Matej Ninoslav
Encyclopedia
Matej Ninoslav son of Radivoj, was a Bosnian
Ban
(1232–1250). Most of Bosnia
was under the Kingdom of Hungary
from 1235 to 1241. Ninoslav was also a Prince of Split
in 1242–1244 during the local civil war. Ninoslav established control of most of Bosnia after the Hungarian withdrawal. Ninoslav continually defended Bosnia from the Crusaders that prosecuted its heretic population. He was succeeded by his cousin, Ban Prijezda, in 1254.
supporter and a pious Catholic Christian
. Entering his rule, Matej Ninoslav forcibly replaced his predecessor, Stjepan
Kulinić
with the help of the adherents of the Bosnian Church
, which caused bad relations with Rascia
for deposing the legitimate dynasty, which was related to the House of Nemanjić
.
During his rule, Ninoslav served as a faithful Hungarian
vassal
, but was greatly underestimated during his reign. The Prenestine Bishop James, serving as the Pope's legate, finished a business in Hungary and came to Bosnia to influence Matej Ninoslav to give a statement that he will remain a Catholic
Christian
, even though his ancestors were Bogomil heretics.
The Roman
Pope
wrote a letter to Matej Ninoslav thus on 10 October 1233, guaranteeing his integrity and putting him under his protectorate:
The letter also bears a mention of his Bogumil
cousin, Prijezda who now returned to his old religion by converting to Catholicism
. This was insufficient to the Pope's emissaries - so Prijezda had to give his son hostage as a guarantee. Ban Ninoslav himself had to beg to Rome
itself for the release of Prijezda's son.
In 1234, King
Andrew II of Hungary
gifted Ninoslav's title to Herzeg Coloman of Croatia
who passed on the title on to Matej's cousin, Prijezda during the Crusades between 1234 and 1239, weakening Matej's position as the Ban. At the same time, the son of former Bosnia's Ban Stjepan, Prince Sibislav of Usora began to intrude on Ninoslav's territory with his forces, trying to return the title of Ban to the House of Kulinić
. To make matters worse; the Pope
was unsatisfied with the Bogumil sect in Bosnia; so he replaced the old, presumably Bogumil
, Bosnian Bishop
, in 1233, with a German
member of the Dominican Order
Johannes Wildeshausen. Wildeshausen was not welcomed in Bosnia since its population did not want an extremely zealous German for their ecclesiastical leader. The Pope's emissaries to Bosnia become more and more frequent as the situation become more and more tense. It led to Pope Gregory IX
calling for a Crusade on Bosnia on 17 October, 1234. This proclamation was given in Rome the same significance of the Crusades for the Holy Land. On 9 August 1235, the Pope also confirmed King Andrew's proclamation of Croatia's Herzog Coloman as the legitimate Ban of Bosnia.
to the Republic of Dubrovnik, guaranteeing the old privileges given to Dubrovnik by Ban Kulin
long ago. In it, Ninoslav mentions Serbs
(Srblji) and Vlachs
(Vlasi). It dealt with commercial privileges and states that for deceit by a Vlach of a Serb, a Bosnian court was to be conveyed. But for deceit of a Serb over a Vlach, a court was to be convened in Dubrovnik
.
Ninoslav reissued the edict to the Republic of Dubrovnik on 22 March 1240, but expanded it to include a protectorate guaranteeing the independence of Dubrovnik in case of an attack from the neighbouring Serb Kingdom of Rascia
of King
Stefan Vladislav I. The latter was reissued in March of 1249 during King
Stefan Uroš I.
