Tvrtko I: The First King of Bosnia

Tvrtko I was one of the most remarkable rulers of medieval Bosnia and Southeast Europe. He rose from a minor provincial lord to a powerful king who expanded his realm to include large parts of Croatia, Dalmatia, Serbia and Montenegro. He also claimed the title of King of Serbs and Bosnia, following the collapse of the Serbian Empire. His reign was marked by political and military achievements, cultural and religious diversity, and economic prosperity. But who was Tvrtko I and how did he manage to create such a formidable state in a turbulent region?
Tvrtko was born around 1338 as the son of Vladislav Kotromanić and Jelena Šubić, members of two influential noble families in Bosnia and Croatia. He was a descendant of Ban Kulin, the legendary founder of the House of Kotromanić and the first ruler to recognize the Bosnian Church as an independent religious community. Tvrtko’s uncle, Stephen II, was the Ban of Bosnia, a title that meant he was a vassal of the Hungarian king but also enjoyed a high degree of autonomy. When Stephen II died in 1353, Tvrtko inherited his position as Ban, but he was still a minor and had to face several challenges to his authority.

Adversity to Authority
The first challenge came from his own father, Vladislav, who tried to usurp his son’s power and rule as regent. Tvrtko’s mother, Jelena, opposed Vladislav and sought the support of the Hungarian king, Louis I, who confirmed Tvrtko’s rights as Ban. Vladislav soon died in mysterious circumstances and Jelena became Tvrtko’s regent until he came of age. The second challenge came from King Louis himself, who invaded Bosnia in 1357 and forced Tvrtko to recognize him as his overlord and pay tribute. Tvrtko had no choice but to accept these terms, but he also used this opportunity to strengthen his ties with Louis and gain his protection against other enemies.
The third challenge came from some of Tvrtko’s own nobles, who rebelled against him in 1365 and deposed him in favour of his distant relative, Vuk. This coup was supported by King Louis, who wanted to weaken Tvrtko’s power and increase his own influence in Bosnia. However, Tvrtko managed to escape from captivity and rallied his loyal supporters, including his cousin Elizabeth Kotromanić, who later married Louis’ brother Stephen. With their help, Tvrtko regained his throne in 1366 and reconciled with Louis, who restored his vassalage and granted him additional lands.

Tvrtko’s Achievements
After overcoming these difficulties, Tvrtko embarked on a series of ambitious expansionist campaigns that transformed his small kingdom into a regional power. He took advantage of the death of Emperor Uroš V in 1371, who was the last ruler of the Serbian Empire and also a distant relative of Tvrtko. The Serbian Empire disintegrated into several feudal states that competed for supremacy and were vulnerable to external threats. Tvrtko saw this as an opportunity to assert his claim to the Serbian throne and to annex some of the former imperial territories.
In 1373, he conquered some remnants of the Serbian Empire in western Macedonia and Kosovo. He also allied himself with Lazar Hrebeljanović, the most powerful Serbian lord who ruled over central Serbia. Together they defeated Nikola Altomanović, another Serbian lord who controlled much of western Serbia and parts of Bosnia and Montenegro. In 1377, Tvrtko crowned himself as King of Serbs and Bosnia in Mile near Visoko, with the blessing of the Serbian Patriarch. He adopted the imperial symbols and titles of his Nemanjić predecessors and claimed to be their rightful heir.
Tvrtko’s expansion was not limited to Serbia. He also turned his attention to the Adriatic coast, where he sought to gain access to trade routes and maritime resources. He gained control over most of Hum (or Zahumlje), a coastal region that stretched from Dubrovnik to Kotor. He also conquered Travunia (or Trebinje), another coastal region that bordered Hum. He established new settlements along the coast and started building a navy that could challenge Venice’s dominance in the Adriatic Sea.
In 1382, King Louis died without leaving a male heir. His daughter Mary succeeded him as Queen of Hungary and Croatia, but she faced a strong opposition from some of the Hungarian and Croatian nobles who supported her cousin Charles of Durazzo. A civil war broke out between the two factions, and Tvrtko decided to intervene on Mary’s side. He hoped to gain her favor and to secure his own interests in the region. He launched a series of attacks on the lands of Charles’ supporters, especially in Slavonia, Dalmatia and Croatia proper. He conquered several towns and fortresses, including Knin, Skradin, Ostrovica, Klis, Skrad, Senj and Vinodol. He also besieged Zadar, but failed to capture it.
Tvrtko’s conquests reached their peak in 1390, when he controlled most of the Croatian coast and hinterland. He also extended his influence over the Dalmatian islands, such as Hvar, Brač, Korčula and Mljet. He granted autonomy and privileges to some of the coastal cities, such as Dubrovnik and Kotor, in exchange for their loyalty and tribute. He also recognized the Republic of Ragusa as his vassal state. He styled himself as King of Serbs, Bosnia, Dalmatia, Croatia and the Littoral.
Tvrtko’s realm was not only large but also diverse. It encompassed different ethnic groups, languages, cultures and religions. Tvrtko himself was a Roman Catholic, but he also respected the Bosnian Church, the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Islamic faith. He maintained cordial relations with all the religious communities in his realm and protected their rights and freedoms. He also promoted trade, commerce, mining, agriculture and crafts in his kingdom. He issued coins with his name and image in both Latin and Cyrillic scripts. He patronized art, literature and architecture. He built several churches and monasteries, such as the Church of Saint Nicholas in Visoko and the Monastery of Saint Sava in Mileševa.

