Zachlumia or Zachumlia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Zahumlje, Захумље, ), also Hum, was a
medieval principality located in the modern-day regions of
Herzegovina
Herzegovina ( or ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Hercegovina, separator=" / ", Херцеговина, ) is the southern and smaller of two main geographical region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Bosnia. It has never had strictly defined geogra ...
and southern
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...
(today parts of
Bosnia and Herzegovina and
Croatia, respectively). In some periods it was a fully independent or semi-independent
South Slavic principality. It maintained relations with various foreign and neighbouring powers (
Byzantine Empire,
First Bulgarian Empire
The First Bulgarian Empire ( cu, блъгарьско цѣсарьствиѥ, blagarysko tsesarystviye; bg, Първо българско царство) was a medieval Bulgar- Slavic and later Bulgarian state that existed in Southeastern Europ ...
,
Kingdom of Croatia Kingdom of Croatia may refer to:
* Kingdom of Croatia (925–1102), an independent medieval kingdom
* Croatia in personal union with Hungary (1102–1526), a kingdom in personal union with the Kingdom of Hungary
* Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg) (152 ...
,
Principality of Serbia) and later was subjected (temporarily or for a longer period) to
Kingdom of Hungary,
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Princi ...
,
Kingdom of Bosnia
The Kingdom of Bosnia ( sh, Kraljevina Bosna / Краљевина Босна), or Bosnian Kingdom (''Bosansko kraljevstvo'' / Босанско краљевство), was a medieval kingdom that lasted for nearly a century, from 1377 to 1463, and ...
,
Duchy of Saint Sava and at the end to the
Ottoman Empire.
Etymology
Zachlumia is a derivative of ''Hum'', from Proto-Slavic ''
*xŭlmŭ'', borrowed from a Germanic language (cf. Proto-Germanic ''
*hulma-''), meaning ''"Hill"''. South Slavic ''Zahumlje'' is named after the mountain of Hum (za + Hum "behind the Hum"), above
Bona, at the mouth of the
Buna. The principality is named ''Zahumlje'' or ''Hum'' in
Serbo-Croatian (
Serbian Cyrillic: Захумље, Хум). It is ''Zachlumia'' in Latin, Хлъмъ in
Old Church Slavonic
Old Church Slavonic or Old Slavonic () was the first Slavic languages, Slavic literary language.
Historians credit the 9th-century Byzantine Empire, Byzantine missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius with Standard language, standardizing the lan ...
, and Ζαχλούμων χώρα ("land of Zachlumians") in Greek. The names ''Chelmania'', ''Chulmia'' and ''terra de Chelmo'' appear in later Latin and Italian chronicles.
Geography
''
De Administrando Imperio
''De Administrando Imperio'' ("On the Governance of the Empire") is the Latin title of a Greek-language work written by the 10th-century Eastern Roman Emperor Constantine VII. The Greek title of the work is ("To yown son Romanos"). It is a domes ...
'' described the polity of Zachlumia, likely during the reign of
Časlav Klonimirović (r. 927–960): ''"From Ragusa begins the domain of the Zachloumoi (Ζαχλοῦμοι) and stretches along as far as the river Orontius, and on the side of the coast it is neighbour to the Pagani, but on the side of the mountain country it is neighbour to the Croats on the north and Serbia at the front ... The Zachloumoi that now live there are Serbs, originating from the time of the
prince (archon) who fled to emperor Heraclius ... The land of the Zachloumoi comprises the following cities: Ston (το Σταγνον / to Stagnon), Mokriskik (το Μοκρισκικ), Josli (το Ιοσλε / to Iosle), Galumainik (το Γαλυμαενικ / to Galumaenik), Dobriskik (το Δοβρισκικ / to Dovriskik)"''.
The ''
Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja'' (14th or 16th century) described the geography under the rule of the South Slavic rulers, Hum had two major cities: Bona and Hum. The main settlements in Zachlumia were
Ston,
Ošlje,
Dobar, the towns of
Mokriskik and
Glumainik. The Principality sprang from
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...
(
Croatia) to the northwest and
Pagania to the west; to the mountain of
Kalinovik and the Field of Gatak, where it bordered
Travunia. The eastern border of Zahumlje went along the line
Popovo-
Ljubinje
Ljubinje ( sr-cyrl, Љубиње) is a town and municipality located in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in south-eastern part of Herzegovina region. As of 2013, the town has a population of 2,744 inhabitants, ...
-
Dabar and met with the Travunian border at the city of
Ragusa Ragusa is the historical name of Dubrovnik. It may also refer to:
Places Croatia
* the Republic of Ragusa (or Republic of Dubrovnik), the maritime city-state of Ragusa
* Cavtat (historically ' in Italian), a town in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Cro ...
, which had to pay the annual tax ' of 36 pieces of gold to the Zachlumian rulers and at times accept their rule. Zachlumia was split on 9
zhupanates:
Ston,
Popovo, Dubrava,
Luka,
Dabar, Žapska, Gorička and
Večenik around
Neretva
The Neretva ( sr-cyrl, Неретва, ), also known as Narenta, is one of the largest rivers of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. Four HE power-plants with large dams (higher than 150,5 metres) provide flood protection, power and water s ...
