Stephen II of Bosnia
Encyclopedia
Stephen II was a Bosnian Ban from 1314, but in reality from 1322 to 1353 together with his brother, Vladislav in 1326–1353. He was the son of Bosnian Ban Stephen I Kotroman and Elizabeth, sister of King Stephen Vladislav II of Syrmia. Throughout his reign in the fourteenth century, Stephen ruled the lands from Sava to the Adriatic and from Cetina
to Drina
. He was a member of the House of Kotroman
. He was buried in his Roman Catholic Franciscan church in Mile, near Visoko, Bosnia.
n Ban
Mladen II Šubić emerged as Count of Zadar
, Princeps of Dalmatia
and Second Bosnian Ban, Stephen's mother Elizabeth took him and his siblings and fled with them into exile
to the Republic of Dubrovnik. Mladen was not popular in Bosnia
and had fought bloody but losing wars against the Serbs
of Rascia
(led by King
Stephen Uroš II Milutin of Serbia), and the Venetians (to whom he lost Zadar
in 1313), along with numerous inner opponents of his regime. Mladen came to the idea to impose Stjepan Kotromanić as his vassal in Bosnia, for he was sure that he would be well accepted in Bosnia. The House of Šubić
, vengeful enemies of the House of Kotromanić
now became their protectors. Mladen decided to keep Stephen II under his firm grip and to use him to eradicate the Bosnian Church
, so he arranged a marriage between Stephen and a Princess
from the family of the Count
Meinhard of Ortenburg
that ruled in Carniola
. The Pope
was against the marriage since both families were of same German
roots, but it would give Stephen certain advantages, so he convinced the Pope to allow it.
noble family, Mladen II Šubić was a Ban of Croatia
and Lord of all of Bosnia. He become Ruler of Bosnia, after death of his uncle Bosnian Ban Mladen I Šubić in 1304. His army had almost entirely retreated from Bosnia as he had numerous troubles with rebelling Šibenik
in 1319 and also later Trogir
. What's more, both cities recognized supreme Venetian rule in 1322. Mladen II Šubić's army could not crush fortified towns, so they burned the surrounding fields and cut down the nearby vineyards and fruit groves. In the Spring of 1322, Mladen II called a Council to make the Croatia
n nobility
help him crush the rebellion. The Croatian Princes soundly refused that, which led to numerous accusations of treason by Mladen II. This created a huge rift between Mladen II and his subjects. His rule was now seriously threatened. This disorder greatly helped Stjepan II as he gained the chance to rule on his own and build up his realm. Stephen's supreme liege, the Hungarian king
Charles I Robert
, had plans too. Charles Robert went on a campaign to eradicate the Croatian major nobility in order to become the sole ruler of his realm. He isolated Máté Csák and destroyed the Kőszegi(Güssing in German) family. The time had come for the Šubić
s. Near the end of 1321, he ordered Stephen II to act from Bosnia supported by Ban
Ivan Babonežić from Slavonia
, encircling and isolating Croatia
. Stephen II now fell under King Charles Robert's direct command. Due to the fact that he wanted to get revenge and get rid of the Šubić
s, this was useful to him for the time being, for if he could free himself of the Šubić
s, he could rule Bosnia almost entirely by himself; as his Hungarian Lieges would be too far away to watch his every move. Besides that, he also got a chance to expand his influence in Croatia
. The decisive battle happened near Mladen's capital Skradin
in 1322, where the Croatian nobility defeated him decisively. Mladen fell back to Klis Fortress
and waited for Charles Robert to came, blindly believing that the King would help him keep his power because of the help that he received from the Šubić
s during his coming to power. The King came to Knin
and invited Mladen to meet him there. Mladen was imprisoned and sent to a dungeon in Hungary
where he died.
and Soli
, which he fully incorporated in 1324. He helped his uncle Vladislav II of Syrmia to regain all Serbia, but after the fall of Ostrvica at Rudnik at the hands of Stephen Uroš III of Serbia, there was no more point in supporting him during the struggles for the Serbian throne, so he took Usora and Soli for himself. The hostility caused by this between Bosnia and Serbia would lead to Stephen II of Kotroman's war against Stephen Uroš III several years later.
When his uncle Vladislav II died, he gained some parts of his realm of Syrmia
.
After this, Stephen II spent the first years of his reign in relative peace. He gave numerous privileges to the local nobility
to increase popularity. One of the most famous was the dict in which he gave some Zhupanates
to Prince
Vukoslav. In the dicts he refers to his brother Vladislav with the title
Prince of Bosnia sharing equal rule with him since 1326, although Stephen had, being Ban
, the real rule.
In 1323 Hungarian King Charles Robert wanted to increase influence over Ban Stephen II Kotroman. He offered Stephen the hand of his wife's distant relative, Elizabeth of Kuyavia
, daughter of Duke
Casimir II of Kuyavia
and received from the King as a gift with the marriage the lands to the west formerly held by Mladen I Šubić Bribirski and Usora
and Soli
in the north formerly held by Stephen Dragutin and his son, Vladislav II of the House of Nemanja. The marriage was legalized by 1339. Up to 1339 Stephen was still married to the daughter of the Bulgarian tsar and had been previously married to a countess of Ortenburg.
had placed the Slavonian Ban Ivan Babonežić as the new Ban of Croatia
. After the King's return to Hungary, one of the most powerful Croatia
n nobleman Prince
Ivan I Nelipac (Prince Nelipić)
moved fast and took Knin
from the Royal Forces. He was supported by the three brothers of Mladen II Šubić; Juraj II Šubić, Grgur III Šubić and Pavao II Šubić. He did not allow Ivan to ascend to his throne in Knin, so King Charles Robert deposed Ivan from his duty in 1323. He ordered the new Ban
of Slavonia
Nikola Omodijev and Stephen II of Kotroman to launch a joint offensive against Nelipac in Croatia. Nikola's expedition eventually failed, although it did rise up Juraj II Šubić (brother of Mladen II Šubić) against Nelipac, as well as the Princes from Krka
Frangepans, the City of Zadar
and eventually, Bosnian Ban Stephen II himself. The movement wanted to return the Šubić dynasty to power in Croatia with Juraj II Šubić on the Throne. Stephen again changed allegiances and now fought for the Šubić
s again. It all eventually turned into an all-out war when the armies of Prince Prince Nelipac
and Juraj II Šubić clashed near the waterfalls of Krka
in the Summer of 1324. Stephen gave considerable support to the Šubić
s, but he did not dare get involved in the fight himself. It was good that he didn't, because the Šubić's party was massacred near Knin
and Juraj II Šubić himself was captured by Prince Nelipac soon. Stephen had attempted to liberate Juraj II from imprisonment, but all attempts ended in failure.
Prince Nelipac immediately pushed the fight against Stephen II. Nelipac managed to conquer the city of Visuć, but Stephen's long-ago given privileges to the nobility had finally been proven useful, as Vuk of Vukoslav had helped him to retake the city. Although Stephen's military ambitions were only relatively successful he continued to wage war against the enemies of the Šubić
s. His target was the City of Trogir
which was one of the major supporters of Nelipac's campaigning. Stephen adopted a harsh tactic. His forces raided Caravans from Trogir, which eventually forced its denizens to humbly sign a peace and addressed him as the high and mighty lord Stephen free ruler and master of Bosnia, Usora and Soli and many other places and Prince of the Hum. It is because of this that Stephen started a conflict with the Republic of Dubrovnik regarding trade. Stephen was shown as a very tough negotiator and the negotiations finally ended in 1326.
After seeing that Ban
Nikola Omodejev was unable to weaken the position of Prince Nelipac, Hungarian King
Charles I Robert
deposed him. The new man for the job was one of his most trusted men, Mikac Mihaljević. Ban Mikac advanced to Croatia
in the Summer of 1325. Bosnian Ban Stephen II sent squadrons of troops to assist him in his offensive. In 1326, Mikac took the cities of the Babonežić family and advanced deeper into Croatia, meeting Stephen's reinforcements. The expedition eventually had little success, so Mikac sent a portion of his army to Bihać
which would serve as defence against Nelipac's possible counterattacks and retreated to Hungary
, to the King
.
Stephen II attacked Serbia
in a military alliance with the Republic of Dubrovnik and conquered Krajina
, gaining access to the Adriatic Sea
and including a large Serbian Orthodox Christian
population and a highly advanced Serbian Orthodox Church
. This changed the balance in Bosnia, as the Bosnian
Bogumils had lost majority in the realm. He also expanded into Završje
, including the Fields of Glamoč
, Duvanj and Livanj. The province of Zahumlje
that he conquered was ruled by the Serbian noble rogue dynasty, the House of Branivojević. That Serbian family had tricked Stefan of Dečani's vassalaged Prince, Crep
, who was a close friend, so King Stefan had no desire to defend those areas from Ban Stephen's forces. Bosnia controlled the coast from the border with the Dubrovnik Republic across Neretva
to Omiš
. Ban Stephen himself killed two members of the House of Branivoj, while Branko Branivojević fled to Serbia
and sought help from King Stefan and then headed to the Republic of Dubrovnik, from where he proceeded to Ston
. Ban Stephen pursued the chase of Brajko, but eventually the forces of Dubrovnik caught the last of the four brothers from the House of Branivoj. The Bosnian titles included Lord of the Hum Land
ever after. Ban Stephen became the ruler of all the lands from Cetina
to Neretva
with the exception of Omiš
which was taken by the Hungarians.
