, Grünberg, Hainau, Hirschberg, Loslau, Löwenberg, Lüben, Namslau, Ohlau, Parchwiz, Rybnik, Sprottau, Steinau, Strehlitz, Tost, Wohlau, and combination duchies: Duchy of Opole and Racibórz
The following maps illustrate continuing fragemtarization of the Duchy of Silesia, and shifting borders of the individual smaller Duchies.
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