Bosnia (Early Middle Ages)

In the Early Middle Ages, Bosnia (Greek: Βοσωνα/Bosona, Serbo-Croatian: Bosna) was an entity (called a "small country") of the Serbian principality, which may have been independent at times.

The western Balkans had been reconquered from "barbarians" by Byzantine Emperor Justinian (r. 527–565). Sclaveni (Slavs) raided the western Balkans, including Bosnia, in the 6th century.^[1] The De Administrando Imperio (DAI; ca. 960) mentions Bosnia (Βοσωνα/Bosona) as a "small/little land" (or "small country",^[2] χοριον Βοσωνα/horion Bosona) part of Serbia,^[3] having been settled by Serbs along with Zahumlje and Travunija (both with territory in modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina);^[4] it was referred to only once, at the end of the 32nd chapter on the Serbs (a chapter overall drawn from older writings).^[2] This is the first mention of a Bosnian entity; it was not a national entity, but a geographical one, mentioned strictly as an integral part of Serbia.^[2] In the Early Middle Ages, Fine, Jr. believes that what is today western Bosnia and Herzegovina was part of Croatia, while the rest was divided between Croatia and Serbia.^[4] Historical and archaeological information on early medieval Bosnia is inadequate.^[5] Bosnia included two inhabited towns^[6] according to DAI, Katera and Desnik.^[7] Katera has been identified as Kotorac near Sarajevo, however, according to Bulić 2013 archaeology refutes this; it may have been Kotor Varoš (the site of Bobac or Bobos), although it only includes late medieval findings to date.^[6] Desnik remains unidentified, but was thought to be near Dešanj.^[6] If DAI's kastra oikoumena does not designate inhabited towns, but ecclesiastical centres (as theorized by T. Živković), the towns might be Bistua (Zenica or Vitez) and Martar (Mostar or Konjic).^[6] Expert historians have established that the medieval Bosnian polity stretched from the Sarajevo field in the south to the Zenica field in the north, the eastern boundary being the Prača valley towards the Drina, the western along the Lepenica and Lašva valleys.^[2] After the death of Serbian ruler Časlav (r. ca. 927–960), Bosnia seems to have broken off the Serbian state and became politically independent.^[8] Bulgaria briefly subjugated Bosnia at the turn of the 10th century, after which it became part of the Byzantine Empire.^[8] In the 11th century, Bosnia was part of the Serbian state of Duklja.^[8]

See also

• Banate of Bosnia

References

Sources

• Bulić, Dejan (2013). The Fortifications of the Late Antiquity and Early Byzantine Period. The World of the Slavs: Studies of the East, West and South Slavs: Civitas, Oppidas, Villas and Archeological Evidence (7th to 11th Centuries AD). Istorijski institut. ISBN 978-86-7743-104-4. 
• Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (1967). De Administrando Imperio (Moravcsik, Gyula ed.). Washington D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies.  (Primary)
• Fine, John Van Antwerp, Jr. (1991). The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-08149-3. 
• Kaimakamova, Miliana; Salamon, Maciej (2007). Byzantium, new peoples, new powers: the Byzantino-Slav contact zone, from the ninth to the fifteenth century. Towarzystwo Wydawnicze "Historia Iagellonica". ISBN 978-83-88737-83-1. 

Further reading

• Ćorović, Vladimir (1935). "Teritorijalni razvoj bosanske države u srednjem vijeku". Glas SKA. Belgrade (167): 10–13. 
• Mrgić, Jelena (2004). "Rethinking the territorial development of the medieval Bosnian state". Historical Review. Istorijski institut SANU. LI: 46–53. ISSN 0350-0802. Retrieved 2012-09-12. 
• Živković, Tibor (2002). Јужни Словени под византијском влашћу, 600-1025. Čigoja štampa. 
• Živković, Tibor (2008). Forging unity: The South Slavs between East and West 550-1150. Belgrade: Istorijski institut SANU. ISBN 978-86-7558-573-2.