Batić Mirković ( sr-cyr, Батић Мирковић) was a prominent 15th century Bosnian

nobleman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteris ...

and

magnate The magnate term, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders, or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...

. His father was Bosnian

knyaz , or ( Old Church Slavonic: Кнѧзь) is a historical Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times of history and different ancient Slavic lands. It is usually translated into English as prince or duke, dependi ...

, Mirko Radojević, the Radojević-Mirković family senior, who had a brother Radič Radojević. Batić succeeded as a head of the family and Bosnian knyaz after his father death, while he also succeeded Radoje Radosalić-Pribinić of his grandfather, as Grand Knyaz of Bosnia. He was married to Vukava. Knyaz Batić Mirković can be traced in three places in diplomatic material, on charters as a witness in the period 1405-1420. In June 1405, in Bijela Selišta in Trstivnica, the Bosnian king Tvrtko II Tvrtković issued a charter to the people of

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...

confirming cession of the Slano littoral, and among the witnesses to this act (with the elected nobleman and nobles of the Bosnian Rusag) was Knyaz Batić Mirković. This could mean that his father dead and that he has taken his place. His next mention is from the beginning of March 1419, in charter written in Zvečaj, when the Bosnian king Stjepan Ostojić confirmed pledges to Dubrovnik in the charters of his predecessors. Among the witnesses is Knyaz Batić. The last mention in the diplomatic material is from August 1420. Tvrtko II confirms Sandalj's contract with Dubrovnik, regarding selling of

Konavle Konavle () is a municipality and a small region located southeast of Dubrovnik, Croatia. It is administratively part of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County and the center of the municipality is Cavtat. Demographics The total municipality population wa ...

to the city-republic, in charter written in Podvisoko, and among the witnesses is Knyaz Batić Mirković. The information from the charters show that Batić Mirković was indeed a respectable person, a lord who was among the most important nobles of medieval Bosnia at the beginning of the 15th century. Another piece of important information about Batić Mirković comes from his stećak tombstone. His stećak is preserved in the

necropolis A necropolis (plural necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'', literally meaning "city of the dead". The term usually im ...

of the village of Kopošići, in the municipality of

Ilijaš Ilijaš ( sr-cyrl, Илијаш) is a town and municipality located in Sarajevo Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located northwest of the inner city of Sarajevo and was established in ...

. According to the inscription on his stećak, it is known that his title was in fact the Knyaz of Bosnia and that he was associated with the fortified town of

Visoki The Old town of Visoki ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Stari grad Visoki, Стари град Високи, ) was a medieval royal castle town built during the 14th century on the top of the hill overlooking town of Visoko, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The first men ...

. The inscription states that he fell ill in Visoko, and that death found him "at Duboko". According to the inscription, the stećak was placed and inscribed by his wife Vukava. The stećak tombstone of Batić Mirković is considered one of the most beautiful among the preserved stećak tombstones. The stećak and the tomb were the subject of numerous looting, devastation and displacement, mostly during the late 19th century. Archaeological excavations were undertaken in 2015. Findings included remains of a fine funerary shroud, made of brocade embroidered with fine threads of gilded silver, covering partly preserved skeletal remains, that could be relevant for further analysis. In 2021 were genetically analyzed his skeletal remains and of near unidentified adult individual, showing the same Y-DNA haplotype and almost identical autosomal DNA haplotype, indicating "high probability of father–son relation", theorized to be remains of his father Mirko Radivojević. The place of the stećak tombstone and the tomb of the Bosnian Knyaz Batić Mirković is inclose proximity to the fortified city of

, which, like the surrounding estates in the Misoča river basin, is considered his noble heritage. The medieval necropolis is protected

national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina The National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina include: * sites, places, immovable and movable heritage of historical and cultural importance, as designated by the Commission to preserve national monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the basis ...

, by the decision of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2003.{{Cite web, last=, first=, date=2003, title=The historic site of the necropolis with stećak tombstones in Kopošići near Ilijaš designated National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina - KONS, url=http://old.kons.gov.ba/main.php?id_struct=6&lang=4&action=view&id=1843, url-status=live, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717012530/http://old.kons.gov.ba/main.php?id_struct=6&lang=4&action=view&id=1843 , archive-date=2020-07-17 , access-date=, website=The Commission to Preserve National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina

References

Bibliography

* Ljubomir Stojanović, ''Старе српске повеље и писма, I/1'', Srpska kraljevska akademija, Zbornik za istoriju, jezik i književnost srpskog naroda, prvo odeljenje, Spomenici na srpskom jeziku 19, Beograd - Sremski Karlovci 1929,
Nekropola kneza Batića

Nadgorbni spomenik kneza Batića

Posjeta nekropoli stećaka u Kopošićima

Radojević noble family Mirković noble family Bosnian magnates Grand Knyazs of Bosnia