In 1329, Ban Stephen II of Kotroman pushed another military attempt into Serbia
, assaulting Lord Vitomor of Trebinje
and Konavli, but the main portion of his force was defeated by the Young King Dušan who commanded the forces of King Stefan of Dečani at Pribojska Banja. The Ban's horse was killed in the battle, and he would have lost his life if his vassal Vuk of Vukoslav had not given him his own horse. By doing so, Vuk sacrificed his own life, and was killed by the Rascians
in open battle. Thus the Ban managed to add Nevesinje
and Zagorje
to his realm.
Although the Zachlumoi
mostly accepted the Ban's rule, some resisted, like Peter of Tolien who ruled the Seaside from his capital in Popovo
; he was the grandson of the famous Zachlumian
Prince
Andrew. Peter raised a rebellion
, wishing either more autonomy or total independence and the eventual restoration of the conquered territories to Serbia
. He lost a battle against Ban
Stephen II and was imprisoned and put in irons. Stephen had him thrown with his horse off a cliff. Peter survived for a full hour after the fall.
The Ban's vassal that governed the Hum
started to raid Dubrovnik's trade routes, which worsened Bosnia-Dubrovnik relations that were very high during the conquest of Zahumlje
. To make matters worse, Ban Stephen II asked Dubrovnik to pay him the old traditional mogorish tax that it traditionally paid to the Zachlumian
and Serbian rulers and even asked it to recognize his supreme rule. Dubrovnik
refused outright.
Stjepan withdrew all demands as can be seen in his edict to the Republic from 1332 in which he guaranteed future friendships between the Banate of Bosnia
and the Republic of Dubrovnik. In the edict he called his people Bosnians
(Bošnjani).
Ban Stjepan II issued several edicts to the Republic of Dubrovnik in 1333. There were four documents. Here is an excerpt of the documents edict' copies:
Of 60 words in the excerpt:
was enraged by the religious tensions that grew in Bosnia, installed Fabian of the Franciscan Order as the Inquisitor
in Slavonia
and gave him the task of rooting out heresy in Bosnia. The Pope requested Bosnian Ban Stjepan's full assistance. In 1327 the Dominicans and Franciscans argued over who would be granted the task of burning the heretics. Although Fabian eventually took over the leadership over the movement, he utterly failed. Then the Pope wrote to the Hungarian King
for a military intervention in Bosnia.
In 1334, the Bosnian
Bishop
Peter died, and a huge dispute began over his successor. Hungarian King Charles Robert managed to replace his supporter, but it would take until 1336 for the final dispute to be resolved in the Catholic Church's favour.
Pope Benedict XII
lost all patience and eventually accepted the offer of Prince
Nelipac of Croatia
in 1337, who not only wanted to restore Bosnia under Croatian control, but also desired personal revenge on Stephen II Kotroman for the past troubles that he had caused him. The still powerful Croatia
n Šubić
s family protested Nelipac's decision. Talks took place of joining the House of Šubić
and the House of Kotroman into one. An arranged marriage was made between Bosnian Ban Stephen II's brother, Vladislav of Kotroman and the sister of Ban of Croatia
Mladen III Šubić, Jelena Šubić
in 1338 in Klis Fortress
. Mladen III Šubić's wife was Jelena Nemanja, sister of the Serbian King
Stefan Dušan, so this created a strong dynastic alliance of three families: the House of Kotroman, the House of Šubić
and the House of Nemanja that strictly opposed Prince
Nelipac's reign. The first to fall to Nelipac's hand were the Šubićs who were, despite constant help from Bosnian Ban Stjepan II, were forced to sign a peace treaty with Prince Nelipac and compensate him for the war. The Hungarian King Charles Robert did not watch easily as his subjected lands were being war-torn. He was preparing to move to Croatia and depose Nelipac. Stjepan II seized the opportunity and pushed against Nelipac, talking some of his lands for himself.
Soon, Ban Stephen II of Kotroman would finally stop the constant threat of the Western Crusades to the Bogumil
population of Bosnia. In 1339, during Franciscan
General
Gerard's stay at the Hungarian Court of King Charles Robert, Gerard paid a visit to the Bosnian Ban to negotiate an arranged prosecution of Bosnia
's heretics. At first, Stephen II thought that it was time to bow to the Roman Catholic Church
; but he realised that the neighboring Shismatics might stand up to him if he moved against the Bogumils, their allies. In addition, Serbia
wanted a reason to involve itself in a conflict, for its King desired revenge for the losses in the Bosnian war against the Serbs
, so Ban Stephen abandoned the thought. Nevertheless, Stephen's diplomatic efforts convinced the Pope
that he was a loyal Roman Catholic Christian in February 1340, once again saving Bosnia.
After the final peace between the Bosnian Ban and the Papacy, the Roman Catholic Church
started to grow in influence rapidly throughout Bosnia
in 1340 - 1343. The Roman Catholic Monk
s have constructed numerous Monasteries in Usora
and Hum
and baptised a large number of Bosnia's heretics on their way to Ston
in the Republic of Dubrovnik. This process eventually brought on the demise of the Bosnian Church
that held supremacy over the religious life in Bosnia.
Mikac of Slavonia
in 1343. This gave rise to a new idea. The opportunity arose to detach Bosnia from the Kingdom of Hungary
and for Ban Stephen II to rule it independently, vassalaged to no one. He immediately sought help from Hungary
's greatest foe, the Republic of Venice
. In the Summer of 1343 he sent an emissary to Venice
, proposing an alliance. The Venetians wanted to act only if victory was certain, so they wanted another member in their alliance; their traditional ally, the Kingdom of Serbs
. The Serbian King was, unfortunately for the Venetians, busy with other matters. Venice was just waging war against Prince
Nelipac of Croatia
, so it only agreed to arm and help build up Bosnia's military
, but begged Stephen II not to move against Hungary without it. It became evident that the Venetians only wanted to push Ban Stephen II of Kotroman against Nelipac for additional support.
In 1344 Croatia's Prince Nelipac unexpectedly died; so the new Hungarian King ordered the new Slavonian Ban Nikola to move and take Knin
from Nelipac's widow Vladislava and son Ivan. Vladislava initially decided to cede to all Regal demands when she saw the Royal Hungarian Army in front of Knin
. She attempted to negotiate help from Venice, but the Croatian nobility stopped her from this because of their most recent war with them. The Hungarian King became impatient, so he commanded Ban Nikola to move to Knin immediately and ordered Ban Stephen II of Kotroman to send help at once. Ban Stephen came leading his forces. A large 10,000 strong Army was amassed near Knin, and this was only the first wave as the main part of the Army was arriving headed by the Hungarian King himself. This time Princess Vladislava of Nelipac had no choice but to accept demands. The Hungarian King planned the shape of his coastal territories in the new order that he would create. He annexed several cities from the Nelipac family of Croatia, but left them the two largest until Stephen II gave the Cetina
region to Croatia. Ban Stephen II of Kotroman swore an Oath to respect the treaty in front of his Twelve Knights, whom he had just formed out of the most valiant and experienced of the Bosnian Nobility
to assist him in his reign. In the middle of 1345 the new order was ratified in Bihać
. The Hungarian King subsequently issued a proclamation in Zagreb
accepting Ban Stephen II as a member of his family and returned with his 30,000 men to Hungary before attempting to reconquer the coastal cities taken by the Venetians.
Upon the numerous changes, Zadar
switched side from Venice back to Hungary, but their letter missed the Hungarian King during his stay in Bihać
, so they had to seek alternative allies whom they found in the Croatian Šubić
dynasty and the Serbian King
Stefan Dušan. When it became evident that the Venetians were going to attack, Zadar asked Hungary directly to intervene. The Hungarian King ordered Ban Stephen II of Kotroman and Ban Nikola of Slavonia to move with their forces in assistance. The two Bans moved with their 10,000 man Army to Zadar, only to find out that the Venetians had constructed an improvised Wooden Fortification
with 28 Bastidas (Towers), huge enough to man the entire Venetian Army. Deciding not to move against the Venetians, the Bans accepted a bribe of 1,000 florins
each, although Zadar had accused them of treason.
The Hungarian King was amassing forces for a new strike against the Venetian positions, but both parties had elected the new Emperor of All Serbs, Albanians, Greeks and Bulgarians Stefan Dušan to assist Ban Stephen II of Kotroman and form a mediation party to decide a truce between the two warring sides. Eventually, all agreements failed. In the spring of 1346 the Hungarian King arrived with his vast Royal Army of 100,000 men of whom more than 30,000 were Horsemen
and [Man-at-Arms|Men-at-Arms] and 10,000 soldiers under Ban Stephen II arrived. The Venetians had attempted to bribe several Hungarian General
s, including the Bosnian Ban. Ban
Stephen II of Kotroman gave away the positions of the Hungarian troops for a handsome sum of money, thereby earning the nickname the Devil's Student. On 1 July 1346 a fierce clash occurred, which the Hungarian side eventually won only due to numerical superiority and achieved a "Pyrrhic Victory" with more than 7,000 Hungarian
troops killed in battle Hungarians. The Hungarian King lost trust in Ban Stephen II of Kotroman and, losing confidence as well, returned to Hungary
.
