Mikoà Âaj "Bearpaw" Potocki (; 1595 â 20 November 1651) was a Polish nobleman, magnate and Field Crown Hetman of the PolishâÂÂLithuanian Commonwealth from 1637 to 1646, Grand Hetman of the Crown from 1646 to 1651, governor of Bracà Âaw Voivodeship from 1636 and from 1646 Castellan of Kraków.
He was captured during the battle of Cecora by the Turks. In 1633 during the Battle of Paniowce, along with Prince Jeremi Wià Âniowiecki and Stanisà Âaw Koniecpolski he defeated the Turk forces under Abaza Pasha.
In the 1637 Pavlyuk Uprising he defeated Cossacks under Pavlo Pavliuk at the battle of Kumejki. In the 1638 Ostryanyn Uprising he forced Dmytro Hunia to surrender. After those victories over the Cossacks he received large estates in Ukraine.
The 1637âÂÂ38 Cossack rebellions suppressed by Potocki were minutely described by historian and bishop Szymon Okolski who witnessed and directly participated in the developments of those days. His field diaries became a valuable information source for historians.
During the Sejm of 1646 Potocki opposed the plan of the king Wà Âadysà Âaw IV Vasa to wage war against the Turks.
He was known as very oppressive to peasantry and Cossacks. His behavior was one of the causes of the Khmelnytsky Uprising. In 1648 he disregarded the monarch's orders and attacked rebellious Cossacks in Ukraine. He was defeated at the Battle of Korsuà  and captured by Tatars. In April 1650 he was released from jasyr. On 28âÂÂ30 June 1651 he was victorious over Tatar and Cossack forces at the Battle of Berestechko.
On 18 September 1651, after the indecisive Battle of Bila Tserkva he negotiated a treaty with the Cossacks.
Potocki had two wives, Zofia Firlej and Elà ¼bieta Kazanowska. He had six children with Firlej: Piotr Potocki, Stefan Potocki, Mikoà Âaj Potocki, Marianna Potocka, Wiktoria Potocka and Henryk Potocki. With Kazanowska he had three children: Jakub Potocki, Joanna Potocka and Dominik Potocki.