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132-790: After the execution of King Stephen Tomašević in 1463, the central part of the Kingdom of Bosnia was transformed into the sanjak of Bosnia . The Duchy of Herzegovina was added in 1483. In 1580, Ferhad Pasha Sokolović became the first governor of the Bosnia Eyalet, as beylerbey (also referred to as " pasha "). The Bosnia Eyalet (or Pashaluk) included the Sanjak of Bosnia (central province), Sanjak of Herzegovina , Sanjak of Viçitrina , Sanjak of Prizren , Sanjak of Klis , Sanjak of Krka , and Sanjak of Pakrac . The Ottoman wars in Europe continued throughout

264-500: A fatwah declaring that the Sultan was not bound to keep the promise made by his servant without his knowledge. As if to demonstrate the validity of his fatwah , the elderly mullah took out his sword and beheaded Stephen in front of Mehmed. The chronicler Benedetto Dei , who claimed to have been part of the Sultan's retinue, recorded that Mehmed himself decapitated Stephen. According to later accounts, Mehmed had Stephen flayed or used as

396-549: A shooting target . The execution of the King, his uncle, cousin and two noblemen took place in a field next to Jajce, which has since been known as Carevo Polje ("the Emperor's Field"). Stephen Tomašević was buried on a hill near Jajce. Europe was stunned to see the Bosnian state fall almost completely within weeks of his death. The country's quick submission is said to be the consequence of

528-506: A vassal position for much of this time, in reality they managed to maintain independent functions and even expand their rule in Serbia, Croatia, and Dalmatia. The Banate of Bosnia existed until 1377, when it was elevated into a kingdom with the coronation of Tvrtko I following the death of the last Serbian Emperor from the Nemanjić dynasty , which had no heir to the throne in 1371. Tvrtko had

660-501: A Hungarian triumph would rid him of Ottoman raiders and secure his position against both his rival and his ambitious magnates. The Battle of Doboj in August 1415 saw the disastrous defeat of Sigismund's army. Contrary to expectations, however, the Ottomans recognized Ostoja as the legitimate king. Tvrtko lost his ground, while the united Bosnians for the first time shifted their allegiance from

792-459: A core province of the newly established Eyalet of Bosnia . The territory of Bosnia and today's Herzegovina is littered with medieval gravestones called stećak , which first appeared in the middle of the 12th century. They were a tradition among Bosnian , Catholic and Orthodox Church followers alike. While Bosnia had many architecturally impressive stone fortresses, its medieval churches were small, especially compared to Catholic churches along

924-582: A crown sent from Rome. It exemplified how, with the religious persecution established by Thomas and with Stephen's active correspondence with the papacy, the Kingdom of Bosnia acquired the character of a true Catholic state only at its very end. The belated attempt at sanctification of the Bosnian monarchy gravely offended the Hungarian king Matthias, who saw the Pope's involvement in the coronation as an infringement of

1056-411: A four days siege of Ključ and negotiations, Angelović sent a written assurance to the king, stating that his life will be spared. It turned out to be an empty promise as once the king was lured back to Jajce , he was beheaded just behind the capital's citadel, since then named Carevo polje ( transl.  "Emperor's Field" ). The Kingdom fell in 1463 and eventually became the westernmost province of

1188-664: A main trading partner of the Bosnian state, the Ragusa referred to the Bosnian Kingdom as a separate state ("rusag"), for example in a charter issued to Sandalj Hranić in November 1405, where they articulated that the Ragusan merchants would be safe across the "Bosnian rusag", or 1451, during the war with Stjepan Vukčić, as a "Holly Kingdom". Ragusans also paid Saint Demetrius an income of 2000 Ragusan perpera . Ladislaus of Naples acknowledged

1320-521: A month before the Ottoman conquest of the state. Thomas's failure to defend Serbia permanently damaged his reputation in Europe. Wishing to improve his image among Europe's Catholics, Thomas turned against the Bosnian Church, thus becoming the first ruler of Bosnia to engage in religious persecution . Radivoj styled himself as King of Bosnia for the remainder of Tvrtko's reign. He was nominally supported by

1452-626: A peace in September. Sigismund was in the weaker position and likely ready to make concessions to Tvrtko when his ambassadors arrived at Tvrtko's court in January 1391. The negotiations were probably never concluded, as Tvrtko died on 10 March. While Bosnia retained its standing among neighboring states in the immediate aftermath of Tvrtko's death, during Dabiša 's reign conditions within the state started deteriorating. He successfully resisted his sovereigns from Hungary , Naples , and even Ottoman Turks . In

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1584-441: A peaceful solution to his protracted war with the magnate Stjepan Vukčić Kosača , King Thomas requested from Pope Eugene IV an annulment of his union with Stephen's mother. Open warfare ended in 1446 with the marriage of Stephen's father to Kosača's daughter Catherine , by whom Stephen had a half-brother named Sigismund and a half-sister named Catherine . In the 1450s, King Thomas vigorously searched for suitable spouses for

1716-616: A political tool by high-ranking nobles such as Hrvoje Vukčić of Donji Kraji, who converted to Catholicism to obtain lucrative titles, but when faced with difficult odds in 1413 he openly threatened that he would go back to "pagan religion", as the Catholic Church viewed the Bosnian Church as a dualist religion. Despite the religious hesitancy of the duke, by his death, the Bosnian Church had lost its foothold in Donji Kraji, since his heirs were increasingly referred to as committed Catholics. At

1848-465: A poor cooperation between Stephen and his noblemen, but it is perhaps most accurate to attribute it to the people's low morale and general belief that the conquest was inevitable. Additionally, the religiously diverse Bosnians were aware, much like the neighbouring Serbians, that the country would be overrun by Hungary if not by the Ottomans, and that they would enjoy far less freedom of religion and far higher taxes in that case. Therefore, resistance

1980-660: A princess from a royal house. Negotiations soon commenced about Stephen's marriage to an illegitimate daughter of Francesco I Sforza , Duke of Milan , but Stephen's father had greater expectations. When Lazar Branković , Despot of Serbia , died in 1458, an interregnum ensued. Having left three daughters and no sons, he had no clear heir, so the power was shared between his blinded brother Stephen and widow Helen Palaiologina . King Thomas took advantage of their weakness to recapture Eastern Bosnian towns he had lost to Serbia in 1445. Shortly afterwards, he entered peace negotiations with Lazar's widow, Helen Palaiologina . Abandoning

2112-650: A stanak in Mile , Visoko . Ostoja tried to reclaim the throne with Hungarian support, but, in June 1404, Tvrtko's supporters defeated a Hungarian army and thus prevented Ostoja from reclaiming the crown, although the chief royal residence of Bobovac and the Usoran town of Srebrenik were captured and restored to Ostoja. All major noble families remained loyal to Tvrtko, while Ostoja functioned as Sigismund's puppet whose territory included little more than Bobovac. The fortress, however, housed