's Herzog Coloman, stormed Bosnia. As Ban Matej didn't have the strength to oppose, he retreated to the impassable mountains and primeval forests. The war lasted for almost five years and was exhausting for both sides as can be seen in the fact that Bishop Wildeshausen begged the Pope to relief him from his duty. Ninoslav put up a staunch defense. Prince Sibislav of Usora joined the fight against Ninoslav soon. Many of the Bosnian noblemen under Sibislav crossed to the Hungarian side, while others were simply too afraid to act. On 26 April 1238, it seemed that Coloman had destroyed the heretic strength in Bosnia, reporting to the pope that Bosnia had been cleansed. On 23 December 1238, Coloman continued to amass victories against the heretic side. Although the Crusaders managed to freely overrun the Western Areas and the Hum they could never get a permanent hold of Bosnia proper. In 1237, deemed incapable, Bishop Wildeshausen was replaced by the Pope with a Hungarian Dominican, that conducted terror by burning the Bogomils on stakes. Matej had to retreat to Dubrovnik in 1240, after the numerous crusaders overran his realm.
In 1241, the Tartars invaded Hungary
and killed Herzog Coloman on the river of Šaj. King
Bela IV
was on the retreat which enabled Ninoslav to restore control over most of Bosnia. The Tartars were fought off by the Croats, sending them back across Bosnia, bringing more destruction to the Bosnian land.
. Ninoslav also intervened in the civil war in Croatia
between the loyalist city of Trogir
and rebelling Split
as he was looking to gain more of Split's possessions. He sided with Split which rebelled against King Bela IV and elected Ninoslav as its new Prince
. The Split assault on the City of Trogir failed, but the City's surroundings were devastated. In 1244, King Bela sent one of his two armies on Bosnia against Ninoslav. Ninoslav lost Split, as the Hungarian Army, under Slavonia
's Ban Dionisus, together with the forces of Trogir took the city in the summer of 1244. A peace treaty was signed on July 19, 1244. The amnesty itself excluded Split's allies, presented by Ninoslav. The other army was led by King Bela and breached to the city of Glaško in Bosnia. Bosnia was not harmed itself by the King's military campaign and a peace was signed on 20 July 1244 with Ban Ninoslav and his brothers and nobility, that confirmed the rights and lands of the Bosnian Church
. Bela's negotiations lasted in Glaško from 15th to 21 July. Matej Ninoslav had to only nominally recognize Hungarian rule and kept his possessions abroad, in Slavonia. He also had to grant numerous lands in Bosnia itself, recognizing and keeping the organization and infrastructure of the Catholic Church.
requested that Pope Innocent IV
launch a new Crusade against Ninoslav in 1247. The situation grew very dangerous, so Ninoslav wrote to the new Pope that he always remained a staunch Catholic Christian, and never a heretic. This was confirmed by the Pope's delegates that visited Bosnia shortly thereafter. The Pope wrote to the Catholic Archbishop in 1248 stating that he found Ninoslav to be a noble man and loyal to the Catholic faith, despite the sympathy he received infidels against his old enemies, and asked the Archbishop not to rise up against the Ban.
The remainder of his reign, Ban Ninoslav Matej dealt with inner matters in Bosnia. His death after 1249, possibly in 1250, brought some conflicts over the throne; as the Bosnian Church desired someone from their own sphere of interest, and the Hungarians side desired someone that they could easily control. Eventually, King Bela IV conquered and pacified Bosnia and succeed in putting Ninoslav 's Catholic cousin Prijezda as the Bosnian Ban. The Bosnian Bishop was expelled to Djakovo in Slavonia and never returned to Bosnia, with the Roman Catholic Church permanently losing all greater foundations in Bosnia.
Bosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
Ban
Ban (title)
Ban was a title used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.-Etymology:The word ban has entered the English language probably as a borrowing from South Slavic ban, meaning "lord, master; ruler". The Slavic word is probably borrowed from...
(1232–1250). Most of Bosnia
Bosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
was under the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
from 1235 to 1241. Ninoslav was also a Prince of Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
in 1242–1244 during the local civil war. Ninoslav established control of most of Bosnia after the Hungarian withdrawal. Ninoslav continually defended Bosnia from the Crusaders that prosecuted its heretic population. He was succeeded by his cousin, Ban Prijezda, in 1254.