Ban Stjepan II Kotromanić played [Venetia|Venice] and Hungary
against each other, slowly ruling Bosnia more and more independently and soon initiated a conspiracy with some members of the Croatian and Hungarian nobility against his Hungarian Liege
. In 1346 Zadar finally returned to Venice, and the Hungarian King, seeing that he had lost the war, made peace in 1348. Ban of Croatia
Mladen II Šubić was greatly opposed to Stephen II's policy, accusing him of treason and the relations between the two Bans worsened ever afterwards. Bosnian Ban Stephen II's relations with [Venetia|Venice] started to improve, as the Bosnian Bishop
Peregreen was a notable Venetian member of the Franciscan Order.
area to the House of Nemanja, but Stephen II always refused.
Ban Stepen's Bosnia was weaker than Dušan's empire
, so he asked Venice
, as a mutual ally, to act as a mediator. Eventually the Serbian Emperor accepted a three-year non-aggression pact because he was busy with his conflicts with the Byzantine Empire
. The Bosnian Ban immediately proceeded with war preparations and went to construct a fortress in the Hum
land right near the river of Neretva
. He also attempted to convince the Venetians to give him naval support in the case of war with the Tsar
. The Venetians discouraged him from building a fort, but he constructed it anyway. The distant wars of Tsar Stefan Dušan gave Stephen II of Kotroman the chance to move first. In the Christmas
of 1349 Bosnia's Ban moved quickly, proceeding all the way across Konavli which he raided heavily until he reached the Bay of Kotor
. Trebinje
, Rudine
and Gacko
were razed during his military operations. Venice attempted to make another peace between the warring sides, but the Serbian emperor agreed only to stall his counterattack a little.
In October 1350, Tsar Stefan Dušan crossed the river of Drina
with 50,000 horsemen
and 30,000 Infantriers
. Ban Stephen II of Kotroman did not have the strength to meet his army in open battle, so he decided to use a guerrilla tactic. Using trees he blockaded all major roads in Bosnia
and slowly withdrew his forces to forests, mountains and forts that were easier to defend. He planned the defence of Bosnia, splitting his forces enough to defend every possible entryway into his realm. His plan soon fell to dust, as Tsar Dušan had bribed a number of his most trusted servants who crossed to the Serbian side.
Losing control over the conflict, Ban Stephen II was shocked. Not knowing what to do further, he retreated with his most trusted men to the most unreachable mountains of Bosnia. He no longer knew whom he could trust, so he regularly dismissed and recruited new men to serve him. His older daughter Jelisaveta hid from Dušan in Bosnia's strongest fortification of Bubovac. Tsar Dušan's forces easily defeated the scattered Bosnian squadrons and went on a campaign to slowly conquer Bosnia. Bubovac was besieged, but Dušan failed to seize it, so he ordered his armies to raid Bosnia. After he created a strong foothold of his forces in Bosnia, he sent a portion of his Army on raiding quests towards Cetina
and the other to Croatia
towards Krka
, while he returned with the rest of his troops to Serbia
to resolve new conflicts that the Byzantines
stirred in Macedonia
.
The failed siege of Bubovac and the retreat of Dušan from the main Army from Bosnia gave hope to Stephen II of Kotroman. Ban Stephen II therefore won the war, even though he lost all battles. This encouraged the Ban to refuse all suggestions from Dušan to share Hum as a common area as joint rulers. Dušan ordered his forces to retreat to Hum
and keep only that. Ban Stephen II soon launched a military campaign to conquer all the territories that he had previously lost to Dušan. The Republic of Dubrovnik was enraged by the war over the Hum because it greatly damaged their trade, so, backed up by the Venetian Republic, Dubrovnik suggested a peace to Tsar Dušan that would constitute a marriage between the Emperor's son King Uroš and Stephen II of Kotroman's daughter Jelisaveta. The Peace Treaty
also required the giving of the Hum area to Stephen II, but as a land of the House of Nemanja. Stephen II had better plans for his daughter, so he refused the agreement. Ban Stephen gambled considering that a large multi-ethnic Empire
ruled autocratically by one man could not succeed. He was eventually proved right, as he witnessed the first traces of demise of Dušan's Tsardom and retook control over Bosnia.
and Dubrovnik since the Ban's men had raided their trade caravan. The Ban managed to elevate his supporter, Monk
Petergreen as the new Bosnian
Bishop
. After 1352 Stephen II of Kotroman referred to himself as Bosnia's Herzeg (or herceg) in resemblance of the German
title. The same year he gave his sister or niece, Marija, in marriage to Count
Ulrich of Helfenstein
, which was sanctioned by the Hungarian King. He sent his daughter Catherine (some sources describe Catherine as the daughter of Stephen's brother Vladislav) to marry Count
Herman I of Celje
, but the actual marriage happened long after Stephen II's death.
Elisabeth of Poland, the mother of the Hungarian King had heard that Stephen II had a little daughter Elizabeth, and she insisted immediately on bringing her to the Hungarian Court for fosterage. Stephen was reluctant at first, but eventually dispatched Elizabeth. After three years of life at the Hungarian Court, the King's mother invited Stephen II of Kotroman to Hungary and arranged a marriage so that she would become the King's second wife. The first queen
, a Bohemian princess had died earlier without children. The Bosnian Ban became heavily ill and could not be present at the actual wedding. On 20 June 1353, it was discovered that Elizabeth and the Hungarian King were related in the fourth degree through a common ancestor, a Duke of Kujavia in Poland (some have also insinuated a link through a branch of the House of Nemanja), so the Roman Catholic Church
regarded the marriage to be in the prohibited degree of consanguinity
and some eccleasiastics were tempted to curse
the couple. Later the same year Pope Innocent IV
wrote to the Bishop
in Zagreb
granting a dispensation
for the marriage and forgiving the sin.
After Stephen II's death, his daughter Elizabeth, Queen of Hungary and Poland, gave birth to Stephen's three granddaughters (one died young), of whom Mary I of Hungary was to succeed her father as reigning Queen of Hungary, and Hedwig was to succeed Louis as reigning Queen of Poland
. Elizabeth of Bosnia acted as the Regent
of Hungary from 1382 onwards on behalf of her daughter Queen Mary, but was murdered in 1387. However, these girls proved unable to have surviving children, so Elizabeth's progeny went extinct with the death of Hedwig, the last surviving of them, in 1399.
of the "Little Brother" in Mile, near Visoko. Upon his death his nephew, Tvrtko, son of Stephen's brother and co-regent Prince Vladislav inherited the title of Ban of Bosnia as Stephen II of Kotroman had previously arranged. Although, Tvrtko was still to young to rule, so Prince
Vladislav asserted the actual rule over Bosnia. Tvrtko would become the first Bosnian
king to be crowned in an orthodox monastery Mileseva, on the Saint Sava
grave.
Bosnian Ban Stjepan II of Kotroman had at most three children:
Cetina
Cetina is a river in southern Croatia. It has a length of and its basin covers an area of . Cetina descends from an altitude of 385 m at its source to the sea level when it flows into the Adriatic Sea. It is the most water-rich river in Dalmatia....
to Drina
Drina
The Drina is a 346 kilometer long river, which forms most of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Alps which belongs to the Danube river watershed...
. He was a member of the House of Kotroman
House of Kotromanic
The Kotromanić dynasty was a ruling house that ruled in the medieval Bosnia and the surrounding lands, from the 13th century as Bans until the crowning with the Bosnian crowns in 1377 and then as kings until the Ottoman conquest conquest in 1463....
. He was buried in his Roman Catholic Franciscan church in Mile, near Visoko, Bosnia.
Exile and return
When his father died in 1314 and 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 ...
n 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...
Mladen II Šubić emerged as Count of Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
, Princeps of Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
and Second Bosnian Ban, Stephen's mother Elizabeth took him and his siblings and fled with them into exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
to the Republic of Dubrovnik. Mladen was not popular 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...
and had fought bloody but losing wars against the 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...
of 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...
(led by 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...
Stephen Uroš II Milutin of Serbia), and the Venetians (to whom he lost Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
in 1313), along with numerous inner opponents of his regime. Mladen came to the idea to impose Stjepan Kotromanić as his vassal in Bosnia, for he was sure that he would be well accepted in Bosnia. The House of Šubić
Šubic
The Šubić were one of the twelve tribes which constituted Croatian statehood in the Middle Ages; they held the county of Bribir in inland Dalmatia.-Origins:...
, vengeful enemies of the House of Kotromanić
House of Kotromanic
The Kotromanić dynasty was a ruling house that ruled in the medieval Bosnia and the surrounding lands, from the 13th century as Bans until the crowning with the Bosnian crowns in 1377 and then as kings until the Ottoman conquest conquest in 1463....
now became their protectors. Mladen decided to keep Stephen II under his firm grip and to use him to eradicate 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...
