The Ottoman conquest of Bosnia and Herzegovina was a process that started roughly in 1386, when the first Ottoman attacks on the
Kingdom of Bosnia took place. In 1451, more than 65 years after its initial attacks, the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
officially established the Bosansko Krajište (Bosnian Frontier), an interim borderland military
administrative unit
Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
, an Ottoman frontier, in parts of
Bosnia and
Herzegovina. In 1463, the Kingdom fell to the Ottomans, and this territory came under its firm control. Herzegovina gradually fell to the Ottomans by 1482. It took another century for the western parts of today's Bosnia to succumb to Ottoman attacks, ending with the capture of
Bihać
Bihać ( cyrl, Бихаћ) is a city and the administrative centre of Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of river Una in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovin ...
in 1592.
Origins and etymology
The entire territory that is today known as
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
was not conquered by the Ottoman Empire at once, in a single battle; rather, it took the Ottoman Empire several decades to conquer it.
Military units of the Ottoman Empire made many raids into feudal principalities in the western Balkans at the end of the 14th century, some of them into territory of today's Bosnia and Herzegovina, long before the conquest of the Bosnian Kingdom. The first Ottoman raids led by Timurtash-Pasha happened in the eastern parts of Bosnia in 1384. The
Battle of Bileća in 1388 was the first battle of the Ottoman army on the territory of today's
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
.
It soon won important victories against the regional feudal lords in the
Battle of Marica (1371) and
Battle of Kosovo (1389).
In 1392, the Ottomans established the
Skopsko Krajište
Heineken N.V. is a Dutch brewer which owns a worldwide portfolio of over 170 beer brands, mainly pale lager, though some other beer styles are produced. The two largest brands are Heineken and Tecate; though the portfolio includes Amstel, Fo ...
following the capture of
Skopje
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and List of cities in North Macedonia by population, largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Sk ...
, the capital of the
Serbian Empire
The Serbian Empire ( sr, / , ) was a medieval Serbian state that emerged from the Kingdom of Serbia. It was established in 1346 by Dušan the Mighty, who significantly expanded the state.
Under Dušan's rule, Serbia was the major power in the ...
between 1346-1371; the term ' () had originally served as an administrative unit of the Serbian Empire or
Despotate
Despot or ''despotes'' ( grc-gre, δεσπότης, despótēs, lord, master) was a senior Byzantine Empire, Byzantine Byzantine aristocracy and bureaucracy, court title that was bestowed on the sons or sons-in-law of reigning emperors, and initi ...
to designate border regions where the emperor or despot had not established solid and firm control due to raids from hostile neighboring provinces. The militarized territories that would later receive the name Bosansko Krajište (lit. ''Bosnian Frontierland'') were thus governed by the same Ottoman administration, based in Skopje.
War with the Bosnian Kingdom
After the death of
King Tvrtko I in 1391, the Bosnian Kingdom went into decline. In the 1410s, local noblemen
Hrvoje Vukčić
Hrvoje is a Croatian male ethnic first name derived from "Hrvat" meaning "Croat". Notable people with the name include:
* Hrvoje Čale (born 1985), Croatian football back
* Hrvoje Horvat (born 1946), Croatian handball back
* Hrvoje Klasić (bo ...
of the
House of Hrvatinić
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
,
Sandalj Hranić of the
House of Kosača and
Pavle Radenović Pavle ( Macedonian and sr-cyr, Павле; ka, პავლე) is a Serbian, Macedonian, Croatian and Georgian male given name corresponding to English Paul; the name is of biblical origin (cf. Saint Paul).
People known mononymously as Pavle in ...
of the
House of Pavlović
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody p ...
controlled large swaths of territory once controlled by Tvrtko, and effectively controlled the Kingdom by aligning themselves with competing branches of the
House of Kotromanić
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
. In 1413, a conflict escalated between Hrvoje and Sandalj while the latter was helping
Stefan Lazarević fight the Ottomans in
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
; subsequently, Hrvoje allied himself with the Ottomans, who invaded Bosnia in May 1414, which prompted a subsequent invasion by the troops of the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
. In a major battle in August 1415 that took place either near
Doboj
Doboj ( sr-cyrl, Добој, ) is a city located in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of Bosna river, in the northern region of the Republika Srpska. As of 2013, it has a population of 71,441 ...
or in the
Lašva Valley
The Lašva Valley ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Lašvanska dolina, Лашванска долина) is a 17 kilometers long valley in central Bosnia, defined geographically by the Lašva River's route. It is a tributary of the Bosna River. The Lašva River basi ...
, the Ottomans won a major victory, upsetting the balance of power in the region.