Early rule
Before his rule, early in his life, Ninoslav was an opposer of the Bogumils, a faithful HungarianHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
supporter and a pious Catholic Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
. Entering his rule, Matej Ninoslav forcibly replaced his predecessor, Stjepan
Stjepan Kulinic
Stephen Kulinić , son of Bosnia's Ban Kulin, was a Bosnian Ban in 1204–1232. He was a faithful Catholic and thus a supporter of the Hungarian Crown, but not very popular in Bosnia - as he turned away from his father's policies and prosecuted the Bogumils...
Kulinić
House of Kulinic
The Kulinić dynasty was a medieval Bosnian ruling family from the second half of the 12th century to the first half of the 13th century. Its founder, Kulin, was made Bosnia's Ban by the Eastern Roman Emperor Manuel I Comnenus in 1180, but he was present in Bosnia political and social life since...
with the help of the adherents of the Bosnian Church
Bosnian Church
The Bosnian Church is historically thought to be an indigenous branch of the Bogomils that existed in Bosnia during the Middle Ages. Adherents of the church called themselves simply Krstjani...
, which caused bad relations with Rascia
Rascia
Rascia was a medieval region that served as the principal province of the Serbian realm. It was an administrative division under the direct rule of the monarch and sometimes as an appanage. The term has been used to refer to various Serbian states throughout the Middle Ages...
for deposing the legitimate dynasty, which was related to the House of Nemanjić
House of Nemanjic
The Nemanjić was the most important dynasty of Serbia in the Middle Ages, and one of the most important in Southeastern Europe. The royal house produced eleven Serbian monarchs between 1166 and 1371. It's progenitor was Stephen Nemanja, who descended from a cadet line of the Vukanović dynasty...
.
During his rule, Ninoslav served as a faithful Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
, but was greatly underestimated during his reign. The Prenestine Bishop James, serving as the Pope's legate, finished a business in Hungary and came to Bosnia to influence Matej Ninoslav to give a statement that he will remain a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, even though his ancestors were Bogomil heretics.
The Roman
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
wrote a letter to Matej Ninoslav thus on 10 October 1233, guaranteeing his integrity and putting him under his protectorate:
Hugging you with true love, your person and your land of Bosnia. We accept under the protection of Saint PeterSaint PeterSaint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
and Us with all the lands, that you rightfully hold, and We stand by you through the protection of this letter, as long as you remain in Catholic religion...
The letter also bears a mention of his Bogumil
Bogumil
Bogumil can refer to:* Bogomil , Slavic name also spelled Bogumil* Bogomilism, an ancient Gnostic religious community which is thought to have originated in Bulgaria...
cousin, Prijezda who now returned to his old religion by converting to Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
. This was insufficient to the Pope's emissaries - so Prijezda had to give his son hostage as a guarantee. Ban Ninoslav himself had to beg to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
itself for the release of Prijezda's son.
In 1234, King
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
Andrew II of Hungary
Andrew II of Hungary
Andrew II the Jerosolimitan was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was the younger son of King Béla III of Hungary, who invested him with the government of the Principality of Halych...
gifted Ninoslav's title to Herzeg Coloman of Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
who passed on the title on to Matej's cousin, Prijezda during the Crusades between 1234 and 1239, weakening Matej's position as the Ban. At the same time, the son of former Bosnia's Ban Stjepan, Prince Sibislav of Usora began to intrude on Ninoslav's territory with his forces, trying to return the title of Ban to the House of Kulinić
House of Kulinic
The Kulinić dynasty was a medieval Bosnian ruling family from the second half of the 12th century to the first half of the 13th century. Its founder, Kulin, was made Bosnia's Ban by the Eastern Roman Emperor Manuel I Comnenus in 1180, but he was present in Bosnia political and social life since...
. To make matters worse; the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
was unsatisfied with the Bogumil sect in Bosnia; so he replaced the old, presumably Bogumil
Bogumil
Bogumil can refer to:* Bogomil , Slavic name also spelled Bogumil* Bogomilism, an ancient Gnostic religious community which is thought to have originated in Bulgaria...