, so he arranged a marriage between Stephen and a Princess
Princess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
from the family of the Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
Meinhard of Ortenburg
Grafschaft Ortenburg
The Ortenburger were a medieval noble family in the Duchy of Carinthia, with roots in Bavarian nobility. An affiliation with the Counts of Ortenburg-Neuortenburg, a branch line of the Rhenish Franconian House of Sponheim, is not established. Little is known about their reasons for settlement in...
that ruled in Carniola
Carniola
Carniola was a historical region that comprised parts of what is now Slovenia. As part of Austria-Hungary, the region was a crown land officially known as the Duchy of Carniola until 1918. In 1849, the region was subdivided into Upper Carniola, Lower Carniola, and Inner Carniola...
. 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 against the marriage since both families were of same German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
roots, but it would give Stephen certain advantages, so he convinced the Pope to allow it.
Mladen's II plight
Member of the ŠubićŠubic
The Šubić were one of the twelve tribes which constituted Croatian statehood in the Middle Ages; they held the county of Bribir in inland Dalmatia.-Origins:...
noble family, Mladen II Šubić was a Ban of Croatia
Ban of Croatia
Ban of Croatia was the title of local rulers and after 1102 viceroys of Croatia. From earliest periods of Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by Bans as a rulers representative and supreme military commander. In the 18th century, Croatian bans eventually become chief government officials in...
and Lord of all of Bosnia. He become Ruler of Bosnia, after death of his uncle Bosnian Ban Mladen I Šubić in 1304. His army had almost entirely retreated from Bosnia as he had numerous troubles with rebelling Šibenik
Šibenik
Šibenik is a historic town in Croatia, with population of 51,553 . It is located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea...
in 1319 and also later 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...
. What's more, both cities recognized supreme Venetian rule in 1322. Mladen II Šubić's army could not crush fortified towns, so they burned the surrounding fields and cut down the nearby vineyards and fruit groves. In the Spring of 1322, Mladen II called a Council to make the 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 ...
n nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
help him crush the rebellion. The Croatian Princes soundly refused that, which led to numerous accusations of treason by Mladen II. This created a huge rift between Mladen II and his subjects. His rule was now seriously threatened. This disorder greatly helped Stjepan II as he gained the chance to rule on his own and build up his realm. Stephen's supreme liege, the Hungarian king
King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
Charles I Robert
Charles I of Hungary
Charles I , also known as Charles Robert , was the first King of Hungary and Croatia of the House of Anjou. He was also descended from the old Hungarian Árpád dynasty. His claim to the throne of Hungary was contested by several pretenders...
, had plans too. Charles Robert went on a campaign to eradicate the Croatian major nobility in order to become the sole ruler of his realm. He isolated Máté Csák and destroyed the Kőszegi(Güssing in German) family. The time had come for the Šubić
Šubic
The Šubić were one of the twelve tribes which constituted Croatian statehood in the Middle Ages; they held the county of Bribir in inland Dalmatia.-Origins:...
s. Near the end of 1321, he ordered Stephen II to act from Bosnia supported by 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...
Ivan Babonežić from Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
, encircling and isolating 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 ...
. Stephen II now fell under King Charles Robert's direct command. Due to the fact that he wanted to get revenge and get rid of the Šubić
Šubic
The Šubić were one of the twelve tribes which constituted Croatian statehood in the Middle Ages; they held the county of Bribir in inland Dalmatia.-Origins:...
s, this was useful to him for the time being, for if he could free himself of the Šubić
Šubic
The Šubić were one of the twelve tribes which constituted Croatian statehood in the Middle Ages; they held the county of Bribir in inland Dalmatia.-Origins:...
s, he could rule Bosnia almost entirely by himself; as his Hungarian Lieges would be too far away to watch his every move. Besides that, he also got a chance to expand his influence 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 ...
. The decisive battle happened near Mladen's capital Skradin
Skradin
Skradin is a small town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia it has a population about 3,986 . It is located near the Krka river and at the entrance to the Krka National Park, from Šibenik and from Split...
in 1322, where the Croatian nobility defeated him decisively. Mladen fell back to Klis Fortress
Klis Fortress
The Klis Fortress is a medieval fortress situated above a village bearing the same name, near the city of Split, in central Dalmatia, Croatia. From its origin as a small stronghold built by the ancient Illyrian tribe Dalmatae, becoming a royal castle that was the seat of many Croatian kings, to...
and waited for Charles Robert to came, blindly believing that the King would help him keep his power because of the help that he received from the Šubić
Šubic
The Šubić were one of the twelve tribes which constituted Croatian statehood in the Middle Ages; they held the county of Bribir in inland Dalmatia.-Origins:...
s during his coming to power. The King came to Knin
Knin
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...
and invited Mladen to meet him there. Mladen was imprisoned and sent to a dungeon in 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...
where he died.
Early reign and other marriages
Immediately after the death of Serbian King Stephen Uroš II Milutin of Serbia in 1321, he had no problem in acquiring his lands of UsoraUsora (region)
The region of Usora was a semi-independent banate in medieval Bosnia. It took its name from the river Usora. Its territory stretched roughly from the area of Kulaši and Prnjavor to its west, to Srebrenik and Lukavac to its east, the river Sava to its north and Žepče to its south...
and Soli
Tuzla
Tuzla is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time of the 1991 census, it had 83,770 inhabitants, while the municipality 131,318. Taking the influx of refugees into account, the city is currently estimated to have 174,558 inhabitants...
, which he fully incorporated in 1324. He helped his uncle Vladislav II of Syrmia to regain all Serbia, but after the fall of Ostrvica at Rudnik at the hands of Stephen Uroš III of Serbia, there was no more point in supporting him during the struggles for the Serbian throne, so he took Usora and Soli for himself. The hostility caused by this between Bosnia and Serbia would lead to Stephen II of Kotroman's war against Stephen Uroš III several years later.
When his uncle Vladislav II died, he gained some parts of his realm of Syrmia
Syrmia
Syrmia is a fertile region of the Pannonian Plain in Europe, between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia in the east and Croatia in the west....
.
After this, Stephen II spent the first years of his reign in relative peace. He gave numerous privileges to the local nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
to increase popularity. One of the most famous was the dict in which he gave some Zhupanates
Župa
A Župa is a Slavic term, used historically among the Southern and Western branches of the Slavs, originally denoting various territorial and other sub-units, usually a small administrative division, especially a gathering of several villages...
to 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...
Vukoslav. In the dicts he refers to his brother Vladislav with the title
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
Prince of Bosnia sharing equal rule with him since 1326, although Stephen had, being 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...
, the real rule.
In 1323 Hungarian King Charles Robert wanted to increase influence over Ban Stephen II Kotroman. He offered Stephen the hand of his wife's distant relative, Elizabeth of Kuyavia
Elizabeth of Kuyavia
Elizabeth of Kuyavia was the only daughter of Casimir II of Kuyavia and his wife, whose name and origins are unknown. Elisabeth was Baness of Bosnia by her marriage.- Family :...
, daughter of Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
Casimir II of Kuyavia
Casimir II of Kuyavia
Casimir II of Kuyavia was Duke of Kuyavia and was a member of the House of Piast. He was son of Ziemomysł of Kuyavia and his wife Salome , daughter of Sambor II, Duke of Pomerania.-Life:...
and received from the King as a gift with the marriage the lands to the west formerly held by Mladen I Šubić Bribirski and Usora
Usora (region)
The region of Usora was a semi-independent banate in medieval Bosnia. It took its name from the river Usora. Its territory stretched roughly from the area of Kulaši and Prnjavor to its west, to Srebrenik and Lukavac to its east, the river Sava to its north and Žepče to its south...
and Soli
Tuzla
Tuzla is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time of the 1991 census, it had 83,770 inhabitants, while the municipality 131,318. Taking the influx of refugees into account, the city is currently estimated to have 174,558 inhabitants...
in the north formerly held by Stephen Dragutin and his son, Vladislav II of the House of Nemanja. The marriage was legalized by 1339. Up to 1339 Stephen was still married to the daughter of the Bulgarian tsar and had been previously married to a countess of Ortenburg.
Nelipac's plight
The Hungarian king Charles I RobertCharles I of Hungary
Charles I , also known as Charles Robert , was the first King of Hungary and Croatia of the House of Anjou. He was also descended from the old Hungarian Árpád dynasty. His claim to the throne of Hungary was contested by several pretenders...
had placed the Slavonian Ban Ivan Babonežić as the new Ban of Croatia
Ban of Croatia
Ban of Croatia was the title of local rulers and after 1102 viceroys of Croatia. From earliest periods of Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by Bans as a rulers representative and supreme military commander. In the 18th century, Croatian bans eventually become chief government officials in...
. After the King's return to Hungary, one of the most powerful 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 ...
n nobleman 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...