Imperilled Rule
Tvrtko’s reign was not without challenges. He had to face several external threats, especially from the Ottoman Turks who were expanding their empire in the Balkans. The Ottomans launched their first attacks on Bosnia during Tvrtko’s reign, but his army was able to repel them. Tvrtko also supported Prince Lazar in his resistance against the Ottomans. In 1389, he sent troops to join Lazar’s coalition at the Battle of Kosovo, where they fought bravely but suffered a heavy defeat. Tvrtko’s claim to Serbia became a mere fiction after this battle, as most of the Serbian lords became vassals of the victorious Ottoman sultan.
Tvrtko also had to deal with some internal problems, such as rebellions by some of his nobles who resented his authority or sought more autonomy. He also faced a succession crisis, as he had no legitimate sons to inherit his throne. He had at least one illegitimate son, Tvrtko II, who later became king of Bosnia, but he was not widely accepted by the nobility or the clergy. Tvrtko tried to secure his succession by marrying Dorothea of Bulgaria, a daughter of Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria and a sister of Tsar Ivan Shishman of Bulgaria. However, this marriage did not produce any children.
Tvrtko died suddenly in 1391 at the age of 52 or 53. He was buried in Mile near Visoko, where he had been crowned as king. His death marked the end of an era in Bosnian history. He was succeeded by Dabiša, one of his relatives and generals, who was elected by the nobility as king of Bosnia. However, Dabiša could not maintain Tvrtko’s legacy or prevent the decline of his realm.

Conclusion
Tvrtko I is widely considered one of Bosnia’s greatest medieval rulers. He enlarged the country’s borders to their greatest extent ever achieved by any Bosnian ruler before or after him. He left a strong economy and improved the living standards of his subjects. He fostered a culture of tolerance and diversity that reflected his own personality and vision. He was a visionary leader who dreamed of creating a powerful state that could rival other European kingdoms.

References

– Tvrtko I of Bosnia – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tvrtko_I_of_Bosnia 
– Tvrtko I | ruler of Bosnia | Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tvrtko-I 
– Tvrtko I of Bosnia | Detailed Pedia. https://www.detailedpedia.com/wiki-Tvrtko_I 
– Fine, J. V. A. (1994). The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest. University of Michigan Press.
– Malcolm, N. (1996). Bosnia: A Short History. New York University Press.

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