, Bosnian Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
, in 1233, with a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
member of the Dominican Order
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
Johannes Wildeshausen. Wildeshausen was not welcomed in Bosnia since its population did not want an extremely zealous German for their ecclesiastical leader. The Pope's emissaries to Bosnia become more and more frequent as the situation become more and more tense. It led to Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX, born Ugolino di Conti, was pope from March 19, 1227 to August 22, 1241.The successor of Pope Honorius III , he fully inherited the traditions of Pope Gregory VII and of his uncle Pope Innocent III , and zealously continued their policy of Papal supremacy.-Early life:Ugolino was...
calling for a Crusade on Bosnia on 17 October, 1234. This proclamation was given in Rome the same significance of the Crusades for the Holy Land. On 9 August 1235, the Pope also confirmed King Andrew's proclamation of Croatia's Herzog Coloman as the legitimate Ban of Bosnia.
Edicts to Dubrovnik
Some time between 1232 and 1235, Ban Matej issued an edictEdict
An edict is an announcement of a law, often associated with monarchism. The Pope and various micronational leaders are currently the only persons who still issue edicts.-Notable edicts:...
to the Republic of Dubrovnik, guaranteeing the old privileges given to Dubrovnik by Ban Kulin
Ban Kulin
Ban Kulin was a notable Ban of Bosnia who ruled from 1180 to 1204 first as a vassal of the Byzantine Empire and then of the Kingdom of Hungary. He was brought to the power by Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnenus. He had a son, Stjepan Kulinić who succeeded him as Bosnian Ban...
long ago. In it, Ninoslav mentions Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
(Srblji) and Vlachs
Vlachs
Vlach is a blanket term covering several modern Latin peoples descending from the Latinised population in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. English variations on the name include: Walla, Wlachs, Wallachs, Vlahs, Olahs or Ulahs...
(Vlasi). It dealt with commercial privileges and states that for deceit by a Vlach of a Serb, a Bosnian court was to be conveyed. But for deceit of a Serb over a Vlach, a court was to be convened in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
.
Ninoslav reissued the edict to the Republic of Dubrovnik on 22 March 1240, but expanded it to include a protectorate guaranteeing the independence of Dubrovnik in case of an attack from the neighbouring Serb Kingdom of Rascia
History of Serbia
The history of Serbia, as a country, begins with the Slavic settlements in the Balkans, established in the 6th century in territories governed by the Byzantine Empire. Through centuries, the Serbian realm evolved into a Kingdom , then an Empire , before the Ottomans annexed it in 1540...
of King
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
Stefan Vladislav I. The latter was reissued in March of 1249 during King
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
Stefan Uroš I.
Late rule and the Crusades
The Hungarians amassed an immense Crusader Force. The Bosnians didn't want to give up their religion for another, under Hungarian sword, so they organized resistance. Soon the Crusaders, led by CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
's Herzog Coloman, stormed Bosnia. As Ban Matej didn't have the strength to oppose, he retreated to the impassable mountains and primeval forests. The war lasted for almost five years and was exhausting for both sides as can be seen in the fact that Bishop Wildeshausen begged the Pope to relief him from his duty. Ninoslav put up a staunch defense. Prince Sibislav of Usora joined the fight against Ninoslav soon. Many of the Bosnian noblemen under Sibislav crossed to the Hungarian side, while others were simply too afraid to act. On 26 April 1238, it seemed that Coloman had destroyed the heretic strength in Bosnia, reporting to the pope that Bosnia had been cleansed. On 23 December 1238, Coloman continued to amass victories against the heretic side. Although the Crusaders managed to freely overrun the Western Areas and the Hum they could never get a permanent hold of Bosnia proper. In 1237, deemed incapable, Bishop Wildeshausen was replaced by the Pope with a Hungarian Dominican, that conducted terror by burning the Bogomils on stakes. Matej had to retreat to Dubrovnik in 1240, after the numerous crusaders overran his realm.
