Polans (western)

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Polans (also Polanes, Polanians, or Polians; Polish: Polanie) were a Slavic tribe inhabitating the shores of the Warta river in the 8th century. In the late 9th century the Polanie managed to subdue most of the Slavic tribes between the Odra and Western Bug rivers and between the Carpathians and the Baltic Sea. By the 10th century they managed to also integrate the lands of Masovia, Kujawy and Great Poland.

Newest archeological findings shows four major strongholds ("gród") in the early Polans State:

Giecz - place from where Piasts gained control over other groups of Polans
Poznań - the biggest gród in the state, probably the main stronghold
Gniezno - probably the religious center of the state, but there are no archological findings to prove this theory
Ostrów Lednicki - small stronghold halfway between Poznań and Gniezno

The tribal union led by the Piast dynasty soon turned into what is now Poland.