Editing Riga (section)

=== Founding ===
The river [[Daugava]] has been a [[trade route]] since antiquity, part of the [[Varangians|Vikings']] [[Route from the Varangians to the Greeks|Dvina–Dnieper navigation route]] to Byzantium.<ref name="BilmanisLIS">Bilmanis, A. Latvia as an Independent State. Latvian Legation. 1947.</ref> A sheltered [[natural harbour|natural harbor]] {{cvt|15|km}} upriver from the mouth of the Daugava—the site of today's Riga—has been recorded, as ''Duna Urbs'', as early as the 2nd century.<ref name="BilmanisLIS"/> It was settled by the [[Livonians|Livs]], a [[Baltic Finnic peoples|Finnic]] tribe.<!-- Requires new citation. -->
Riga began to develop as a centre of [[Viking Age|Viking trade during the early Middle Ages]].<ref name="BilmanisLIS"/> Riga's inhabitants engaged mainly in fishing, [[animal husbandry]], and trading, later developing crafts, including bone, wood, amber, and iron.<ref name="BilmanisLIS"/>

The ''[[Livonian Chronicle of Henry]]'' testifies to Riga having long been a trading centre by the 12th century, referring to it as {{lang|la|portus antiquus}} (ancient port), and describes dwellings and warehouses used to store mostly flax, and hides.<ref name="BilmanisLIS"/> German traders began visiting Riga, establishing a nearby outpost in 1158.

Along with German traders the monk [[Saint Meinhard|Meinhard of Segeberg]]<ref name="EMA">Vauchez et al. Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages. Routledge, 2001</ref> arrived to convert the Livonian pagans to Christianity. [[Catholic]] and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christianity]] had already arrived in Latvia more than a century earlier, and many Latvians had been baptized.<ref name="BilmanisLIS"/><ref name="EMA"/> Meinhard settled among the Livs, building a castle and church at Uexküll (now known as [[Ikšķile]]), upstream from Riga, and established his bishopric there.<ref name="EMA"/> The Livs, however, continued to practice [[paganism]] and Meinhard died in Uexküll in 1196, having failed in his mission.<ref name="Saga">Germanis, U. The Latvian Saga. 10th ed. 1998. Memento, Stockholm.</ref> In 1198, the [[Berthold of Hanover|Bishop Berthold]] arrived with a contingent of [[crusaders]]<ref name="Saga"/> and commenced a campaign of forced [[Christianisation|Christianization]].<ref name="BilmanisLIS"/><ref name="EMA"/> Berthold died soon afterwards and his forces were defeated.<ref name="Saga"/>

The Church mobilized to avenge this defeat. [[Pope Innocent III]] issued a bull declaring a crusade against the [[Livonians]].<ref name="Saga"/> [[Albert of Riga|Bishop Albert]] was proclaimed [[Bishop of Livonia]] by his uncle [[Hartwig of Uthlede]], [[Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen|Prince-Archbishop of Bremen and Hamburg]] in 1199. Albert landed in Riga in 1200<ref name="BilmanisLIS"/><ref name="Saga"/> with 23 ships<ref name="CathE">Laffort, R. (censor), ''Catholic Encyclopedia'', Robert Appleton Co., 1907</ref> and 500 Westphalian crusaders.<ref name="ReferenceA">Tolstoy-Miloslavsky, D. ''The Tolstoys: Genealogy and Origin''. A2Z, 1991</ref> In 1201, he transferred the seat of the Livonian bishopric from Uexküll to Riga, extorting agreement to do this from the elders of Riga by force.<ref name="BilmanisLIS"/><!-- FA pass done through here/pjv -->