Grand Duke of Bosnia (, ) was a court title in the Bosnian medieval state, with its first holders being recorded around the middle of the 14th century. The title was bestowed by the monarch to its highest military commander, rarely two, usually reserved for the most influential and most capable among the highest most prominent Bosnian nobility highest Bosnian nobility. It was very much different from the

Grand duke Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. The title is used in some current and former independent monarchies in Europe, particularly: * in ...

title found in Europe at the time. To interpret it as an office post rather than a court rank could be equally accurate, and although it was retained for life by a nobleman who gained it, it was not meant to be hereditary, at least not at first. although it was not hereditary at first, it served both purposes and was retained for life by a nobleman who gained it. However, in the last several decades of the Bosnian medieval state it became hereditary, which means it became more than just an office or a court rank.

History

Unlike usage in Western Europe or Central Europe, as well as in various Slavic lands from Central to North-East Europe, where analogy between

grand duke Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. The title is used in some current and former independent monarchies in Europe, particularly: * in ...

and grand prince was significant, with both titles corresponding to sovereign lower than king but higher than duke, in the

Kingdom of Bosnia The Kingdom of Bosnia ( / Краљевина Босна), or Bosnian Kingdom (''Bosansko kraljevstvo'' / Босанско краљевство), was a medieval kingdom that lasted for nearly a century, from 1377 to 1463, and evolved out of the ...

the title of grand duke corresponded more to the Byzantine military title '' megas doux''. Generally, the Slavic word ''knez'' often referred to the ruler, sometimes analogous to the king, thus ''veliki knez'' was more like a high king than a grand duke. In that sense, although like in the rest of South Slavic neighbouring states and among its nobility, in Bosnia also existed the title ''knez'' and ''veliki knez'', nominally analogous to prince and grand prince, it was ranked as a medium to major feudal landlord, with corresponding influence in the Bosnian

Stanak ''Stanak'' is the most common name used to refer to the assembly of nobility in medieval Bosnia. The assembly, in the original Bosančica: (), was also known as the ''Rusag'' (from the Hungarian word ''orszag'', meaning "state" or "nation"), ' ...

(also ''Great Bosnian Rusag'' (), ''Whole of Bosnia'' ()), which was institute of assembly of all Bosnian nobility, regardless of rank and status. However, in neighbouring countries, title duke, in Slavic ''vojvoda'', also had military signification, but in that sense "grand duke" was specifically, even exclusively, a Bosnian title. Accordingly, the title ''Grand Duke of Bosnia'' was explicitly given by Bosnian rulers, whether ban, king or queen, to their highest-ranking military commander. As such, it was an actually more like an office rather than a court rank, although it was also a grade in the court order of precedence, and was often held by one individual at the time, rarely two.

Title-holders

Some of the most significant title-holders were: *

Vlatko Vuković }; died between August 1392 and August 1393) was a 14th-century Bosnian nobleman who held the titles of the '' vojvoda humski'' (duke of Hum) and Grand Duke of Bosnia. He distinguished himself as one of the best military commanders of King Tvrtko ...

(1380–until death in 1392) *

Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić (c. 1350–1416) was a medieval Bosnian nobleman and magnate, Grand Duke of Bosnia, Knez of Donji Kraji, and Duke of Split. He was the most prominent member of the Hrvatinić noble family, and one of the major feu ...

(1380–until death in 1416) * Petar Pavlović (until death in March 1420) * Radislav Pavlović (from 1420, first recorded 1427) *

Sandalj Hranić Sandalj Hranić Kosača ( cyrl, Сандаљ Хранић Косача; 1370 – 15 March 1435) was a powerful Bosnian nobleman whose primary possessions consisted of Hum, land areas between Adriatic coast, the Neretva and the Drina rivers ...

(1392–until death in 1435) *

Stjepan Vukčić Kosača Stjepan Vukčić Kosača (1404–1466) was a powerful Bosnian Nobility, nobleman who was politically active from 1435 to 1466; the last three decades of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Middle Ages, Bosnian medieval history. During this period, ...

(1435–until death in 1466) *

Ivaniš Pavlović Ivaniš Pavlović ( sr-cyr, Иваниш Павловић; June 1423 – November 1450) was a ''Knyaz, knez'' and later a Grand Duke of Bosnia from the noble family of Pavlović noble family, Pavlović, who had their estates in the eastern parts o ...

* Vladislav Hercegović (first recorded 1469–1482)

References

{{reflist Kingdom of Bosnia Titles of national or ethnic leadership Court titles of medieval Bosnia Military ranks of medieval Bosnia

History

Title-holders

See also

Further reading

References