Vlatko Vukovic
Encyclopedia
Vlatko Vuković Kosača (died 1392) was a medieval nobleman who ruled as Grand Duke
of Hum
.
He was a son of Vuk Kosača
, the founder of the medieval house of Kosača
. He governed the province of Hum
, which was part of the Banate of Bosnia. The Ottoman
threat was building to the east, threatening neighboring Herzegovina
. On August 27, 1388, Grand Duke Vlatko defeated an Ottoman raiding party (some 18,000 strong) that had invaded Hum in the Battle of Bileća
. Bosnian heavy cavalry are typically credited with winning the battle as they broke the Ottoman ranks and pursued the retreating enemy. It has been cited that "Ottoman leader Shain barely managed to save himself with the small band of his soldiers". In 1389, he commanded an army that fought alongside Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović at the Battle of Kosovo
against the Ottomans
. Vuković is one of the few leaders on the Christian
side who survived the battle. Although the battle is viewed now as a decisive defeat and the end of Serbian independence, at the time the battle was viewed differently; Vuković reported the outcome of the battle as a victory, as the Ottomans suffered heavy losses and were forced to withdraw for a time. He died in 1392.
Vuković's grave lies marked near the village of Boljuni near Stolac
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
. Inscription on the grave was written in Bosnian Cyrillic
Script (bosančica), among other inscriptions written in ikavian dialect.
Grand Duke
The title grand duke is used in Western Europe and particularly in Germanic countries for provincial sovereigns. Grand duke is of a protocolary rank below a king but higher than a sovereign duke. Grand duke is also the usual and established translation of grand prince in languages which do not...
of Hum
Zahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
.
He was a son of Vuk Kosača
Vuk Kosaca
Vuk Kosača was a 14th-century military commander of Dušan the Mighty, the Emperor of Serbia . He is the founding father of a medieval Herzegovinian noble family known as the Kosačas, that would later rule a semi-independent realm under the Bosnian crown...
, the founder of the medieval house of Kosača
House of Kosaca
The House of Kosača was a medieval Bosnian noble family which ruled over various parts of Bosnia, Croatia and Dalmatia between the 14th century and the 15th century. The land they controlled was mostly known as Hum or Zahumlje...
. He governed the province of Hum
Zahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
, which was part of the Banate of Bosnia. The Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
threat was building to the east, threatening neighboring Herzegovina
Herzegovina
Herzegovina is the southern region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. While there is no official border distinguishing it from the Bosnian region, it is generally accepted that the borders of the region are Croatia to the west, Montenegro to the south, the canton boundaries of the Herzegovina-Neretva...
. On August 27, 1388, Grand Duke Vlatko defeated an Ottoman raiding party (some 18,000 strong) that had invaded Hum in the Battle of Bileća
Battle of Bileca
The Battle of Bileća was fought on 27 August 1388 between Bosnian forces led by Duke Vlatko Vuković and the Ottomans under the leadership of Lala Shahin Pasha...
. Bosnian heavy cavalry are typically credited with winning the battle as they broke the Ottoman ranks and pursued the retreating enemy. It has been cited that "Ottoman leader Shain barely managed to save himself with the small band of his soldiers". In 1389, he commanded an army that fought alongside Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović at the Battle of Kosovo
Battle of Kosovo
The Battle of Kosovo took place on St. Vitus' Day, June 15, 1389, between the army led by Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, and the invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Sultan Murad I...
against the Ottomans
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
. Vuković is one of the few leaders on the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
side who survived the battle. Although the battle is viewed now as a decisive defeat and the end of Serbian independence, at the time the battle was viewed differently; Vuković reported the outcome of the battle as a victory, as the Ottomans suffered heavy losses and were forced to withdraw for a time. He died in 1392.
Vuković's grave lies marked near the village of Boljuni near Stolac
Stolac
Stolac is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in the southern part of Herzegovina. Administratively, it is part of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. Inscription on the grave was written in Bosnian Cyrillic
Bosnian Cyrillic
Bosnian Cyrillic or Croatian Cyrillic, widely known as Bosančica, is an extinct Cyrillic script, that originated in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was widely used in Bosnia and Croatia . Its name in Bosnian and Croatian is bosančica or bosanica, which can literally be translated as Bosnian script...
Script (bosančica), among other inscriptions written in ikavian dialect.