Stephen I of Bosnia

Kotroman (1242–1314) was a Bosnian Ban from 1287 to 1290 jointly with Ban Prijezda II and 1290-1314 alone as a vassal of the Kingdom of Hungary. Internally, he was a vassal of the Banate of Croatia. The Bosnian ruling dynasty House of Kotroman is named after him, with his patronymic. He is also sometimes referred to as "Stephen Kotroman" or "Stephen I Kotroman", being the first of the Kotromans that was "Stephen", deriving from the Greek word "Stephanos" meaning "crowned". Kotroman took the nickname "Stephen" to emulate his power. He was allegedly a Serbian Orthodox or Roman Catholic Christian of German origin. He might have been the son of Bosnian Ban Prijezda I.

Origin

His ancestry is not known precisely. It is believed that he was the son of a German nobleman in the service of German knight "Gotfrid", founder of the family "Kelad" who went to strengthen Hungarian hold in Bosnia in 1162 or 1163. This German nobleman signed with Hungarian King Stephen IV of the House of Arpad the edicts for Bosnia in the Split Church in 1163. Apparently, the Hungarian King Stephen III invited him to place him as a regional ruler in Hungary's name because of his ancestor's successes. Kotroman ruled as a vassal of this King. The Dubrovnik Archives from the 15th century refer to him as "Cotrumano Goto". Kotroman might have been the son of Bosnian Ban
Prijezda I.

Life

Before Ban

Since 1287, when his father, Ban Prijezda I withdraw from power, Kotroman ruled jointly as Ban of Bosnia with another son of Prijezda I, Prijezda II. Kotroman separated the country with Prijezda II, and took eastern Bosnia. After the death of Prijezda II, Kotroman became the sole Ban of Bosnia in 1290.

Marriage

In 1284 he married Orthodox Princess Jelisaveta (or Elizaveta) of, daughter of the King of Syrmia, Stefan Dragutin of the House of Nemanja, and Queen Catherine, daughter of Hungarian King Stephen V and Elizabeth the Cuman. Dragutin had already controlled two banates in Bosnia: Usora and Soli and Kotroman immediately fell under his influence – many of his acts were of Dragutin's command. The marriage was political and arranged by Ban Prijezda II who had attempted to forge an alliance with Stefan Dragutin.

Hungarian War of Succession

In 1290 Hungarian King Ladislaus IV died and left no heirs to the throne. The changes in Hungary where important for Kotroman, as they decided his future liege. The cousin of Ladislaus IV, Andrews III the Venetian was crowned King. Although, sister of the former King Ladislaus IV, Maria, who was married to King of Naples Karlo II of Angevin, wanted her son, Karlo Martel as the new King in Hungary. The latter party had much more support, so Pope Nicholas IV had crowned Karlo Martel as King Karlo Martel of Hungary. This movement was supported by the most powerful Croatian nobility, the Šubićs, Princes of Bribir. As the current head of the family, Paul Šubić was also son-in-law of King Stefan Dragutin, family connection have made Kotroman support Karlo Martel's crowning. To increase his influence in Kotroman's realm, Karlo Martel issued numerous edicts to split the land among the lesser gentry to gain support for his reign. It appears that he gave the reign over Bosnia to the Šubićs. Karlo Martel died unexpectedly in 1295, before the campaign to cease the power in Hungary was finished. The Queen of Naples and wife of former King Ladislaus IV, Maria had then decided to put her grandson, son of Karlo Martel, Karlo Roberto as the future King of Hungary. Pope Bonifacio III declared the twelfe-year-old boy as King Charles I of Hungary in 1297. Paul Šubić of Croatia declared himself as "Dominus of Bosnia" in 1299 and gave the title of Bosnian Ban to his brother, Mladen I Šubić. All of Kotroman's land except for the Lower Edges which was ruled by Prince Hrvatin Stjepanić as a vassal of the Šubićs, was held by the House of Šubić; as was confirmed by King of Naples Karlo II Roberto. Paul Šubić wanted to bring King Karlo II Roberto to Split across Croatia to Zagreb, which would the main station of his campaign against King Andrews III of Hungary. During the preparations for war, Andrews III died unexpectedly. Karlo Roberto assessed the Hungarian throne, but had to fight numerous opponents to his regime up to 1309.

Bosnian Civil War

Stephen Kotroman had resisted tho growth of Šubićs' power in Bosnia, but had lost by 1302 most control over the land to Mladen I Šubić. Although, Kotroman was not defeated as he still had some influence and power in Bosnia. His father-in-law Stefan Dragutin could not send him aid since a War of the Succession had erupted in Rascia between him and his brother, the powerful Serb King Stefan Milutin. Additionally, during the problems over the Hungarian Crown, Dragutin had attempted to insert his son Vladislav as the new King of Hungary. Vladislav was married to Constance Morosini, a relative of Hungarian King Andrews III; so he had the same rightful claims to the Hungarian Throne. Despite the many difficulties, Stephen Kotroman had held out. The war turned into religious conflict, as Mladen I Šubić had started a campaign to exterminate the adherents of the Bosnian Church – the Bogumils. This balanced the conflict in Kotroman's favour, as number of Bogumils had joined his side because of this. Kotroman's Bogumils had killed Mladen in a battle in 1304. He was inherited by, Mladen II Šubić, but this ruler was not a very capable one, so Paul Šubić himself had to lead an Army to crush the resistance in Bosnia. In 1305 Paul proclaimed himself "Lord of All Bosnia".

End of reign

Paul's reign does not last long as he dies in 1312. The disappointed Ban Stephen Kotroman died in 1314, before he managed to act.

Children

He had five children:
* Vladislav
* Ninoslav
* Stephen
* another son
* Katarina, married Prince Nikola of Zahumlje in 1338
* Marija

Stephen II was to succeed Kotroman as Bosnian Ban; but had to flee to the Republic of Dubrovnik to hide from the Šubićs with his brothers and their mother, Jelisaveta of Nemanja. Stephen was an Orthodox Serb Fact|date=May 2008 as was his family Fact|date=May 2008, but the religious doctrine would be abandoned as his son & successor Stephen II, converts to Catholicism in the later stages of his rule. Fact|date=May 2008

ee also

*List of rulers of Bosnia
*History of Bosnia and Herzegovina
*History of Hungary
*History of Croatia
*List of Bosnians
*Šubićs

External links

* [http://www.rastko.org.yu/rastko-bl/istorija/corovic/istorija/index_l.html History of the Serbs] , by Vladimir Ćorović (in Serbian)
* [http://www.rastko.org.yu/istorija/zfajfric-kotromanici.html House of Kotroman] (in Serbian)

References

*Ćorović, Vladimir (2005). "ИЛУСТРОВАНА ИСТОРИЈА СРБА", Book II, Politika.
*"Intervju - ДИНАСТИЈЕ и владари јужнословенских народа". Special Edition 12, 16 June 1989.
*Veselinović, Andrija & Ljušić, Radoš (2001). "Српске династије", Platoneum.