2244-456: A stanak, and Ragusa recognized him as king. He had the support of almost all of the nobility in Visoko , including duke Vukmir , mayor Dragiša, knez Juraj Vojsalić, knez Pribić, knez Radič Radojević, knez Batić Mirković, knez Juraj Dragičević, knez Petar Klešić, duke Ivko, and duke Pavao Jurjević. By the end of the year, Tvrtko had completely ousted Stephen, who continued to advance his claim until

2376-488: A staunch Krstjanin , as the Bosnian Church adherents were known and as its members called themselves. His conspicuous attitude toward Bosnian Church was highlighted when king Tvrtko II died and Stjepan refused to recognize a chosen heir, the deceased king's cousin and recent convert to Roman Catholicism , Thomas , as the new King of Bosnia, thus creating a political crisis which culminated in civil war. Apparently, one of

2508-418: A testament, and bypassing Vladislav he condemned him by saying that it was him who "brought the great Turk to Bosnia to the death and destruction of us all". The next day duke died. He was succeeded as herceg by his second and younger son Vlatko Hercegović , who struggled to retain as much of the territory he could. However, Blagaj , Kosača capital, fell in 1466, while Ključ fort between Nevesinje and Gacko

2640-496: A treaty issued in July 1394, Sigismund included Dabiša among the highest ranking Hungarian officials and named him ispán (count) of Somogy . Despite an auspicious start, Dabiša's reign ended with the kingdom displaying the first signs of decay. Much of Tvrtko's extraordinary legacy was lost in the summer of 1394, and the state resumed its previous boundaries. Dabiša left the state more dependent on Hungarian kings than ever before, and

2772-600: A war with the Serbian Despotate over the lucrative mining town of Srebrenica and its surroundings, in addition to (or in conjunction with) multiple conflicts with his father-in-law. Having failed to expand into Croatia proper , Thomas turned again to the east in 1458, arranging a match between his son Stephen Tomašević and the Serbian heiress Helena . His control over the remnants of the Serbian Despotate lasted merely

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2904-588: Is a subject of debate, particularly around its possible dualist teachings. It was accused by the Catholic and Orthodox authorities of heresy and being linked to the Bogomils (Patarenes). The Catholic church was slightly more dominant in towns and in the west and north of Bosnia. The Bosnian Church was present in Donji Kraji and the Drina river valley to some extent, but the majority of population remained Catholic, although most of

3036-579: The Bosnian Sanjak , and established a new, separate sanjak with its seat in Foča , Sanjak of Herzegovina . The very last remnants of Bosnian state territory were these stretches of land held by Vlatko in Hum, while he moved residence to his last capital, Novi . He also gave up his agreement with Ottomans, after just a few years or so, just about the same time when his younger brother, Stjepan, assumed highest office of

3168-590: The Komotin Castle , but he lost it all as soon as they retreated. In fact, he himself appears to have left with the troops on their way back to Hungary, as he is known to have resided at the court in Buda in 1435. Radivoj ceased being a threat when he lost Ottoman support that year, while Sandalj's death presented Tvrtko with a new and more vital rebellious vassal in the form of Sandalj's nephew and successor, Stjepan Vukčić Kosača . Thomas succeeded Tvrtko, but his accession

3300-563: The Kristjani . These developments prompted Stjepan to give followers and members of the Bosnian Church safe haven, and also to join the Ottomans in support of Bosnian anti-King Radivoj, Thomas' exiled brother, who was too Bosnian Church faithful and remained so in face of king's crusade against the church adherents. In 1443, the Papacy sent envoys to Thomas and Stjepan about a counter-offensive against

3432-684: The Nikolić , attempted to take further advantage of their royal relations and free themselves from subordinacy to the House of Kosača to become immediate vassals of the monarch. This may have been the reason for an uprising against Helen. She maintained a great deal of support in April, when Ragusa paid its tribute to her. The last to remain on her side were the Radivojević noble family, including Helen's grandson-in-law Juraj. By 10 May, however, her husband's kinsman Ostoja

3564-564: The Ottoman Empire . After the fall of Bosnia, Catherine, the queen-mother , escaped to Rome on horseback by fooling the Ottomans about which route she wanted to take. She stated that she was leaving the country to see her sons or to visit the Holy See . The rapid conquest of Bosnia, despite its inaccessible mountain fortresses, was unexpected, but many Bosnians were already aware of the impossible situation. If they were to fall, they preferred

3696-513: The Republic of Venice on behalf of Talovac's heirs. The earliest source mentioning Stephen by name dates from 30 April 1455, when Pope Callixtus III put the King of Bosnia and his son under his protection. King Thomas's ambitions for Stephen grew as he strived to establish closer relations with the Western world . In 1456, he asked the Pope to procure a bride for his son, specifying that she should be

3828-548: The Republic of Venice . In the same treaty Stjepan promised to pay regular tribute to Alfonso instead of paying the Ottoman sultan as he had done until then. In 1446 Stjepan Vukčić finally recognized Thomas as king, and the pre-war borders were restored. Peace between two rivals was sealed by the marriage of Stjepan's daughter Catherine (Katarina) and King Thomas in May 1446, with Catherine abandoning Bosnian Church and converting to Roman Catholicism. The Ottomans were displeased with

3960-526: The Treaty of Karlowitz , the province was down to four sanjaks (three of them diminished in size as well) and twelve captaincies. Before the Treaty of Passarowitz , another 28 military captaincies were formed, more than half of them along the frontier. This kind of intensive military administration corresponded to the Austrian Military Frontier on the other side of the same border. In 1703 the seat of

4092-456: The first Sunday following Easter . Following the presumably Catholic ceremony, the bride was known as Maria. He assumed the title of despot , despite the fact that the title was neither hereditary nor tied to a specific territory, but a grant from the Byzantine emperor . It is possible that his mother-in-law, a member of Byzantium's last imperial family, believed that she had the right to grant

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4224-521: The stanak ; as the royal power weakened, that of s tanak increased. Hungarian rulers perceived Bosnia as a country under their sovereignty during medieval time, however, Bosnian sovereignty and independence is nevertheless undeniable. Bosnian rulers acted completely independently in carrying out state and diplomatic affairs, governing the judicial system, granting towns and estates, minting coins, exploiting natural resources, and making trading agreements with other countries and independent cities. As

4356-642: The "Banate of Jajce" along with the Banate of Srebrenik and the Banate of Bihać. In Hungarian hands Jajce withstood Ottoman attacks until 1527, when it finally surrendered after a decisive Ottoman victory in the Battle of Mohács . Much of modern northern and western Bosnia and Herzegovina was then incorporated into the Ottoman Sanjak of Bosnia , initially belonging to the Rumelia Eyalet , when in 1580 Bosnian Sanjak became