In 1241, the Tartars invaded Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and killed Herzog Coloman on the river of Šaj. King
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
Bela IV
Béla IV of Hungary
Béla IV , King of Hungary and of Croatia , duke of Styria 1254–58. One of the most famous kings of Hungary, he distinguished himself through his policy of strengthening of the royal power following the example of his grandfather Bela III, and by the rebuilding Hungary after the catastrophe of the...
was on the retreat which enabled Ninoslav to restore control over most of Bosnia. The Tartars were fought off by the Croats, sending them back across Bosnia, bringing more destruction to the Bosnian land.
Split-Trogir conflict
In retaliation, Ninoslav punished the Pope's supporters throughout Bosnia after he restored control. His cousin, Prijezda, fled to HungaryHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. Ninoslav also intervened in the civil war in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
between the loyalist city of Trogir
Trogir
Trogir is a historic town and harbour on the Adriatic coast in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia, with a population of 12,995 and a total municipality population of 13,322 . The historic city of Trogir is situated on a small island between the Croatian mainland and the island of Čiovo...
and rebelling Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
as he was looking to gain more of Split's possessions. He sided with Split which rebelled against King Bela IV and elected Ninoslav as its new Prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
. The Split assault on the City of Trogir failed, but the City's surroundings were devastated. In 1244, King Bela sent one of his two armies on Bosnia against Ninoslav. Ninoslav lost Split, as the Hungarian Army, under Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
's Ban Dionisus, together with the forces of Trogir took the city in the summer of 1244. A peace treaty was signed on July 19, 1244. The amnesty itself excluded Split's allies, presented by Ninoslav. The other army was led by King Bela and breached to the city of Glaško in Bosnia. Bosnia was not harmed itself by the King's military campaign and a peace was signed on 20 July 1244 with Ban Ninoslav and his brothers and nobility, that confirmed the rights and lands of the Bosnian Church
Bosnian Church
The Bosnian Church is historically thought to be an indigenous branch of the Bogomils that existed in Bosnia during the Middle Ages. Adherents of the church called themselves simply Krstjani...
. Bela's negotiations lasted in Glaško from 15th to 21 July. Matej Ninoslav had to only nominally recognize Hungarian rule and kept his possessions abroad, in Slavonia. He also had to grant numerous lands in Bosnia itself, recognizing and keeping the organization and infrastructure of the Catholic Church.
Proposed Crusade against Ninoslav
The Bosnian heresy remained strong, so King Bela IV and the Roman Catholic ArchbishopArchbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
requested that Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV , born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was pope from June 25, 1243 until his death in 1254.-Early life:...
launch a new Crusade against Ninoslav in 1247. The situation grew very dangerous, so Ninoslav wrote to the new Pope that he always remained a staunch Catholic Christian, and never a heretic. This was confirmed by the Pope's delegates that visited Bosnia shortly thereafter. The Pope wrote to the Catholic Archbishop in 1248 stating that he found Ninoslav to be a noble man and loyal to the Catholic faith, despite the sympathy he received infidels against his old enemies, and asked the Archbishop not to rise up against the Ban.
The remainder of his reign, Ban Ninoslav Matej dealt with inner matters in Bosnia. His death after 1249, possibly in 1250, brought some conflicts over the throne; as the Bosnian Church desired someone from their own sphere of interest, and the Hungarians side desired someone that they could easily control. Eventually, King Bela IV conquered and pacified Bosnia and succeed in putting Ninoslav 's Catholic cousin Prijezda as the Bosnian Ban. The Bosnian Bishop was expelled to Djakovo in Slavonia and never returned to Bosnia, with the Roman Catholic Church permanently losing all greater foundations in Bosnia.
See also
- List of Bosnian rulers
- History of Bosnia and HerzegovinaHistory of Bosnia and Herzegovina-Pre-Slavic Period :Bosnia has been inhabited at least since Neolithic times. In the late Bronze Age, the Neolithic population was replaced by more warlike Indo-European tribes known as the Illyrians. Celtic migrations in the 4th and 3rd century BCE displaced many Illyrian tribes from their former...