Ivan I Nelipac (Prince Nelipić)
Ivan I Nelipac (Prince Nelipić)
Ivan I Nelipac or Prince Nelipić , a Croatian prince and member of the Nelipić noble family, was a ruler of Knin and Drniš and region around rivers Cetina, Čikola, Krka and Zrmanja. He ruled from his seat in fortified town Knin....
moved fast and took Knin
Knin
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...
from the Royal Forces. He was supported by the three brothers of Mladen II Šubić; Juraj II Šubić, Grgur III Šubić and Pavao II Šubić. He did not allow Ivan to ascend to his throne in Knin, so King Charles Robert deposed Ivan from his duty in 1323. He ordered the new 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...
of Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
Nikola Omodijev and Stephen II of Kotroman to launch a joint offensive against Nelipac in Croatia. Nikola's expedition eventually failed, although it did rise up Juraj II Šubić (brother of Mladen II Šubić) against Nelipac, as well as the Princes from Krka
Krka (Croatia)
Krka is a river in Croatia's Dalmatia region, famous for its numerous waterfalls. It is long and its basin covers an area of .Possibly the river called Catarbates by the ancient Greeks, it was known to the ancient Romans as Titius, Corcoras, or Korkoras.The river has its source near the border...
Frangepans, the City of Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
and eventually, Bosnian Ban Stephen II himself. The movement wanted to return the Šubić dynasty to power in Croatia with Juraj II Šubić on the Throne. Stephen again changed allegiances and now fought for the Šubić
Šubic
The Šubić were one of the twelve tribes which constituted Croatian statehood in the Middle Ages; they held the county of Bribir in inland Dalmatia.-Origins:...
s again. It all eventually turned into an all-out war when the armies of Prince Prince Nelipac
Ivan I Nelipac (Prince Nelipić)
Ivan I Nelipac or Prince Nelipić , a Croatian prince and member of the Nelipić noble family, was a ruler of Knin and Drniš and region around rivers Cetina, Čikola, Krka and Zrmanja. He ruled from his seat in fortified town Knin....
and Juraj II Šubić clashed near the waterfalls of Krka
Krka (Croatia)
Krka is a river in Croatia's Dalmatia region, famous for its numerous waterfalls. It is long and its basin covers an area of .Possibly the river called Catarbates by the ancient Greeks, it was known to the ancient Romans as Titius, Corcoras, or Korkoras.The river has its source near the border...
in the Summer of 1324. Stephen gave considerable support to the Šubić
Šubic
The Šubić were one of the twelve tribes which constituted Croatian statehood in the Middle Ages; they held the county of Bribir in inland Dalmatia.-Origins:...
s, but he did not dare get involved in the fight himself. It was good that he didn't, because the Šubić's party was massacred near Knin
Knin
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...
and Juraj II Šubić himself was captured by Prince Nelipac soon. Stephen had attempted to liberate Juraj II from imprisonment, but all attempts ended in failure.
Prince Nelipac immediately pushed the fight against Stephen II. Nelipac managed to conquer the city of Visuć, but Stephen's long-ago given privileges to the nobility had finally been proven useful, as Vuk of Vukoslav had helped him to retake the city. Although Stephen's military ambitions were only relatively successful he continued to wage war against the enemies of the Šubić
Šubic
The Šubić were one of the twelve tribes which constituted Croatian statehood in the Middle Ages; they held the county of Bribir in inland Dalmatia.-Origins:...
s. His target was the 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...
which was one of the major supporters of Nelipac's campaigning. Stephen adopted a harsh tactic. His forces raided Caravans from Trogir, which eventually forced its denizens to humbly sign a peace and addressed him as the high and mighty lord Stephen free ruler and master of Bosnia, Usora and Soli and many other places and Prince of the Hum. It is because of this that Stephen started a conflict with the Republic of Dubrovnik regarding trade. Stephen was shown as a very tough negotiator and the negotiations finally ended in 1326.
After seeing that 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...
Nikola Omodejev was unable to weaken the position of Prince Nelipac, Hungarian King
King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
Charles I Robert
Charles I of Hungary
Charles I , also known as Charles Robert , was the first King of Hungary and Croatia of the House of Anjou. He was also descended from the old Hungarian Árpád dynasty. His claim to the throne of Hungary was contested by several pretenders...
deposed him. The new man for the job was one of his most trusted men, Mikac Mihaljević. Ban Mikac advanced to 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 ...
in the Summer of 1325. Bosnian Ban Stephen II sent squadrons of troops to assist him in his offensive. In 1326, Mikac took the cities of the Babonežić family and advanced deeper into Croatia, meeting Stephen's reinforcements. The expedition eventually had little success, so Mikac sent a portion of his army to Bihać
Bihac
Bihać is a city and municipality on the river Una in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Bosanska Krajina region. Bihać is located in the Una-Sana Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:...
which would serve as defence against Nelipac's possible counterattacks and retreated to 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...
, to the 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...
.
War against the Serbs
In 1326, BanBan (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...
Stephen II attacked Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
in a military alliance with the Republic of Dubrovnik and conquered Krajina
Zahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
, gaining access to the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
and including a large Serbian Orthodox Christian
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
population and a highly advanced Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
. This changed the balance in Bosnia, as the Bosnian
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...
Bogumils had lost majority in the realm. He also expanded into Završje
Završje
-Croatia:* Završje, Primorje–Gorski Kotar County, HR-51312* Završje, Brod–Posavina County, HR-35252* Završje, Istria County, HR-52429* Završje, Požega-Slavonia County, HR-34322* Završje Belečko, HR-49254, Krapina–Zagorje County...
, including the Fields of Glamoč
Glamoc
Glamoč is a town and municipality of the same name in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is in Canton 10, in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, Duvanj and Livanj. The province of Zahumlje
Zahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
that he conquered was ruled by the Serbian noble rogue dynasty, the House of Branivojević. That Serbian family had tricked Stefan of Dečani's vassalaged Prince, Crep
CREP
The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program is run by the Farm Service Agency . The program provides funds to farmers for the purpose of preserving lands once used for agriculture, with the goal of introducing and encouraging plant life to prevent erosion and provide habitat....
, who was a close friend, so King Stefan had no desire to defend those areas from Ban Stephen's forces. Bosnia controlled the coast from the border with the Dubrovnik Republic across Neretva
Neretva
Neretva is the largest river of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. It has been harnessed and controlled to a large extent by four HE power-plants with large dams and their storage lakes, but it is still recognized for its natural beauty, diversity of its landscape and visual...
to Omiš
Omiš
Omiš is a town and port in the Dalmatia region of Croatia, and is a municipality in the Split-Dalmatia County. The town is situated approximately south-east of Croatia's second largest city, Split. Its location is where the emerald-green Cetina River meets the Adriatic Sea...
. Ban Stephen himself killed two members of the House of Branivoj, while Branko Branivojević fled to Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and sought help from King Stefan and then headed to the Republic of Dubrovnik, from where he proceeded to Ston
Ston
Ston is a village and municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia, located at the south of isthmus of the Pelješac peninsula. The town of Ston is the center of the Ston municipality.- Demographics :...
. Ban Stephen pursued the chase of Brajko, but eventually the forces of Dubrovnik caught the last of the four brothers from the House of Branivoj. The Bosnian titles included Lord of the Hum Land
Zahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
ever after. Ban Stephen became the ruler of all the lands from Cetina
Cetina
Cetina is a river in southern Croatia. It has a length of and its basin covers an area of . Cetina descends from an altitude of 385 m at its source to the sea level when it flows into the Adriatic Sea. It is the most water-rich river in Dalmatia....
to Neretva
Neretva
Neretva is the largest river of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. It has been harnessed and controlled to a large extent by four HE power-plants with large dams and their storage lakes, but it is still recognized for its natural beauty, diversity of its landscape and visual...
with the exception of Omiš
Omiš
Omiš is a town and port in the Dalmatia region of Croatia, and is a municipality in the Split-Dalmatia County. The town is situated approximately south-east of Croatia's second largest city, Split. Its location is where the emerald-green Cetina River meets the Adriatic Sea...
which was taken by the Hungarians.
In 1329, Ban Stephen II of Kotroman pushed another military attempt into Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, assaulting Lord Vitomor of Trebinje
Trebinje
Trebinje is the southernmost municipality and town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is administratively part of the Republika Srpska entity and is located in southeastern Herzegovina, some from the Adriatic Sea....
and Konavli, but the main portion of his force was defeated by the Young King Dušan who commanded the forces of King Stefan of Dečani at Pribojska Banja. The Ban's horse was killed in the battle, and he would have lost his life if his vassal Vuk of Vukoslav had not given him his own horse. By doing so, Vuk sacrificed his own life, and was killed by the Rascians
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...
in open battle. Thus the Ban managed to add Nevesinje
Nevesinje
Nevesinje is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in eastern Herzegovina between Mostar and Gacko. It is administratively part of the Republika Srpska entity.-Geography:...
and Zagorje
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
to his realm.
Although the Zachlumoi
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...
mostly accepted the Ban's rule, some resisted, like Peter of Tolien who ruled the Seaside from his capital in Popovo
Popovo (zhupa)
Popovo was a zhupa of the medieval principality of Zachlumia later . It was situated in Popovo Valley and bordered Republic of Ragusa....
; he was the grandson of the famous Zachlumian
Zahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
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...
Andrew. Peter raised a rebellion
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
, wishing either more autonomy or total independence and the eventual restoration of the conquered territories to Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. He lost a battle against 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...
Stephen II and was imprisoned and put in irons. Stephen had him thrown with his horse off a cliff. Peter survived for a full hour after the fall.