4488-598: The 1390s, and that he had to beg the government of the Republic of Venice to allow him to take refuge in Dalmatia in case of an Ottoman attack. Immediately upon his accession, Stephen set out to resolve all disagreements within the royal family in order to strengthen his own position. His relations with his stepmother, the 37-year-old Queen Catherine, had been strained during his father's lifetime, but he now guaranteed that she would retain her title and privileges. Her father, Stjepan Vukčić Kosača , wrote to Venetian officials that

4620-517: The 1440s and 1450s and went on to conquer Hum, by then renamed to Herzegovina , with the last fortress, Novi , falling in December 1481. Stephen Tomašević , the last king of Bosnia, was captured by the Ottomans and killed in 1463. The overwhelming majority of the population was rural, with few significant urban centers. Among the more notable towns were Doboj , Jajce , Srebrenik , Srebrenica , Tešanj , and Podvisoki . Mining, especially for silver ,

4752-853: The Adriatic coast south of the Neretva River. During the late part of his reign, Bosnia became one of the strongest states in the Balkan Peninsula . However, feudal fragmentation remained important in Bosnia and the Bosnian nobility held significant power, exercising it at the Stanak meetings where members deliberated on matters such as election of the new king or queen and coronations , foreign policy, sale or cession of territory, contracting and signing treaties with neighboring countries, and military issues. The Ottoman Empire annexed portions of eastern Bosnia in

4884-445: The Bosnian nobility held significant power, exercising it at the Stanak meetings. The Stanak is the most common name used to refer to the assembly of nobility in medieval Bosnia , and it is first attested in the charter of Tvrtko I in 1354. Its influence peaked between the 1390s and the 1420s. The existence of the stanak proved a unity and feeling of belonging to a Bosnian identity and integrity, but also it illustrated weakness of

5016-800: The Bosnian royal court and who strived to concentrate as many soldiers and as much weapons as possible in the threatened kingdom. The authorities of the neighbouring Republic of Ragusa were enlisted to secure the support of the Albanian ruler Skanderbeg , who was subsequently allowed by the Venetians to pass with his army through Venetian Albania on their way to Bosnia. Venice itself promised no assistance, suggesting instead that Stephen and Kosača should trust in their own forces. Others, such as King Ferdinand I of Naples , cited domestic issues and offered nothing more than moral support . While doing everything possible to secure foreign aid, King Stephen found that there

5148-548: The Bosnian royal residence of Bobovac . He arrived to Smederevo , capital of the Eastern Orthodox despotate, during the Holy Week of 1459, and ascended the Serbian throne on 21 March. Michael Szilágyi , regent for the underage King Matthias, arrived at the head of an army to ensure that command over the town's fortress would be assumed by Stephen without any difficulties. Stephen's marriage to Helen took place on 1 April,

5280-442: The Bosnian throne, but the noblemen convoked a stanak , an assembly of noblemen, and elected Helen as Dabiša's successor. Not willing to engage the united nobility in war, Sigismund withdrew; the death of his wife Mary , heir of Hungary and cousin of Dabiša, made his position too precarious to attack in Bosnia, as did the defeat by the Ottomans at the Battle of Nicopolis . By mid-December 1395, Helen had consolidated her grasp on

5412-488: The Byzantine norm. At the peak of his power, he was "King of Bosnia , Serbia , Croatia , Hum , Usora , Soli , Dalmatia , and Donji Kraji ". In the last months of his reign, Tvrtko devoted himself to solidifying his position in Dalmatia and to plans for taking Zadar, the only Dalmatian city that had evaded his rule. He offered an extensive alliance to Venice, but it did not suit the republic's interests. Meanwhile, Tvrtko

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5544-509: The Conqueror was enraged by Stephen's insubordinance and audacity. The Pope recounts how, hearing of the Sultan's vow to conquer his kingdom and destroy him, Stephen summoned the Bishop of Modruš and blamed him for infuriating the Sultan. He commanded Nicholas to go to Hungary and seek immediate action against the Ottomans, but no help ever arrived to Bosnia from Christendom. Matthias, Skenderbeg and

5676-489: The Hungarian crown to the Ottoman Sultanate. Ostoja died in September 1418. Despite expectations that Tvrtko would take over, Ostoja's son Stephen was elected king. When the Ottomans invaded Bosnia in early 1420, Tvrtko once again accompanied them and installed himself as anti-king. Sandalj immediately declared for him. Fearing the Ottomans, Sandalj's example was soon followed by other noblemen. In June Tvrtko convoked

5808-663: The Hungarian throne in Buda with the rest of the Bosnian and Serbian nobility including Serbian Despot Stefan Lazarević . After that Tvrtko faded into obscurity and had no part in Bosnian affairs for several years. The first Ottoman troops attacked Bosnia in May 1414; in August they also brought the deposed monarch, Tvrtko, and set him up as anti-king . His alliance with the Ottomans may have been due to their mutual hostility towards Sigismund. Pavle Radenović immediately declared for Tvrtko, but no other major nobleman appears to have followed his example – not even Hrvoje. While Tvrtko hoped for an Ottoman victory, Ostoja expected that

5940-495: The Hungarians) that they went out to meet Mehmed and presented him with keys to the city. King Thomas died in July 1461. According to later accounts, Thomas's death was plotted by Stephen and Radivoj, and even Matthias and Mehmed were implicated. Historians dismiss these allegations, however, pointing out that the King had been ill since June. Stephen ascended the throne without difficulty. He ensured that his uncle would not contest

6072-528: The King "refused the tributes which his ancestors had long been used to pay the Ottomans and had stormed the town which the enemy had built at the confluence of Sava and Bosna to put fear into the Hungarians and Slavs." According to Chalkokondyles, Stephen invited the Ottoman ambassador to his treasure house and showed him the money set aside as tribute, but informed him that he would rather use it to fight off an Ottoman attack or to live off it in exile. Mehmed

6204-495: The King had "taken her as his mother", Vojača having already died by the time he ascended the throne. Kosača was the kingdom's most powerful nobleman, and had been engaged in a never-ending conflict with Stephen's father. Stephen Tomašević took the Venetians' advice to make peace with his stepgrandfather, thus finally ensuring the nobility's absolute support of their king. He then focused on improving Bosnia's economy, which became stronger than ever during his reign, and ensuring that

6336-812: The King that he would be done no harm if he surrendered, and sent him a document guaranteeing him freedom. With food supplies and ammunition running short, Stephen decided to surrender himself and his garrison to Angelović. Angelović, in turn, brought him, his uncle Radivoj and 13-year-old cousin Tvrtko before Mehmed in Jajce. Stephen sought to ingratiate himself with Mehmed by sending out orders to commanders and castellans to surrender, enabling his captor to take command of more than 70 towns in one week. Mehmed, however, had no intention of sparing Stephen's life and summoned him on 25 May. Stephen fearfully brought Angelović's document, but Mehmed's Persian-born mullah , Ali al-Bistami , issued

