Description: (King of Lithuania (1253 - 1263))
Mindaugas was the first recognized grand duke of Lithuania and the sole crowned king of the country. His origins and early life remain largely unknown, but he expanded his territory into regions southeast of Lithuania proper during the 1230s and 1240s. By forming an alliance with the Livonian Order through baptism as a Roman Catholic, Mindaugas was crowned king in 1253. He ruled over a population estimated between 300,000 and 400,000 subjects. Throughout his reign, Mindaugas focused on state-building achievements, faced conflicts with relatives and other dukes, and encountered opposition from Samogitia and the Tatars.