The first permanent presence of Ottoman armies in Bosnia was established in 1414, after the region near
Donji Vakuf
Donji Vakuf ( sr-cyrl, Доњи Вакуф, ) is a town and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It was founded by Malkoçoğlu İbrahim Bey in 1572 and wa ...
(known as ''Bosnian Skoplje'' in medieval times) was captured. In period between 1414 and 1418, the Ottoman Empire conquered
Foča
Foča ( sr-Cyrl, Фоча, ) is a town and a municipality located in Republika Srpska in south-eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the banks of Drina river. As of 2013, the town has a population of 12,234 inhabitants, while the municipality has 1 ...
,
Pljevlja,
Čajniče
Čajniče ( sr-cyr, Чајниче, ) is a town and municipality located in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 2,401 inhabitants, while the municipality has 4,895 inhabitants.
Settlemen ...
and
Nevesinje
Nevesinje ( sr-cyrl, Невесиње) is a town and municipality located in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 5,162 inhabitants, while the municipality has 12,961 inhabitants.
Geograp ...
. During the same year
Višegrad
Višegrad ( sr-cyrl, Вишеград, ) is a town and municipality located in eastern Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It rests at the confluence of the Drina and the Rzav river. As of 2013, it has a population of 10,668 ...
and
Sokol
The Sokol movement (, ''falcon'') is an all-age gymnastics organization first founded in Prague in the Czech region of Austria-Hungary in 1862 by Miroslav Tyrš and Jindřich Fügner. It was based upon the principle of " a strong mind in a ...
were captured too.
In 1415, Sandalj Hranić, who controlled today's eastern Herzegovina, became an Ottoman vassal.
Isa-Beg Isaković organized in 1455 one of the first Ottoman
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
es in the west
Balkan territory.
By the end of this period, in the 1460s, the territory of the Kingdom of Bosnia was significantly reduced, with the Ottoman Empire controlling the entirety of today's eastern Bosnia, as far north as
Šamac, and
Herceg Stjepan Herceg may refer to:
* Herceg (title), South Slavic spelling of a German noble title
* Herceg (surname) Herceg is a Croatian surname.
It is one of the most common surnames in the Krapina-Zagorje County of Croatia.
It is presumably derived from ...
under control of all of today's Herzegovina as far north as
Glamoč
Glamoč ( sr-cyrl, Гламоч) is a town and municipality located in Canton 10 of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in southwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, at the foothills of Stareti ...
.
Sanjaks
The Ottoman conquest of the
Kingdom of Bosnia ended in 1463 with the death of King
Stjepan Tomašević.
The
Siege of Jajce
The siege of Jajce was a siege of the town of Jajce and its citadel in 1463, in a push by Ottomans to conquer as much of the Bosnian Kingdom, and continuation of the Ottoman–Hungarian Wars. After the fall of Travnik and royal fortress of ...
ensued shortly thereafter, in which the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
retook the
Jajce Fortress. That victory was hailed at
Matthias Corvinus
Matthias Corvinus, also called Matthias I ( hu, Hunyadi Mátyás, ro, Matia/Matei Corvin, hr, Matija/Matijaš Korvin, sk, Matej Korvín, cz, Matyáš Korvín; ), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490. After conducting several m ...
' court as a restoration of the Kingdom of Bosnia under Hungarian sovereignty at the time. The Hungarians formed the
Banate of Jajce after that.
The same year, Bosnian Krajište was transformed to
Bosnian Sanjak and Isa-Beg Isaković was its first
sanjakbey
''Sanjak-bey'', ''sanjaq-bey'' or ''-beg'' ( ota, سنجاق بك) () was the title given in the Ottoman Empire to a bey (a high-ranking officer, but usually not a pasha) appointed to the military and administrative command of a district (''sanjak' ...
.
After taking the Kingdom of Bosnia in 1463,
Mahmud Pasha also invaded Herzegovina and besieged
Blagaj
Blagaj is a village in the south-eastern region of the Mostar basin, in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It stands at the edge of Bišće plain and is one of the most valuable mixed urban and rural built environments in ...
, after which Herceg Stjepan conceded a truce that required ceding all of his lands north of Blagaj to the Empire.
The Ottoman territory in Bosnia continued to be expanded into newly established sanjaks: the
Sanjak of Herzegovina
The Sanjak of Herzegovina ( tr, Hersek Sancağı; sh, Hercegovački sandžak) was an Ottoman administrative unit established in 1470. The seat was in Foča until 1572 when it was moved to Taşlıca (Pljevlja). The sanjak was initially part of ...
was formed in the 1470, subordinated to the
beglerbey of Rumelia like the Bosnian sanjak. In 1480, the
Sanjak of Zvornik
The Sanjak of Zvornik ( tr, İzvornik Sancağı, sh, Zvornički sandžak) was one of the sanjaks in the Ottoman Empire with Zvornik (in modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina) as its administrative centre. It was divided into 4 different districts: Že ...
was formed, but subordinated to the
beglerbey of Budim.