The Ban's vassal that governed the Hum
Zahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
started to raid Dubrovnik's trade routes, which worsened Bosnia-Dubrovnik relations that were very high during the conquest of Zahumlje
Zahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
. To make matters worse, Ban Stephen II asked Dubrovnik to pay him the old traditional mogorish tax that it traditionally paid to the Zachlumian
Zahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
and Serbian rulers and even asked it to recognize his supreme rule. Dubrovnik
Republic of Ragusa
The Republic of Ragusa or Republic of Dubrovnik was a maritime republic centered on the city of Dubrovnik in Dalmatia , that existed from 1358 to 1808...
refused outright.
The Ban's edicts
Stjepan withdrew all demands as can be seen in his edict to the Republic from 1332 in which he guaranteed future friendships between the Banate of Bosnia
History 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...
and the Republic of Dubrovnik. In the edict he called his people Bosnians
Bošnjani
Bošnjani was the local Slavic name for inhabitants of Bosnia during the Middle Ages.It appeared in a number of documents from the period, in most cases coupled with the word Good . Debate on the exact nature of the term is inconclusive...
(Bošnjani).
Ban Stjepan II issued several edicts to the Republic of Dubrovnik in 1333. There were four documents. Here is an excerpt of the documents edict' copies:
| Original version | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... translation |
|---|---|
да имамо и дрьжимо до конца свиета непомачно. и за то ставлю я (господинь) бань Стефань свою златѹ печать, да ѥ веровано, сваки да знаѥеть и види истинѹ. а томѹи сѹ .д̄. повелле..а.. двие латинсци Latin Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and... а дви срьпсцие Serbian language Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries.... , а све сѹ печа- тене златиеми печати: двие ста повелле ѹ господина бана Стефана а двие повелле ѹ Дѹбровници. а то ѥ писано подь |
to have and hold to the end of the world moveless. And for that have put I (lord) ban Stefan my golden seal, to be believed, everyone to know and see the truth. And to that are IV charters..a.. two Latin Latin Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and... and two Serbian Serbian language Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries.... , and all are sea- led with golden seals: two are charters in lord ban Stefan and two charters in Dubrovnik. And that is written under |
Of 60 words in the excerpt:
- 29 (48.3%) are completely the same in contemporary BosnianBosnian languageBosnian is a South Slavic language, spoken by Bosniaks. As a standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect, it is one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
— or, for that matter CroatianCroatian languageCroatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
or SerbianSerbian languageSerbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries.... - 15 (25%) differ only in slightly changed sound of a letter (usually through iotationIotationIotation is a linguistic phenomenon very characteristic of the Slavic languages. It should not be confused with palatalization, which is an entirely different process....
, or loss or it, or by transfer of "ou" to "u") - 8 (13.3%) differ in one phoneme
- * 8 (13.3%) differ more but are fully recognisable
Religious tensions in Bosnia
The PopePope
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 enraged by the religious tensions that grew in Bosnia, installed Fabian of the Franciscan Order as the Inquisitor
Inquisitor
An inquisitor was an official in an Inquisition, an organisation or program intended to eliminate heresy and other things frowned on by the Roman Catholic Church...
in Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
and gave him the task of rooting out heresy in Bosnia. The Pope requested Bosnian Ban Stjepan's full assistance. In 1327 the Dominicans and Franciscans argued over who would be granted the task of burning the heretics. Although Fabian eventually took over the leadership over the movement, he utterly failed. Then the Pope wrote to the Hungarian King
King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
for a military intervention in Bosnia.
In 1334, the Bosnian
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...
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...
Peter died, and a huge dispute began over his successor. Hungarian King Charles Robert managed to replace his supporter, but it would take until 1336 for the final dispute to be resolved in the Catholic Church's favour.
Pope Benedict XII
Pope Benedict XII
Pope Benedict XII , born Jacques Fournier, the third of the Avignon Popes, was Pope from 1334 to 1342.-Early life:...
lost all patience and eventually accepted the offer of 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...
Nelipac 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 ...
in 1337, who not only wanted to restore Bosnia under Croatian control, but also desired personal revenge on Stephen II Kotroman for the past troubles that he had caused him. The still powerful 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 ...
n Šubić
Šubic
The Šubić were one of the twelve tribes which constituted Croatian statehood in the Middle Ages; they held the county of Bribir in inland Dalmatia.-Origins:...
s family protested Nelipac's decision. Talks took place of joining the House of Šubić
Šubic
The Šubić were one of the twelve tribes which constituted Croatian statehood in the Middle Ages; they held the county of Bribir in inland Dalmatia.-Origins:...
and the House of Kotroman into one. An arranged marriage was made between Bosnian Ban Stephen II's brother, Vladislav of Kotroman and the sister of Ban of Croatia
Ban of Croatia
Ban of Croatia was the title of local rulers and after 1102 viceroys of Croatia. From earliest periods of Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by Bans as a rulers representative and supreme military commander. In the 18th century, Croatian bans eventually become chief government officials in...
Mladen III Šubić, Jelena Šubić
Jelena Šubic
Jelena Šubić was a Croatian kneginja from the noble Šubić family, and mother of Bosnian King Tvrtko.Jelena Šubić was daughter of Juraj II Šubić. She was born early in the 14th century , and was married to Regent of Bosnia Vladislav Kotromanić by his brother Mladen III Šubić at Klis Fortress in...
in 1338 in Klis Fortress
Klis Fortress
The Klis Fortress is a medieval fortress situated above a village bearing the same name, near the city of Split, in central Dalmatia, Croatia. From its origin as a small stronghold built by the ancient Illyrian tribe Dalmatae, becoming a royal castle that was the seat of many Croatian kings, to...
. Mladen III Šubić's wife was Jelena Nemanja, sister of the Serbian 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 Dušan, so this created a strong dynastic alliance of three families: the House of Kotroman, the House of Šubić
Šubic
The Šubić were one of the twelve tribes which constituted Croatian statehood in the Middle Ages; they held the county of Bribir in inland Dalmatia.-Origins:...
and the House of Nemanja that strictly opposed 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...
Nelipac's reign. The first to fall to Nelipac's hand were the Šubićs who were, despite constant help from Bosnian Ban Stjepan II, were forced to sign a peace treaty with Prince Nelipac and compensate him for the war. The Hungarian King Charles Robert did not watch easily as his subjected lands were being war-torn. He was preparing to move to Croatia and depose Nelipac. Stjepan II seized the opportunity and pushed against Nelipac, talking some of his lands for himself.
Soon, Ban Stephen II of Kotroman would finally stop the constant threat of the Western Crusades to the Bogumil
Bogomilism
Bogomilism was a Gnostic religiopolitical sect founded in the First Bulgarian Empire by the priest Bogomil during the reign of Tsar Petar I in the 10th century...
population of Bosnia. In 1339, during Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Gerard's stay at the Hungarian Court of King Charles Robert, Gerard paid a visit to the Bosnian Ban to negotiate an arranged prosecution 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...
's heretics. At first, Stephen II thought that it was time to bow to the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
; but he realised that the neighboring Shismatics might stand up to him if he moved against the Bogumils, their allies. In addition, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
wanted a reason to involve itself in a conflict, for its King desired revenge for the losses in the Bosnian war against the 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...
, so Ban Stephen abandoned the thought. Nevertheless, Stephen's diplomatic efforts convinced 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...
that he was a loyal Roman Catholic Christian in February 1340, once again saving Bosnia.
After the final peace between the Bosnian Ban and the Papacy, the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
started to grow in influence rapidly throughout 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...
in 1340 - 1343. The Roman Catholic Monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s have constructed numerous Monasteries in Usora
Usora (region)
The region of Usora was a semi-independent banate in medieval Bosnia. It took its name from the river Usora. Its territory stretched roughly from the area of Kulaši and Prnjavor to its west, to Srebrenik and Lukavac to its east, the river Sava to its north and Žepče to its south...
and Hum
Zahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
and baptised a large number of Bosnia's heretics on their way to Ston
Ston
Ston is a village and municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia, located at the south of isthmus of the Pelješac peninsula. The town of Ston is the center of the Ston municipality.- Demographics :...
in the Republic of Dubrovnik. This process eventually brought on the demise 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...
that held supremacy over the religious life in Bosnia.
Changes in the throne
In 1342 Hungarian King Charles Robert died and so did Bosnian Ban Stephen II of Kotroman's past ally, BanBan (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...
Mikac of Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
in 1343. This gave rise to a new idea. The opportunity arose to detach Bosnia from 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...
and for Ban Stephen II to rule it independently, vassalaged to no one. He immediately sought help from 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...
's greatest foe, the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
. In the Summer of 1343 he sent an emissary to Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, proposing an alliance. The Venetians wanted to act only if victory was certain, so they wanted another member in their alliance; their traditional ally, the Kingdom of Serbs
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...
. The Serbian King was, unfortunately for the Venetians, busy with other matters. Venice was just waging war against 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...
Nelipac 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 ...
, so it only agreed to arm and help build up Bosnia's military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
, but begged Stephen II not to move against Hungary without it. It became evident that the Venetians only wanted to push Ban Stephen II of Kotroman against Nelipac for additional support.
