Principality of Jersika terra Lettia (Latin) Лотыголa (Russian)
before 1190–1239
Principality of Jersika in the 12th–13th centuries
Capital	Jersika
Common languages	Latgalian
Religion	Eastern Orthodoxy, Paganism
Government	Principality
Prince
• 13th century	Visvaldis
History
• Established	before 1190
• Disestablished	1239
Preceded by Succeeded by Principality of Polotsk Bishopric of Riga Livonian Order
Today part of	Latvia

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The Principality of Jersika (Latin: Gerzika, terra Lettia; German: Gerzika, Zargrad; Russian: Герсикское княжество, Ерсикское княжество) was a medieval principality in the east of modern-day Latvia, and one of the largest medieval states in Latvia before the Northern Crusades. The capital of Jersika was located on a hill fort 165 kilometres (103 mi) southeast of Riga.

History

Jersika was established in the 12th century as an outpost of the Principality of Polotsk on the old trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. It was ruled by Eastern Orthodox princes from the Polotsk branch of the Rurik dynasty.^[1]

In 1209, Visvaldis, the prince of Jersika, was defeated by bishop Albert of Riga and the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, and his Lithuanian wife was taken prisoner. He was forced to submit his kingdom to Albert as a grant to the Bishopric of Riga and received back only a portion of it as a fief. He lost the lands of Autīne and Cesvaine, but retained Jersika, Mākoņkalns and Naujiene. Visvaldis' feudal charter is the oldest such document surviving in Latvia, and in this charter, Visvaldis is called "the king of Jersika" (Vissewalde, rex de Gercike; in another document also Wiscewolodus rex de Berzika).^[2]

In 1211, the part of Jersika controlled by Albert which was known as "Lettia" (terra, quae Lettia dicitur) was divided between the bishopric of Riga and the Livonian Brothers of the Sword.^[3] In 1212, Polotsk gave up its tributary rights over Jersika in favor of Bishop Albert. In 1214, Germans attacked the Castle of Jersika and sacked it. The Baltic German Uexküll family claimed that Conrad Uexküll had married the daughter of Visvaldis.

After the death of Visvaldis in 1239, his fief passed to the Livonian Order, but this was repeatedly contested by the rulers of Lithuania and Novgorod, who periodically sought to conquer the territory. Russian chronicles from Novgorod and Pskov often applied the name Lotygola (Russian: Лотыгола) to the region.^[4] The Novgorod First Chronicle mentions that, following the Battle on the Ice in 1242, the Germans left the previously conquered territories of Vod, Luga, Pskov and Lotygola (Latgale).^[5]