Even though the Bosnian Kingdom fell, there were several fortresses that resisted much longer – the last fortress in Herzegovina fell in 1481.
The House of Kosača maintained the
Duchy of Saint Sava
Duchy of Saint Sava ( sr-Cyr, Војводство Светог Саве, Vojvodstvo Svetog Save) was a late medieval polity in southeastern Europe, that existed from 1448 up to 1482, when it was absorbed by the Ottoman Empire. It was ruled by ...
as an Ottoman vassal state until 1482.
In 1481, after the death of
Mehmed II, Matthias Corvinus invaded Bosnia again, reaching
Vrhbosna
Vrhbosna ( sr-cyrl, Врхбосна, ) was the medieval name of a small region in today's central Bosnia and Herzegovina, centered on an eponymous settlement ( župa) that would later become part of the city of Sarajevo.
The meaning of the name ...
(
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...
), but all of those gains were undone within a year.
In the 1530s, the Kingdom of Hungary had remained in control of the forts on the south bank of the
Sava
The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally t ...
, and
Jajce. Jajce Fortress was finally taken by the Ottomans in 1527.
The
House of Berislavić controlled the region of
Usora in the north until it in turn succumbed in the 1530s.
Parts of southwestern Bosnia were sectioned into the
Sanjak of Klis
The Sanjak of Klis ( tr, Kilis Sancağı; sh, Kliški sandžak) was a sanjak of the Ottoman Empire which seat was in the Fortress of Klis in Klis (modern-day Croatia) till capture by Republic of Venice in 1648, latterly in Livno between 1648-18 ...
formed in 1537, subordinated to the Eyalet of Rumelia.
Aftermath
The
Eyalet of Bosnia
The Eyalet of Bosnia ( ota, ایالت بوسنه ,Eyālet-i Bōsnâ; By Gábor Ágoston, Bruce Alan Masters ; sh, Bosanski pašaluk), was an eyalet (administrative division, also known as a ''beylerbeylik'') of the Ottoman Empire, mostly based ...
was established in 1580.
[ Ibrahimagić, 1998, p. 77 ''And 117 years passed from the fall of Bosnia in 1463, when the first sanjak was established as the first independent form of military, administrative and political form of organisation of Ottoman rule in Bosnia, until the establishment of the Bosnian beglerbegluk or ayalet rovinceas a separate province of the Ottoman Empire in 1580.'']
It took until 1592 and the fall of
Bihać
Bihać ( cyrl, Бихаћ) is a city and the administrative centre of Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of river Una in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovin ...
to reach westernmost frontiers of modern Bosnian state, and the modern western border of Bosnia to be established. After that, the territory of modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina remained under largely undisturbed Ottoman rule until 1689 and the
Great Turkish War.
See also
*
Ottoman Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Ottoman Empire era of rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina (first as a ''sanjak'', then as an ''eyalet'') and Herzegovina (also as a ''sanjak'', then ''eyalet'') lasted from 1463/1482 to 1878 ''de facto'', and until 1908 ''de jure''.
Ottoman ...
*
Pashaluk of Herzegovina
References
Further reading
*
*
* ''Bosansko krajište 1448-1463'', Godišnjak Istoriskog društva Bosne i Hercegovine
* ''Krajište Isa-bega Ishakovića, Zbirni katastarski popis iz 1455. godine'', vol. 2. ''Bosansko Krajište'', Hazim Šabanović,
Institute of Oriental Studies, Sarajevo, 1964.
* {{cite book , ref = Ibrahimagić , last = Ibrahimagić , first = Omer , title = Constitutional development of Bosnia and Herzegovina , url = http://www.camo.ch/PDFO/OmerBiH.pdf , year = 1998 , publisher = Vijeće kongresa bošnjačkih intelektualaca , location = Sarajevo , isbn = 9958-47-030-6
* ''Bosanski pašaluk, postanak i upravna podjela'', Hazim Šabanović, Sarajevo, 1982
.Conquest
Islam in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Invasions by the Ottoman Empire in Europe
Military history of Bosnia and Herzegovina
14th-century conflicts
15th-century conflicts
16th-century conflicts
14th century in Bosnia
15th century in Bosnia
16th century in Bosnia and Herzegovina
14th century in the Ottoman Empire
15th century in the Ottoman Empire
16th century in the Ottoman Empire
Wars involving Bosnia and Herzegovina
Wars involving the Ottoman Empire
1380s in the Ottoman Empire
Medieval Herzegovina