In 1344 Croatia's Prince Nelipac unexpectedly died; so the new Hungarian King ordered the new Slavonian Ban Nikola to move and take Knin
Knin
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...
from Nelipac's widow Vladislava and son Ivan. Vladislava initially decided to cede to all Regal demands when she saw the Royal Hungarian Army in front of Knin
Knin
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...
. She attempted to negotiate help from Venice, but the Croatian nobility stopped her from this because of their most recent war with them. The Hungarian King became impatient, so he commanded Ban Nikola to move to Knin immediately and ordered Ban Stephen II of Kotroman to send help at once. Ban Stephen came leading his forces. A large 10,000 strong Army was amassed near Knin, and this was only the first wave as the main part of the Army was arriving headed by the Hungarian King himself. This time Princess Vladislava of Nelipac had no choice but to accept demands. The Hungarian King planned the shape of his coastal territories in the new order that he would create. He annexed several cities from the Nelipac family of Croatia, but left them the two largest until Stephen II gave the Cetina
Cetina
Cetina is a river in southern Croatia. It has a length of and its basin covers an area of . Cetina descends from an altitude of 385 m at its source to the sea level when it flows into the Adriatic Sea. It is the most water-rich river in Dalmatia....
region to Croatia. Ban Stephen II of Kotroman swore an Oath to respect the treaty in front of his Twelve Knights, whom he had just formed out of the most valiant and experienced of the Bosnian Nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
to assist him in his reign. In the middle of 1345 the new order was ratified in Bihać
Bihac
Bihać is a city and municipality on the river Una in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Bosanska Krajina region. Bihać is located in the Una-Sana Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:...
. The Hungarian King subsequently issued a proclamation in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
accepting Ban Stephen II as a member of his family and returned with his 30,000 men to Hungary before attempting to reconquer the coastal cities taken by the Venetians.
Upon the numerous changes, Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
switched side from Venice back to Hungary, but their letter missed the Hungarian King during his stay in Bihać
Bihac
Bihać is a city and municipality on the river Una in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Bosanska Krajina region. Bihać is located in the Una-Sana Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:...
, so they had to seek alternative allies whom they found in the Croatian Šubić
Šubic
The Šubić were one of the twelve tribes which constituted Croatian statehood in the Middle Ages; they held the county of Bribir in inland Dalmatia.-Origins:...
dynasty and the Serbian 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 Dušan. When it became evident that the Venetians were going to attack, Zadar asked Hungary directly to intervene. The Hungarian King ordered Ban Stephen II of Kotroman and Ban Nikola of Slavonia to move with their forces in assistance. The two Bans moved with their 10,000 man Army to Zadar, only to find out that the Venetians had constructed an improvised Wooden Fortification
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
with 28 Bastidas (Towers), huge enough to man the entire Venetian Army. Deciding not to move against the Venetians, the Bans accepted a bribe of 1,000 florins
Italian coin florin
The Italian florin was a coin struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard. It had 54 grains of nominally pure gold worth approximately 200 modern US Dollars...
each, although Zadar had accused them of treason.
The Hungarian King was amassing forces for a new strike against the Venetian positions, but both parties had elected the new Emperor of All Serbs, Albanians, Greeks and Bulgarians Stefan Dušan to assist Ban Stephen II of Kotroman and form a mediation party to decide a truce between the two warring sides. Eventually, all agreements failed. In the spring of 1346 the Hungarian King arrived with his vast Royal Army of 100,000 men of whom more than 30,000 were Horsemen
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
and [Man-at-Arms|Men-at-Arms] and 10,000 soldiers under Ban Stephen II arrived. The Venetians had attempted to bribe several Hungarian General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
s, including the Bosnian Ban. 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...
Stephen II of Kotroman gave away the positions of the Hungarian troops for a handsome sum of money, thereby earning the nickname the Devil's Student. On 1 July 1346 a fierce clash occurred, which the Hungarian side eventually won only due to numerical superiority and achieved a "Pyrrhic Victory" with more than 7,000 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...
troops killed in battle Hungarians. The Hungarian King lost trust in Ban Stephen II of Kotroman and, losing confidence as well, returned to 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...
.
Ban Stjepan II Kotromanić played [Venetia|Venice] and 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...
against each other, slowly ruling Bosnia more and more independently and soon initiated a conspiracy with some members of the Croatian and Hungarian nobility against his Hungarian Liege
Allegiance
An allegiance is a duty of fidelity said to be owed by a subject or a citizen to his/her state or sovereign.-Etymology:From Middle English ligeaunce . The al- prefix was probably added through confusion with another legal term, allegeance, an "allegation"...
. In 1346 Zadar finally returned to Venice, and the Hungarian King, seeing that he had lost the war, made peace in 1348. Ban of Croatia
Ban of Croatia
Ban of Croatia was the title of local rulers and after 1102 viceroys of Croatia. From earliest periods of Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by Bans as a rulers representative and supreme military commander. In the 18th century, Croatian bans eventually become chief government officials in...
Mladen II Šubić was greatly opposed to Stephen II's policy, accusing him of treason and the relations between the two Bans worsened ever afterwards. Bosnian Ban Stephen II's relations with [Venetia|Venice] started to improve, as the 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...
Peregreen was a notable Venetian member of the Franciscan Order.
More wars against the Serbs
The Serbian Czar Stefan Dušan was constantly demanding that Ban Stephen II of Kotroman return the HumZahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
area to the House of Nemanja, but Stephen II always refused.
Ban Stepen's Bosnia was weaker than Dušan's empire
Serbian Empire
The Serbian Empire was a short-lived medieval empire in the Balkans that emerged from the Serbian Kingdom. Stephen Uroš IV Dušan was crowned Emperor of Serbs and Greeks on 16 April, 1346, a title signifying a successorship to the Eastern Roman Empire...
, so he asked Venice
Venetia
Venetia is a name used mostly in a historical context for the area of Northeast Italy, corresponding approximately to the present-day Italian administrative regions of the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia...
, as a mutual ally, to act as a mediator. Eventually the Serbian Emperor accepted a three-year non-aggression pact because he was busy with his conflicts with the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. The Bosnian Ban immediately proceeded with war preparations and went to construct a fortress in the Hum
Zahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
land right near the river of Neretva
Neretva
Neretva is the largest river of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. It has been harnessed and controlled to a large extent by four HE power-plants with large dams and their storage lakes, but it is still recognized for its natural beauty, diversity of its landscape and visual...
. He also attempted to convince the Venetians to give him naval support in the case of war with the Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
. The Venetians discouraged him from building a fort, but he constructed it anyway. The distant wars of Tsar Stefan Dušan gave Stephen II of Kotroman the chance to move first. In the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
of 1349 Bosnia's Ban moved quickly, proceeding all the way across Konavli which he raided heavily until he reached the Bay of Kotor
Bay of Kotor
The Bay of Kotor in south-western Montenegro is a winding bay on the Adriatic Sea. The bay, sometimes called Europe's southernmost fjord, is in fact a submerged river canyon of the disintegrated Bokelj River which used to run from the high mountain plateaus of Mount Orjen...
. Trebinje
Trebinje
Trebinje is the southernmost municipality and town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is administratively part of the Republika Srpska entity and is located in southeastern Herzegovina, some from the Adriatic Sea....
, Rudine
Rudine
Rudine is a village in the municipality of Čajetina, western Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 159 people.-References:...
and Gacko
Gacko
Gacko is a town and municipality in southeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Republika Srpska entity. It is situated in the Foča Region.-Geography:The town is in a short distance from Montenegro...
were razed during his military operations. Venice attempted to make another peace between the warring sides, but the Serbian emperor agreed only to stall his counterattack a little.
In October 1350, Tsar Stefan Dušan crossed the river of Drina
Drina
The Drina is a 346 kilometer long river, which forms most of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Alps which belongs to the Danube river watershed...
with 50,000 horsemen
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
and 30,000 Infantriers
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
. Ban Stephen II of Kotroman did not have the strength to meet his army in open battle, so he decided to use a guerrilla tactic. Using trees he blockaded all major roads 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...
and slowly withdrew his forces to forests, mountains and forts that were easier to defend. He planned the defence of Bosnia, splitting his forces enough to defend every possible entryway into his realm. His plan soon fell to dust, as Tsar Dušan had bribed a number of his most trusted servants who crossed to the Serbian side.
Losing control over the conflict, Ban Stephen II was shocked. Not knowing what to do further, he retreated with his most trusted men to the most unreachable mountains of Bosnia. He no longer knew whom he could trust, so he regularly dismissed and recruited new men to serve him. His older daughter Jelisaveta hid from Dušan in Bosnia's strongest fortification of Bubovac. Tsar Dušan's forces easily defeated the scattered Bosnian squadrons and went on a campaign to slowly conquer Bosnia. Bubovac was besieged, but Dušan failed to seize it, so he ordered his armies to raid Bosnia. After he created a strong foothold of his forces in Bosnia, he sent a portion of his Army on raiding quests towards Cetina
Cetina
Cetina is a river in southern Croatia. It has a length of and its basin covers an area of . Cetina descends from an altitude of 385 m at its source to the sea level when it flows into the Adriatic Sea. It is the most water-rich river in Dalmatia....
and the other to 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 ...
towards Krka
Krka (Croatia)
Krka is a river in Croatia's Dalmatia region, famous for its numerous waterfalls. It is long and its basin covers an area of .Possibly the river called Catarbates by the ancient Greeks, it was known to the ancient Romans as Titius, Corcoras, or Korkoras.The river has its source near the border...