6468-400: The King's request for truce was granted, and that he tried to warn them about the deceit. Mehmed's army set out right after the envoys. Fortresses fell rapidly, and King Stephen fled with his family and possessions from Bobovac to Jajce. The Ottoman army under the leadership of Mahmud Pasha Angelović laid siege to Bobovac on 19 May, with the Sultan joining them the following day. Angelović

6600-462: The Ottoman Turks; the former resented losing their monopoly on trade, while the latter's poor relationship with Venice was the result of territorial disputes over Albania and Zeta . Ottomans proceeded to raid Bosnia in the spring of 1424 to make it clear to Tvrtko that close relations with Venice would not be tolerated. Tvrtko understood that Venice would not be able to provide him with help against

6732-664: The Ottoman navy as Ahmed Pasha Hercegović (around 1473) in Istanbul . After his marriage in 1474, he reconciled with his older brother Vladislav. Just before death of Sultan Mehmed II , Vlatko tried one more push to the heart of Bosnia, but abandoned by his allies his venture ended in disaster, after which he completely and finitely withdraws to his fortress in Novi. Meanwhile, all this, along with death of Mehmed II, prompted new sultan, Bayezid II , to overtake Novi and its harbor, along with whatever territory remained. In November 1481, Ajaz-Bey of

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6864-536: The Ottoman sultan Mehmed the Conqueror , which provoked an invasion. In May 1463, Mehmed marched into Bosnia, meeting little effective resistance, and captured Stephen, who was then beheaded. The execution marks the fall of the Kingdom of Bosnia to the Ottoman Empire. Born in 1438, Stephen hailed from the House of Kotromanić as one of the two known sons of the Bosnian prince Thomas by a commoner named Vojača . The other son died as an adolescent. Stephen's father

6996-465: The Ottomans and by Stjepan Vukčić Kosača. This alliance could have easily deposed Tvrtko II in Radivoj's favor if they wished, but it appears that their only goal was to weaken and divide Bosnia for their own future benefit. Notwithstanding, King Tvrtko II maintained himself on the Bosnian throne longer than any of the monarchs who followed Tvrtko I. He also did more to restore royal dignity and centralize

7128-583: The Ottomans to the Hungarians, who they saw as an age-long enemies. They offered their kingdom to Venice in return for aid, but when Venice refused, they preferred to remain under the Ottomans than the Hungarians. After the fall in 1463, herceg Stjepan Vukčić , lord of the Hum province in the south of the kingdom, lived for another three years, enough to see kingdom's complete demise, for which he blamed his eldest son Vladislav Hercegović . On 21 May 1466, old and terminally ill duke dictated his last words, recorded in

7260-405: The Ottomans, and thus slowly dismantled their alliance. In 1425, Tvrtko realized that he needed a strong ally in the event of further Ottoman attacks. The Ottomans responded with severe attacks that forced Tvrtko to accept their suzerainty and to agree to pay an annual tribute. In 1432, Stefan Lazarević's successor Đurađ , Sandalj, and the Ottomans helped Radivoj , the elder illegitimate son of

7392-410: The Ottomans, but not of the common people. He maintained an active correspondence with Pope Pius II , who forgave him for the loss of Serbia and worked with him to preserve Bosnia for Christendom . The Hungarian king was placated, but all Western monarchs contacted by Stephen refused to assist him. Confident that at least Matthias would come to his aid, Stephen refused to deliver the customary tribute to

7524-570: The Ottomans, but the two were in the middle of the civil war. Ivaniš Pavlović , sent by King Thomas, attacked Stjepan Vukčić. Thomas had at the same time been recognized by the Hungarian regent John Hunyadi . Stjepan turned to King Alfonso V of Aragon , who made him "Knight of the Virgin", but did not give him troops. On 15 February 1444, Stjepan signed a treaty with the King of Aragon and Naples, becoming his vassal in exchange for Alfonso's help against his enemies, namely King Thomas, Duke Ivaniš Pavlović and

7656-520: The Pope's urging, the Hungarian king would agree to provide him with military aid. On 17 November, the feast of Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus , who had been proclaimed " Defender of Bosnia" at royal request, the papal legate and newly appointed bishop Nicholas of Modruš crowned Stephen in the Church of Saint Mary in Jajce . It was the last coronation performed in Bosnia, as well as the only one performed with

7788-514: The Ragusans all failed to carry out their promises. In the spring of 1463, Mehmed gathered an army of 150,000 men in Adrianople and prepared to march towards Bosnia. In his despair, Stephen Tomašević turned to the Sultan himself and tried at the last moment to procure a 15-year-long truce with him. Konstantinović claimed that he was present when the Ottomans duped the Bosnian envoys into thinking that

7920-448: The Sanjak of Herzegovina besieged Novi, however, just before 14 December 1481 Vlatko gave up resisting, and agreed with the Ottomans to move with his family to Istanbul. This signified the ultimate disappearance of what was the last remaining independent point of the Bosnian state. So, the province endured for another fifteen years after Stjepan Vukčić's death, shrinking with time, before it

8052-411: The Serbian throne. This was made possible by the royal Nemanjić line having died out with Uroš in 1371. The crown was sent to him by Hungarian king Louis of Anjou . According to a plurality of recent works from scholars like Čošković, Anđelić, Lovrenović, and Filipović, the ceremony itself was conducted in Mile near Visoko in the church that was built during Stephen II Kotromanić 's reign, where he

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8184-499: The Turks by laying siege to their fortress of Hodidjed , in the middle of Bosnia. Aware that Smederevo could not withstand Mehmed's attack, Stephen surrendered the fortress on 20 June. The Ottoman proceeded to annex the rest of the Serbian state to their empire within a year. Following the fall of the town which Pope Pius II lamentably termed "the gateway to Rascia ", Stephen fled to Bosnia with his family and in-laws, seeking refuge at

8316-531: The ailing and childless King Tvrtko II decreed that Thomas should succeed him. The King died shortly after, in November 1443, and Stephen's father ascended the throne. King Thomas, raised as a member of the Bosnian Church , converted to Roman Catholicism in c. 1445; Stephen Tomašević later stated that he had been baptized into the Roman Catholic Church as a child, and that he had been taught Latin letters. At about that time, likely in order to allow for

8448-624: The allegation is unlikely to be based on fact. The Serbian-born janissary Konstantin Mihailović and the Byzantine Greek scholar Laonikos Chalkokondyles maintained Stephen's innocence and pointed out to the strength of the Ottoman army. Both state that the Serbs within Smederevo were so unhappy with Bosnian rule and convinced that the Ottomans would prevail (and grant them more religious tolerance than

8580-564: The beginning of Tvrtko's reign as more tumultuous than anything "since the Flood ", but he soon succeeded in uniting the country by bringing together his feuding vassals. Hungarian attacks on Bosnia took place annually, making Tvrtko's life "a constant hassle". In 1408, Sigismund defeated the Bosnian nobility and Tvrtko and in 1409 he restored Ostoja to the throne. One hundred and seventy minor noblemen were captured and killed in Dobor by being tossed over

