At the end of the 11th century, when real power in the country was held by the Palatine Sieciech, the opposition of some Silesian magnates caused the return of Zbigniew to Poland and forced Władysław I to recognize him as his successor.

The intrigues of Sieciech and Władysław I's second wife Judith Maria caused Zbigniew and his younger half-brother to become allies, and both in the end forced their father to divide the country between them and to exile the Palatine.

They claim that not until the end of the 12th century did the Papal legate Peter of Capua, who stayed in Poland during 1197, order that only marriages performed under Church rites (Latin: matrimonium in facie ecclesie contrahere) would be considered as legitimate, following the writings of the Rocznik krakowsk.

[13] According to historians, the new ruler was quickly noted as incompetent, and the population began to miss the achievements of the exiled Prince.

[14] In 1080, Władysław I married Princess Judith, daughter of Duke Vratislaus II of Bohemia; Przecława, his first (but unrecognized according to the Church[15]) wife was then banished from court.

[5] The elevation of his father to the Princely throne, the departure of his mother, who was sent with her family[16] meant for young Zbigniew his removal from the first place in the succession.

[17][18] Władysław I's legitimacy was questioned by the supporters of the exiled Bolesław II and his only son and rightful heir, Mieszko Bolesławowic.

[15] In 1086, Judith of Bohemia finally gave birth to a son, the future Bolesław III Wrymouth,[23] and with this Zbigniew's situation changed dramatically.

The chosen bride was Judith Maria,[28][29] sister of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor and widow of the ex-King Solomon of Hungary; she was renamed Sophia, perhaps to distinguish herself from Władysław I's first wife.

[31] As taking holy orders would render Zbigniew ineligible for the succession,[32][33] Władysław I hoped to eliminate the two main pretenders to the throne, secure the inheritance of his legitimate son Bolesław and weaken the growing opposition against him.

[37] In the autumn of 1091, Polish and Bohemian militia made a further but unsuccessful invasion of Pomerania which culminated in a battle at the Wda river.

[36] The repressive actions of Sieciech (selling into slavery, removal from offices, sentences of exile[40]) caused a massive political emigration from Polish territories to Bohemia.

This forced Władysław I to issue an act of legitimization which recognized Zbigniew as his son, member of the Piast dynasty and rightful successor.

Bolesław received Lesser Poland, Silesia, Lubusz Land[48] and probably Sandomierz and Lublin on the Bug River (near Brześć nad Bugiem).

It was then decided that nobleman Wojsław Powała (a relative of Sieciech) be removed as Bolesław's guardian and that an expedition against the Palatine be organized.

In a campaign to encircle Sieciech and Władysław I, Zbigniew marched against Masovia, where he took control of Płock, while Bołeslaw was directed to the South, where he could conquer Lesser Poland.

[58] The division of the country between Zbigniew and Bolesław III gave both princes full control over their respective districts.

[64] The provinces of Zbigniew and Bolesław III operated as separate states with their own internal and foreign policies, leading to discord between the two rulers.

In one of Bolesław's first organized expeditions to Pomerania, Zbigniew managed to persuade the knighthood not to participate, which enraged the junior ruler.

[64] However, this situation didn't last, because in the next few months the knights were again in favor of Bolesław's expeditions and accompanied him several times to the West (including Prussia).

[66] The Pomeranians retaliated by attacking Zbigniew, who at that point allied with Bohemia in order to pressure Bolesław III to make piece.

[68] Bolesław III reacted by ravaging and looting the Pomeranian border regions and Moravia; after this, in exchange for a huge payment, Borivoj II ended his alliance with Zbigniew.

[71] In retaliation, and with the help of his Kievan and Hungarian allies, Bolesław III attacked Zbigniew’s lands, triggering a civil war over the overlordship.

[77] Bolesław III used this rebellion and the prior failure to provide him with military support in his campaign against Pomerania as excuses to attack Zbigniew.

[73][79] The actual transfer of power took place the year before (1107) when Zbigniew was still in Masovia, when he paid complete homage to his brother for his land.

[74] Henry made an ultimatum to Bolesław III: surrender half of Poland to Zbigniew, formally recognize the Holy Roman Empire as overlord, and pay a regular tribute of 300 pieces of fine silver or provide 300 knights on military expeditions.

The reason for this is speculated to be the unpopularity of Soběslav I among Czechs as well as Bolesław III’s unwillingness to further damage his relations with the Holy Roman Empire.

[85] Bolesław III probably agreed to the return of his half-brother as a result of pressure from the many supporters of the exiled prince in 1108, who, according to the reports of Gallus Anonymus, was surrounded by bad advisers (likely including Martin I, Archbishop of Gniezno[86]).

K. Jasiński, in the pages of his publication Rodowód pierwszych Piastów, advocated an immediate death after the blinding, like S. Kętrzyński, but didn't exclude the opposite view.

[95] An interesting reference contained in an obituary from the Benedictine monastery in Lubin recorded the death on 8 July 1113 of a monk from Tyniec Abbey called "Brother Zbigniew".