, while he returned with the rest of his troops to Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
to resolve new conflicts that the Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
stirred in Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
.
The failed siege of Bubovac and the retreat of Dušan from the main Army from Bosnia gave hope to Stephen II of Kotroman. Ban Stephen II therefore won the war, even though he lost all battles. This encouraged the Ban to refuse all suggestions from Dušan to share Hum as a common area as joint rulers. Dušan ordered his forces to retreat to Hum
Zahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
and keep only that. Ban Stephen II soon launched a military campaign to conquer all the territories that he had previously lost to Dušan. The Republic of Dubrovnik was enraged by the war over the Hum because it greatly damaged their trade, so, backed up by the Venetian Republic, Dubrovnik suggested a peace to Tsar Dušan that would constitute a marriage between the Emperor's son King Uroš and Stephen II of Kotroman's daughter Jelisaveta. The Peace Treaty
Peace treaty
A peace treaty is an agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually countries or governments, that formally ends a state of war between the parties...
also required the giving of the Hum area to Stephen II, but as a land of the House of Nemanja. Stephen II had better plans for his daughter, so he refused the agreement. Ban Stephen gambled considering that a large multi-ethnic Empire
Serbian Empire
The Serbian Empire was a short-lived medieval empire in the Balkans that emerged from the Serbian Kingdom. Stephen Uroš IV Dušan was crowned Emperor of Serbs and Greeks on 16 April, 1346, a title signifying a successorship to the Eastern Roman Empire...
ruled autocratically by one man could not succeed. He was eventually proved right, as he witnessed the first traces of demise of Dušan's Tsardom and retook control over Bosnia.
Later reign
The rest of Ban Stephen II of Kotroman's reign passed mostly in peace. The only conflict that he had was a dispute with the Republic of VeniceRepublic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
and Dubrovnik since the Ban's men had raided their trade caravan. The Ban managed to elevate his supporter, Monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
Petergreen as the new Bosnian
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...
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...
. After 1352 Stephen II of Kotroman referred to himself as Bosnia's Herzeg (or herceg) in resemblance of the 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...
title. The same year he gave his sister or niece, Marija, in marriage to Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
Ulrich of Helfenstein
House of Helfenstein
The House of Helfenstein was a German noble family during the High and Late Middle Ages. The family was named after the family castle, Castle Helfenstein, located above Geislingen an der Steige in the Swabian Alb region of Baden-Württemberg, Germany...
, which was sanctioned by the Hungarian King. He sent his daughter Catherine (some sources describe Catherine as the daughter of Stephen's brother Vladislav) to marry Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
Herman I of Celje
Celje
Celje is a typical Central European town and the third largest town in Slovenia. It is a regional center of Lower Styria and the administrative seat of the Urban Municipality of Celje . The town of Celje is located under Upper Celje Castle at the confluence of the Savinja, Ložnica, and Voglajna...
, but the actual marriage happened long after Stephen II's death.
Elisabeth of Poland, the mother of the Hungarian King had heard that Stephen II had a little daughter Elizabeth, and she insisted immediately on bringing her to the Hungarian Court for fosterage. Stephen was reluctant at first, but eventually dispatched Elizabeth. After three years of life at the Hungarian Court, the King's mother invited Stephen II of Kotroman to Hungary and arranged a marriage so that she would become the King's second wife. The first queen
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
, a Bohemian princess had died earlier without children. The Bosnian Ban became heavily ill and could not be present at the actual wedding. On 20 June 1353, it was discovered that Elizabeth and the Hungarian King were related in the fourth degree through a common ancestor, a Duke of Kujavia in Poland (some have also insinuated a link through a branch of the House of Nemanja), so the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
regarded the marriage to be in the prohibited degree of consanguinity
Consanguinity
Consanguinity refers to the property of being from the same kinship as another person. In that respect, consanguinity is the quality of being descended from the same ancestor as another person...
and some eccleasiastics were tempted to curse
Curse
A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
the couple. Later the same year 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:...
wrote to the 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 Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
granting a dispensation
Dispensation (Catholic Church)
In the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, a dispensation is the suspension by competent authority of general rules of law in particular cases...
for the marriage and forgiving the sin.
After Stephen II's death, his daughter Elizabeth, Queen of Hungary and Poland, gave birth to Stephen's three granddaughters (one died young), of whom Mary I of Hungary was to succeed her father as reigning Queen of Hungary, and Hedwig was to succeed Louis as reigning Queen of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Elizabeth of Bosnia acted as the Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of Hungary from 1382 onwards on behalf of her daughter Queen Mary, but was murdered in 1387. However, these girls proved unable to have surviving children, so Elizabeth's progeny went extinct with the death of Hedwig, the last surviving of them, in 1399.
Death
Stepan II Kotromanić died in September of 1353. He was ceremonially buried in his own foundation, the Roman Catholic Church of Saint NicholasSaint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
of the "Little Brother" in Mile, near Visoko. Upon his death his nephew, Tvrtko, son of Stephen's brother and co-regent Prince Vladislav inherited the title of Ban of Bosnia as Stephen II of Kotroman had previously arranged. Although, Tvrtko was still to young to rule, so 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...
Vladislav asserted the actual rule over Bosnia. Tvrtko would become the first Bosnian
Kingdom of Bosnia
The Kingdom of Bosnia or the Bosnian Kingdom was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Balkans, existing between 1377 and 1463.- Establishment :...
king to be crowned in an orthodox monastery Mileseva, on the Saint Sava
Saint Sava
Saint Sava was a Serbian Prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalous Serbian Church, the founder of Serbian law and literature, and a diplomat. Sava was born Rastko Nemanjić , the youngest son of Serbian Grand Župan Stefan Nemanja , and ruled the appanage of Hum briefly in...
grave.
Marriages and children
Bosnian Ban Stjepan II Kotromanić was married three times:- daughter of CountCountA count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
Meinhard of OrtenburgGrafschaft OrtenburgThe Ortenburger were a medieval noble family in the Duchy of Carinthia, with roots in Bavarian nobility. An affiliation with the Counts of Ortenburg-Neuortenburg, a branch line of the Rhenish Franconian House of Sponheim, is not established. Little is known about their reasons for settlement in...
in CarniolaCarniolaCarniola was a historical region that comprised parts of what is now Slovenia. As part of Austria-Hungary, the region was a crown land officially known as the Duchy of Carniola until 1918. In 1849, the region was subdivided into Upper Carniola, Lower Carniola, and Inner Carniola...
(concluded from sources, this remained an engagement only, the couple not having come to live together) - daughter of a Tsar of Bulgaria, unclear which tsar, up to 1329 (historical connections place this marriage during the Serbian activities of Michael Asen III of Bulgaria, but the bride's identity and parentage remains unclear - she most probably was not Michael's daughter, but possibly a daughter of his some predecessor, or a female relative of his)
- Elisabeth of Kujavia, daughter of Duke Casimir, nephew of Ladislaus the Short, king of Poland, since 1339
Bosnian Ban Stjepan II of Kotroman had at most three children:
- Vuk, who died during his father's lifetime
- Elisabeth of BosniaElisabeth of BosniaElizabeth of Bosnia was Queen of Hungary from 1353 until 1382 and Queen of Poland from 1370 until 1382 as the second wife of King Louis the Great. After her tenure as queen consort, Elizabeth served as regent for her daughter Mary.As queen consort, Elizabeth was overshadowed by her domineering...
, who married Hungarian KingKing of HungaryThe King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
Louis I the Great on 20 June 1353. Having become the Regent of Hungarian kingdom, she was murdered in 1387. Born c 1340. - Katharina, who married Herman I of CeljeCeljeCelje is a typical Central European town and the third largest town in Slovenia. It is a regional center of Lower Styria and the administrative seat of the Urban Municipality of Celje . The town of Celje is located under Upper Celje Castle at the confluence of the Savinja, Ložnica, and Voglajna...
in 1361. She was the mother of Herman II, Count of Celje and died on 21 March 1385. Born c 1336. She may have been his niece rather than daughter.
See also
- 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...
- History of CroatiaHistory of CroatiaCroatia first appeared as a duchy in the 7th century and then as a kingdom in the 10th century. From the 12th century it remained a distinct state with its ruler and parliament, but it obeyed the kings and emperors of various neighboring powers, primarily Hungary and Austria. The period from the...
- History of HungaryHistory of HungaryHungary is a country in central Europe. Its history under this name dates to the early Middle Ages, when the Pannonian Basin was colonized by the Magyars, a semi-nomadic people from what is now central-northern Russia...
- History of SerbiaHistory of SerbiaThe 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...
- ZahumljeZahumljeZachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
- List of rulers of Bosnia
- List of Bosnians
External links
- Stjepan II Kotromanić
- The Kotromanićs (in SerbianSerbian languageSerbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
) - Stjepan's document (in BosnianBosnian languageBosnian is a South Slavic language, spoken by Bosniaks. As a standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect, it is one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
)