8712-520: The beginning of the 15th century, the withdrawal of representatives of the Bosnian Church from political activities in the service of Hrvoje Vukčić allowed members of the Catholic Church to take up those seats, as recorded in a document of Juraj Vojsalić dated 12 August 1434. It was common for the Holy See to have Bosnian rulers renounce any relation to the Bosnian Church, or even perform conversions, in return for support. After Stephen Thomas started persecuting Bosnian Church followers, they responded in

8844-447: The best suited to succeed the Nemanjić dynasty. The Church, which was the strongest cohesive force among the Serbs at the time, did not support Tvrtko's aspirations in this regard. By 1390, Tvrtko had expanded his realm to include a part of Croatia and Dalmatia , and expanded his title to "King of The Serbs, Bosnia, Dalmatia, Croatia and the Littoral". Tvrtko's full title listed subject peoples and geographical dependencies, following

8976-484: The children from his first union. Stephen's two sisters were married off in 1451, and in 1453 Stephen too entered his father's considerations. Wishing to gain control over the allodial land of Petar Talovac , who had governed Croatia proper as ban on behalf of the Hungarian king, Thomas attempted to have Stephen marry Talovac's widow, Hedwig Garai. Kosača too hastened to marry the wealthy widow, leading to an armed conflict, but neither prevailed due to an intervention by

9108-399: The city walls. Tvrtko is said to have been captured as well, but this does not appear to be true, as he demanded the customary tribute from the Ragusans in February 1409. The hostilities continued until the end of November, with Tvrtko retreating southwards with his noblemen and resisting Hungarian attacks, which enabled Ostoja to reestablish control over Central Bosnia . Tvrtko remained on

9240-419: The coast and Orthodox monasteries in neighboring Serbia, possibly because of the indifference of Bosnian nobles towards formal religion. Medieval Bosnia and Herzegovina had three Christian faiths : Catholic and Orthodox Christians, and some who simply called themselves Bosnians, belonging to the so-called Bosnian Church . Most information about this church comes from outside sources and its exact nature

9372-404: The contempt of the Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus and other Christian rulers in Europe. Stephen succeeded his father on the throne following the latter's death in July 1461 and became the first Bosnian king to receive a crown from the Holy See . The kingdom's existence, however, was increasingly threatened by the Ottomans. King Stephen had the unanimous support of his noblemen in resistance to

9504-413: The court of his father. The King of Hungary accused Stephen and his family of selling Smederevo Fortress to the Ottomans "for a great weight of gold", and the Pope at first believed him. Pius's own investigation appears to have come to the conclusion that Stephen did not sell the fortress, as the Pope did not repeat the claim. Ottoman, Bosnian and Serbian sources say nothing about the supposed betrayal, so

9636-457: The crown, which Tvrtko was not able to reach. Following a few minor disputes with the maritime republics of Venice and Ragusa over Konavli and Pomorje , Tvrtko gained recognition as the legitimate king from both states. By 1406, Ostoja was losing what little support he had left in Bosnia, with the nobility now unanimously favouring Tvrtko, but the former king's decision to remain in the country continued to trouble Tvrtko. Ragusans described

9768-440: The deed. The threat seems to have worked, as Stjepan abandoned the siege. After King Thomas and Despot Đurađ reconciled sometime prior to late fall 1451, Ragusa proposed a league against Stjepan. Thomas' charter from 18 December 1451, apart from ceding of some of Stjepan's territories to Ragusa, who nevertheless firmly held those, also included the obligation that he would attack Vukčić. Stjepan Tomašević succeeded his father on

9900-468: The defense efforts, however, was the old conflict between Kosača and his son Vladislav Hercegović , which was resumed in the spring of 1462. Vladislav personally sought help from Mehmed later that year, and the Ottoman ruler eagerly accepted. Encouraged by Matthias's commitment to help and possibly by the Bishop of Modruš, Stephen Tomašević made an imprudent and fatal decision in June 1462. Pope Pius wrote in his diary that, "relying on one knows what hope",

10032-486: The discord. The Battle of Dobor saw Horvat's defeat and execution as well as the destruction of the eponymous town on the river Bosna by Sigismund's troops. Soon thereafter Dabiša submitted to Sigismund and resigned Croatia and Dalmatia to the Hungarian king and, with the agreement of his vassals, recognized him as his feudal overlord as well as heir designate to the Bosnian throne. It is not clear what prompted Dabiša to agree to such harsh terms. In return, as evident from

10164-484: The end of military reforms in Bosnia. Ultimately, exploiting the rivalries between beys and kapudans, the grand vizier succeeded in detaching the Herzegovinian forces, led by Ali-paša Rizvanbegović , from Gradaščević's. The revolt was crushed, and in 1833, a new eyalet of Herzegovina was created from the southern part of the eyalet of Bosnia and given to Ali-paša Rizvanbegović as a reward for his contribution in crushing

10296-545: The first years of his reign, Dabiša successfully maintained the integrity of the Kingdom. The latter part of his reign, however, saw the ascent of magnates and considerable loss of territories and influence. The nobility grew stronger and for the first time acted independently of the king, starting with the Zachlumian Sanković noble family . Dabiša curbed the Sanković power, but the trend was irreversible and eventually led to

10428-459: The fortresses Klis and Ostrovica , paramount to the defense of Dalmatia, might fall to the Ottomans if first taken over by the Bosnians. King Stephen wasted no time to solidify his relations with the Holy See . He sent a desperate plea to Pope Pius, asking him to send bishops, crusading weapons, and a coronation crown , as well as to be recommended to Matthias Corvinus. Stephen hoped that, with

10560-478: The friar Antun Knežević , who argued for leaving the bones where they had laid for centuries and constructing a small church at the site, the skeleton was placed in a glass coffin in the right aisle of the Franciscan monastery in Jajce . Kingdom of Bosnia The Kingdom of Bosnia ( Serbo-Croatian : Kraljevina Bosna / Краљевина Босна), or Bosnian Kingdom ( Bosansko kraljevstvo / Босанско краљевство),

10692-535: The heiress Maria of Serbia . Celebrated in April 1459, it made Stephen the ruler of the remnants of the neighbouring country. The intent was to unite the Kingdom of Bosnia and the Serbian Despotate under Stephen to combat the expanding Ottoman Empire . However, Stephen's Catholicism made him unpopular in Orthodox Serbia. After ruling it for merely two months, he surrendered it to the encroaching Ottoman forces and fled back to his father's court, which earned him

10824-479: The king's pre-eminence among Bosnia's feudal rulers. With Hrvoje and Pavle gone, and Sandalj preoccupied by conflict with Pavle's sons, Tvrtko was able to significantly expand the royal domain . In December 1422 Tvrtko signed a beneficial trade treaty with the Republic of Venice and discussed plans for joint military action against Sigismund in Dalmatia. Tvrtko's association with Venice bothered not only Ragusa, but also

