Bosnia before 1463



Settled by Slavs (Croats, Serbs) in the 7th century. A text codified under Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (10th century) described Bosnia as a district of baptized Serbia. In 968, Bosnia was conquered by the Croats, in 1018 retaken by the Byzantines. Bosnia was forced to accept Hungarian sovereignty in the 12th century. Around 1200, Bosnia was able to shake off Hungarian rule and defend it's independence against the expansive Serbs to their east.
In Bosnia, the BOGOMILS, excommunicated as heretics by the Catholic church (also referred to as the Paterine heresy), had a strong followership and exerted influence on the state's policy. In 1203, Ban KULIN could overt a Hungarian invasion only by professing his Catholic belief; as Bogomilism continued in Bosnia, in 1234-1239 the crusade war preached against Bosnia, a crusade which never materialized. The Tatar invasion of 1241 focussed political attention, and Bogomilism, no more a first-rate political topic, could continue for centuries, now deeply suspicious of the Catholic church.
Bosnia was ruled by BANs; in 1377 Ban TVRTKO I. (ban since 1353) assumed the title of King.
In 1389 the Ottoman Turks defeated the Serbs in the Battle of Kosovo Polje; Bosnia was able to hold up it's independence until 1463, when Bosnia was conquered by the Ottoman Turks.
Hum (HERCEGOVINA) seceded from Bosnia in 1448; it fell to the Turks in 1481.



Bosnia's Kings, 1377-1463
1377-1391
1391-1395
1395-1398
1398-1418
1418-1421
1404-1434
1443-1461
1461-1463 		Tvrtko I.
Stephen Dabischa
Queen Helena
Stephen Osoja
Stephen Ostroyic
Stephen Tvrtko II.
Stephen Thomas
Stephen Tomasevic






EXTERNAL
LINKS 		History of Bosnia-Hercegovina, by Andreas Riedlmayer, from Bosnian Embassy, from Catholic Encyclopedia, 1914 edition, by Tyler Osgood, until 1800
The Bogomils of Bulgaria and Bosnia, by L.P. Brockett, 1879, book online; Article : Bogomils, from Ecole Glossary
Timetable, from Bosnet.org
Links to Bosnian history, from Caltech
DOCUMENTS Seals and Coins of Bosnian Rulers, from Caltech
REFERENCE Fred Singleton, A Short History of the Yugoslav Peoples, Cambridge University Press (1985) 1999


This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2002, last revised on November 7th 2004

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