10956-534: The kingdom's influence in the Balkans waned. In 1394, Dabiša's wife Helen agreed to Dabiša's decision to designate Sigismund as his heir. When Dabiša died on 8 September the following year, however, the leading noblemen – Grand Duke Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić , Prince Pavao Radinović , Duke Sandalj Hranić , and Juraj of Radivojević 's – refused to honor the agreement Dabiša had made with Sigismund. Sigismund raised an army and marched to nearby Syrmia to claim

11088-510: The long-deceased Ostoja, to lay claim to the throne and take control of much of the country. Tvrtko's only noteworthy support came from Hrvoje's nephew and successor, Juraj Vojsalić , and he managed to retain only central and northwestern Bosnia. Tvrtko retreated to Visoko , but soon found that Sandalj had become too ill to support Radivoj's cause. After years of pleading for their help, Tvrtko finally saw Hungarians march into Bosnia in mid-1434. They recovered for him Jajce , Hodidjed , Bočac and

11220-400: The monarch and decentralization of the state. The right to take part in the sessions of the s tanak was enjoyed by every Bosnian knez , from magnates to petty lords, collectively known as vlastela , but the ultimate authority belonged to the highest nobility. The stanak was convoked when required, usually by the ruler , who presided over it and led its sessions. If male, his wife

11352-402: The monarch held court: in Mile , Milodraž , Bobovac , Kraljeva Sutjeska and Jajce . The Stanak enjoyed power and authority on all matters, including election of the new king or queen and coronation , foreign policy, sale or cession of territory, contracting and signing treaties with neighboring countries, and military issues. Charters issued by monarchs reflected the decisions made by

11484-551: The most powerful Serbian noble at the time. After defeating Altomanović, they divided his lands, except for his littoral districts of Dračevica , Konavle , and Trebinje , which were seized by Đurađ I Balšić , the Lord of Zeta . Tvrtko received parts of Zahumlje , the upper reaches of the Drina and Lim rivers, and the districts of Onogošt and Gacko . This acquisition included the important Serbian Orthodox monastery of Mileševa , which held

11616-456: The neighbouring Croatia or Dalmatia. Angelović tirelessly pursued him, and caught up with him in Ključ . The Ottoman army was reportedly about to pass the city's fortress, not suspecting that the King was hiding within its walls, when a local man revealed his whereabouts in return for money. A four-day-long siege of the fortress ensued. Eager to capture him, Angelović had his messengers solemnly promise

11748-415: The onset that Stephen's reign in Serbia would be short-lived. The Ottoman sultan Mehmed the Conqueror considered Stephen's enthronement an unwarranted violation of his own rights, for the Ottomans too considered Serbia their vassal state. Mehmed promptly launched an attack on Smederevo in June, and there was no serious consideration of trying to defend it. King Thomas rushed to his son's aid, trying to divert

11880-514: The other. In the first half of 1448, Stjepan Vukčić, in an attempt to "bolster his case with the Ottomans", added the title of herzog and styled himself Herzog of Hum and the Coast, Grand Duke of Bosnia, Knyaz of Drina, and the rest , first documented in the spring of 1449. Later, toward the end of 1449 and the beginning of 1450, in a public relations stunt, he changed it to Herzog of Saint Sava, Lord of Hum, Grand Duke of Bosnia, Knyaz of Drina, and

12012-609: The pasha was moved from Sarajevo to Travnik , because Sarajevo had been destroyed by fire in the war; it wouldn't be moved back until 1850. At the beginning of the 19th century, Bosnia was one of the least developed and more autonomous provinces of the Empire. In 1831, Bosnian kapudan Husein Gradaščević , after meeting in Tuzla with Bosnian aristocrats from 20 January to 5 February for preparations, finally occupied Travnik , demanding autonomy and

12144-514: The peace as their interest lay primarily in weakening and dividing Bosnia. Serbian Despot Đurađ Branković was also displeased due to the Srebrenica issue, as the principal mining center of Bosnia returned to Bosnia. In 1448, the Ottomans sent an expedition to plunder King Tomaš's lands, but they also plundered Stjepan Vukčić's lands. Stjepan sent envoys to Despot Đurađ to try to improve the relations between himself on one side and Đurađ and Ottomans on

12276-650: The period, and the province reached its territorial peak in 1683. The Great Turkish War that ended in Ottoman defeat in 1699 led to a significant decrease in the territory of the Eyalet, losing all the Slavonian sanjaks ("Požeški sandžak" and "Pakrački sandžak"), the sanjak of Lika and big parts of the Dalmatian coast from the sanjaks of Klisa and Herzegovina. The Eyalet lost three sanjaks and suppressed one (the sanjak of Bihać): after

12408-469: The points of contention was Thomas recent conversion Catholicism, move that was deem potentially harmful to the Bosnian Church. And while Thomas' decision to convert was forced political maneuvering, albeit founded in sound reasoning with the saving of the realm on his mind, he also committed himself to demonstrate his devotion by engaging in religious prosecution against his recent fellow co-religionist, thus eventually proving his conversion to be detrimental to

12540-408: The population was without priests. When Vukosav Hrvatinić of Donji Kraji pledged allegiance to Stephen II and gained župa Banica and Vrbanja as a result, Bosnian Church officials were present as a guarantee of charter that confirmed those župas. The bans and kings of Bosnia were proclaimed Catholics during their reign, except for Ostoja , who showed some interest in the Bosnian Church while he

12672-532: The prospect of his son's marriage to a daughter of the Duke of Milan, Thomas came to an agreement with Helen: Stephen was to marry the eldest of her three daughters by Lazar, the c. 11-year-old Helen . The match was prestigious for Stephen not only because of the bride's descent from the Byzantine imperial family, but also because it brought the government of Serbia to the groom. The Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus agreed to Stephen's engagement with Helen – it

12804-559: The relics of Saint Sava , the first Serbian Archbishop. In 1377, Tvrtko took the littoral districts from Balšić. That year, on 26 October, he was crowned King of "The Serbs, Bosnia, the Primorje (Seaside), and the western lands". The acquisition of Serbian territory, including the important Monastery of Mileševa, combined with the fact that Tvrtko's grandmother had been a member of the Nemanjić dynasty , prompted Tvrtko into having himself crowned King of Serbia, thus asserting his pretensions to

12936-512: The rest . In 1451 Stjepan Vukčić attacked the Republic of Ragusa , and laid siege to the city . As he had earlier been made a Ragusan nobleman, the Ragusan government now proclaimed him a traitor. A reward of 15,000 ducats , a palace in Dubrovnik worth 2,000 ducats, and an annual income of 300 ducats was offered to anyone who would kill him. along with the promise of hereditary Ragusan noble status which also helped hold this promise to whoever did

13068-465: The rest of her life in the Empire. In 1888, the Croatian archeologist Ćiro Truhelka excavated bones in a settlement close to Jajce known as Kraljev Grob (meaning King's Tomb) and found the skeleton of a decapitated adult male. The head was placed on the chest, with two coins in the mouth . Though by no means certain, it was assumed that the skeleton belonged to Stephen Tomašević. Despite objection from

13200-579: The right to a "double crown": one for Bosnia, and the other for the Serbian lands of his Nemanjić ancestors. He was also King of Serbia, and in that way, legal basis for crowning was achieved, which was promoted even by his formal sovereign Louis I . Tvrtko's title as a king was also approved by Louis's successor, and Tvrtko's cousin, Mary, Queen of Hungary . Venice and Ragusa consistently referred to Tvrtko as King of Rascia , Ragusa even complaining, in 1378, about Tvrtko's preoccupation with his new kingdom. Tvrtko's coronation as King of Bosnia and Serbia

13332-473: The rights of Hungarian kings. Matthias went so far as to request that the Pope withdraw his support of Stephen. Pope Pius and Bishop John Vitéz mediated in the dispute between the kings of Bosnia and Hungary, but the negotiations did not proceed easily. The relations were finally repaired in the spring of 1462. Matthias was driven by the need to ransom the Crown of St Stephen from Emperor Frederick III , and Stephen

13464-483: The state than any other, leaving a strong mark on Bosnia's politics, economy, and culture. King Tvrtko II died in September 1443. childless, having expressed a wish to be succeeded by his politically inactive and until then rather obscure cousin Stephen Thomas , Radivoj's younger brother and likewise an illegitimate son of Ostoja. Meanwhile, like most Bosnian nobleman of the era, Stjepan Vukčić too considered himself

13596-426: The state would collect more profit from the flourishing metalworking trade. Problems rose soon already in the summer of 1461, when Pavao Špirančić , who governed Croatia as ban on behalf of the Hungarian king and frequently clashed with King Thomas, seized a border town. By late summer, Stephen and Kosača were preparing to strike him jointly and divide his territory between themselves. Venice objected, fearing that

13728-531: The strongest claim to the royal title at that time, and even if he had no practical means to rule Serbia, it allowed him to elevate Bosnia to a kingdom, as this would imply more formal independence. Tvrtko thus proclaimed himself the first King of Bosnia, claiming full legitimacy as the crown he took was sent from Pope Honorius III to Stefan the First-Crowned in 1217. A Serbian logothete named Blagoje, having found refuge at Tvrtko's court, attributed to Tvrtko

13860-527: The succession by generously endowing him with land. The new monarch assumed the pompous title inherited from Tvrtko I , the first Bosnian king, styling himself as, " by the Grace of God , King of Serbia, Bosnia, the Maritime Lands , Zachlumia , Dalmatia , Croatia , and the Western lands " – regardless of the fact that Serbia had by then become an Ottoman pashaluk , that Croatia had been lost to Hungary in

13992-434: The summer of 1421. He appears to have died soon after. Internal troubles forced the Ottomans to withdraw their troops from Bosnia, which enabled Tvrtko to strengthen his hold on the kingdom and for its economy to recover. Tvrtko's second accession had to be legitimized with a new coronation, which took place during a stanak in August 1421. Tvrtko's second reign was marked by his quick resolution to restore royal authority and

14124-466: The territories of the kingdom on 26 August 1406 at the request of Tvrtko II. Bosnia reached its peak under Tvrtko I, a member of the Kotromanić dynasty , who came to power in 1353. In 1372, Tvrtko formed an alliance with Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović , one of the regional lords in the territory of the disintegrated Serbian Empire . The next year, Tvrtko and Lazar attacked the domain of Nikola Altomanović ,

14256-488: The throne following the latter's death in July 1461 and became the first Bosnian king to receive a crown from the Holy See . Under Tomašević, Bosnia was left to fend for itself by his senior, Matthias Corvinus , who held nominal rule of Bosnia, and by other European powers. After the Ottomans laid siege on Jajce , Tomašević escaped to Ključ , fortress in the western territories of his realm, but Ottomans led by Mahmud Pasha Angelović pursued and caught up with him there. After

14388-437: The throne until mid-1409, when Ostoja prevailed. Sigismund's claim became untenable, but Bosnians acknowledged his overlordship over Ostoja; only Tvrtko refused to submit to the King of Hungary. He appears to have evaded capture by Hungarian troops by fleeing to the mountains of northern Zachlumia . Ostoja ended the decade-long dispute with the Hungarians by recognizing the suzerainty of the Hungarian crown and, in 1412, visiting

14520-484: The throne, and the pretender was killed by Sigismund's supporters in 1396, never having seriously threatened the Queen. The emancipation of Bosnian nobility reached a peak during Helen's reign. Having become virtually autonomous, her vassals engaged in internal warfare, which weakened Bosnia and precluded its participation in regional politics. By March 1398, Bosnia was beset by internal strife. It seems that Helen's family,

14652-457: The title in the absence of an emperor. Within a week of the wedding, Stephen exiled his wife's uncle from Serbia. King Thomas boasted to the Duke of Milan that his son had been made despot "with the agreement and will of all the Rascians ", but Stephen's regime was not particularly popular; chroniclers writing about his treatment of his wife's uncle cursed him as a schismatic . It was clear from

14784-475: The traditional stronghold in Visoko and in 1450 demolished the Franciscan monastery in Mile . However, it was quickly rebuilt. Thomas earned the nickname "damned king" for his actions against adherents of the Bosnian Church. Especially detrimental to the Kristjani were these developments, which in turn prompted Stjepan Vukčić Kosača to give followers and members of the Bosnian Church safe haven, and also to join

14916-602: The uprising. This new entity lasted only for a few years: after Rizvanbegović's death, it was reintegrated into the Bosnia eyalet. It was one of the first Ottoman provinces to become a vilayet after an administrative reform in 1865, and by 1867 it had been reformed into the Bosnia Vilayet . Bosnia Eyalet's capital city moved several times: King Stephen Toma%C5%A1evi%C4%87 Stephen Tomašević or Stephen II ( Serbo-Croatian : Stjepan/Stefan Tomašević , Стјепан/Стефан Томашевић ; c.  1438 – 25 May 1463)

15048-487: The weakening of the royal authority. Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić , the kingdom's leading magnate, came into agreement with Sigismund and Mary but remained loyal to Dabiša. By June 1394, Dabiša was in open conflict with John Horvat , a fervent supporter of Ladislaus and enemy of Sigismund. He ordered that men from his islands of Brač , Hvar , and Korčula assist in the siege of Omiš , a city ruled by Horvat. Sigismund, who had been amassing an army since April, took advantage of

15180-530: Was a major source of income for Bosnian kings. The Banate of Bosnia was a medieval state comprising, at its peak, most of what is today Bosnia and Herzegovina , as well as parts of Dalmatia (in Croatia ), Serbia , and Montenegro . Although nominally belonging to the Kingdom of Hungary crown lands , it was a de facto independent state. After the reign of Ban Kulin , rulers of Bosnia enjoyed virtual independence from Hungary, and although they formally held

15312-468: Was a medieval kingdom that lasted for nearly a century, from 1377 to 1463, and evolved out of the Banate of Bosnia , which itself lasted since at least 1154. Although Hungarian kings viewed Bosnia as under their sovereignty during this time, Bosnian sovereignty and independence in conducting its affairs is nevertheless undeniable. King Tvrtko I (r. 1353–91) acquired portions of western Serbia and most of

15444-453: Was allowed to attend, but his children were not. The Bosnian Church clergy, not belonging to the vlastela , were also barred, but influenced decision-making in the stanak through the great lords associated with them. The magnates of the country convoked the stanak themselves when the country experienced greater domestic issues, such as succession crisis or deposition of the ruler, domestic conflicts or wars. It normally took place wherever

15576-620: Was also buried alongside his uncle Stjepan II. In contrast, some earlier historiographers, mostly represented by western scholars, consider that he was crowned in the Orthodox Monastery of Mileševa by the Metropolitan of Mileševa. After the defeat of Altomanović, Lazar was the most powerful lord on the territory of the former Serbian Empire. He wanted to reunite the Serbian state, and the Serbian Orthodox Church saw him as

15708-519: Was also fostering relations with Albert III, Duke of Austria . By the late summer of 1390, a marriage was expected to be contracted between the recently widowed King and a member of the Austrian ruling family, the Habsburgs . The Hungarian kingdom remained the focus of Tvrtko's foreign policy, however. Although they did not recognize each other as kings, Tvrtko and Hungarian King Sigismund started negotiating

15840-464: Was an adulterine son of King Ostoja and a younger brother of Radivoj , who contested the rule of their cousin King Tvrtko II . Thomas was politically inactive and did not take part in the struggle between his brother and cousin, enabling his family to lead a quiet life in a period when the Ottomans tried to weaken the Kingdom of Bosnia by encouraging internal divisions . This all changed when

15972-404: Was cut off from the main part of his territory, although Vlatko's actions against Ottomans were mostly concentrated around this fort with limited success. Počitelj fell in 1471, however, herceg Vlatko already in 1470 realized that only radical change in his politics could bring him some release, so he pursued and achieved a peace with the Ottomans. In the same year, the Ottomans excluded Hum from

16104-433: Was enthroned as the new King of Bosnia. Ostoja was brought to power by the forces of Hrvoje Vukčić , who deposed Helen in 1398. In 1403 he sided with King Ladislaus of Naples against Sigismund. Ostoja led a war against the Republic of Dubrovnik , a Hungarian vassalage. In 1404, the Bosnian nobles under Hrvoje Vukčić replaced him with his brother Tvrtko II because of his pro-Hungarian views. He had to flee to Hungary after

16236-462: Was eventually swallowed by the Ottomans in December 1481, and incorporated into the empire as re-organized territory of already formed and renamed province, Sanjak of Herzegovina . The fortified Jajce , the capital of, at that point, all but completely annihilated kingdom, was captured by Hungarians under Matthias on 26 December 1463. Hungarians established a defensive territory between advancing Ottomans and their kingdom further north by constituting

16368-586: Was held in the fall of 1377 (probably 26 October, the feast day of Saint Demetrius ), and marked a significant event of Bosnian medieval history, although contemporary sources about the coronation are very rare. The Royal Charter issued to the Ragusan commune on 10 April 1378 stands as one of the key sources for understanding the position of medieval Bosnian banate and its transformation to the kingdom, as well as information about economic activity between Bosnia and Ragusa, and proof of Bosnian independence. Feudal fragmentation remained important feature in Bosnia and

16500-496: Was in his interest to create a strong buffer zone between his realm and the Ottoman Empire by uniting the Kingdom of Bosnia and the Despotate of Serbia, which he considered Hungary's vassal states , under Stephen Tomašević. The Diet of Hungary confirmed Stephen Tomašević's right to Serbia in January 1459. Stephen, accompanied by his uncle Radivoj, duly set out for Serbia but narrowly escaped imprisonment during an Ottoman raid on

16632-560: Was little will to resist within the country. He complained to Pope Pius that the local population leaned towards the Ottomans, which may have been due to increased exploitation and incessant warfare (as opposed to a stable Ottoman regime). The previously tacit discontent of forcefully converted elders of the Bosnian Church became prominent. According to a contemporary, Stephen generously bestowed gifts and honors in order to inspire loyalty, and awarded fortified towns to untrustworthy people, even including former "heretics". The greatest blow to

16764-528: Was not as strong as it could have been. Pope Pius's claim that adherents of the Bosnian Church betrayed the kingdom is groundless. Stephen Tomašević's half-siblings were taken to Constantinople and converted to Islam. Queen Catherine, his stepmother, left for the Papal States and unsuccessfully campaigned for the restoration of the kingdom; Bosnia only ceased to be part of the Ottoman Empire in 1908, 445 years after Stephen's death. His widow, Queen Maria, spent

16896-447: Was not recognized by the leading magnate of Bosnia, Stjepan Vukčić Kosača. The two engaged in a civil war which ended when Thomas repudiated his wife Vojača and married the insubordinate nobleman's daughter Catherine . Thomas and his second wife, both raised in the Bosnian Church tradition, converted to Roman Catholicism and sponsored the construction of churches and monasteries throughout Bosnia. Throughout his reign, Thomas waged

17028-414: Was obliged to contribute. In return for the Hungarian king's good graces, Stephen was also required to cede certain towns, swear fealty and to refuse to pay tribute to the Ottomans. By the spring of 1462, it was known that Mehmed had decided to conquer Bosnia. Stephen and Kosača desperately sought help from Christian rulers. The King maintained contact with the Pope, who had his legates stay permanently at

17160-482: Was on the throne, and Radivoj the exiled anti-King, who was openly Bosnian Church faithful and remained so in face of king's crusade against the church adherents. There were, however, several important noblemen who were members of the Bosnian Church, called " Krstjani ", such as Hrvoje Vukčić , the Radinović-Pavlović family, Sandalj Hranić , Stjepan Vukčić , and Paul Klešić. Conversions were sometimes used as

17292-427: Was tasked with capturing the King. Believing that Bobovac could withstand the siege for two years, Stephen planned to assemble an army in Jajce, still counting on foreign aid. He sent his wife with their possessions to Dalmatia, while his stepmother took the rest to Ragusa. Contrary to Stephen Tomašević's expectations, Bobovac fell within days. The King had already realized that he had no choice but to take refuge in

17424-566: Was the last sovereign from the Bosnian Kotromanić dynasty , reigning as Despot of Serbia briefly in 1459 and as King of Bosnia from 1461 until 1463. Stephen's father, King Thomas , had great ambitions for him. An attempt to expand into Croatia by marrying Stephen to a wealthy noblewoman failed, and negotiations for a marital alliance with the Sforzas of Milan were abandoned when a more prestigious opportunity presented itself: marriage to

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