. Zahumlje had access to the Adriatic Sea with the
Pelješac peninsula and faced
Serbia northwards.
In its later periods, Zahumlje was split into two Duchies: Upper Zahumlje in the west and Lower Zahumlje in the east.
As the toponym ''Pagania'' disappeared by the turn of the 11th century, the land of Hum was expanded to include the territory between Neretva and Cetina previously referred to as Pagania. This territory was at the time controlled by local magnates called Radivojevići, Jurjevići, or Vlatkovići.
Slavic settlement
Slavs invaded Balkans during
Justinian I (r. 527–565), when eventually up to 100,000 Slavs raided
Thessalonica. The Western Balkans was settled with ''
Sclaveni'' (Sklavenoi), the east with
Antes. The Sklavenoi plundered Thrace in 545, and again the next year. In 551, the Slavs crossed
Niš initially headed for Thessalonica, but ended up in
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...
. In 577 some 100,000 Slavs poured into
Thrace and
Illyricum, pillaging cities and settling down. Hum had also a large number of
Vlachs who were descendent from a pre-Slavic population. Related to Romanians and originally speaking a language related to Romanian, the Vlachs of what was Hum are today Slavic speaking.
History
7th century
In the second decade of the 7th century, the
Avars and their
Slavic subjects occupied most of the
Byzantine province of Dalmatia, including the territory of what would become Zahumlje, sacking towns and enslaving or displacing the local population. Some of the Slavs and Avars might have permanently settled in the occupied areas. They attacked
Constantinople in 626 but were defeated by the Byzantines, after which the Avars ceased to play a significant role in the
Balkans.
Around 630, during the reign of
Byzantine Emperor Heraclius
Heraclius ( grc-gre, Ἡράκλειος, Hērákleios; c. 575 – 11 February 641), was List of Byzantine emperors, Eastern Roman emperor from 610 to 641. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the Exa ...
,
Serbs and
Croats (Slavic tribes) led by their respective aristocracies entered the western Balkans from the north, which was approved by the emperor. They inhabited areas that had been devastated by the Avars, where Byzantium (East Roman Empire) had generally been reduced to only nominal rule. According to ''DAI'', Zahumlje was one of the regions settled by the Serbs from
an area near Thessaloniki who previously arrived there from
White Serbia, but a closer reading of the source suggests that the Constantine VII's consideration about the population's ethnic identity is based on Serbian political rule during the time of
Časlav and does not indicate ethnic origin. According to
Noel Malcolm, today's western Serbia was area where Serbs settled in 7th century and from there they expanded their rule on territory of Zachlumia. According to
Tibor Živković the area of the Vistula where the
Litziki ancestors of
Michael of Zahumlje originate was the place where
White Croats would be expected and not
White Serbs, and it's unclear whether the Zachlumians "in the migration period to the Balkans really were Serbs or Croats or Slavic tribes which in alliance with Serbs or Croats arrived in the Balkans". According to
Francis Dvornik the Zachlumians "had a closer bond of interest with the Croats than with the Serbs, since they seem to have migrated to their new home not with the Serbs, but with the Croats". Michael's tribal origin is related to the oral tradition from ''
Historia Salonitana'' by
Thomas the Archdeacon about seven or eight tribes of nobles called ''Lingones'' who arrived from
Poland and settled in
Croatia. Much of Dalmatia was sometime earlier settled by the Croats, and Zahumlje bordered their territory on the north. According to Thomas the Archdeacon, when describing the reign of Croatian king
Stephen Držislav
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...
in the late 10th century, notes that Duchy of Hum (Zachlumia or Chulmie) was a part of the Kingdom of Croatia, before and after Stjepan Držislav:
9th century
Charlemagne,
King of the Franks
The Franks, Germanic-speaking peoples that invaded the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, were first led by individuals called dukes and reguli. The earliest group of Franks that rose to prominence was the Salian Merovingians, who con ...
from 768 until his death in 814, expanded the Frankish kingdom into an
empire (800) that incorporated much of western and central Europe. He brought the Frankish state face to face with the
West Slavs to the northeast and the
Avars and
South Slavs to the southeast of the Frankish empire. Dalmatia which was southeast of the Frankish empire, was chiefly in the hands of South Slavic tribes. North of Dubrovnik these came to be under Croatian ''župans'' (princes) and eventually came to consider themselves Croatians, while many of those to the south of Dubrovnik were coming to consider themselves Serbs. Despite Frankish overlordship, the Franks had almost no role in Dalmatia (
Dalmatian Croatia and Zahumlje) in the period from the 820s through 840s.
In 866, a major
Arab raid along
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...
struck
Budva and
Kotor, and then laid siege to
Dubrovnik in 867. The city of Dubrovnik appealed to
Byzantine Emperor Basil the Macedonian, who responded by sending over one hundred ships. Finally, the 866–867 Saracens' siege of Dubrovnik, which lasted fifteen months, was raised due to the intervention of Basil I, who sent a fleet under the command of
Niketas Oryphas in relief of the city. After this successful intervention, the
Byzantine navy
The Byzantine navy was the naval force of the East Roman or Byzantine Empire. Like the empire it served, it was a direct continuation from its Imperial Roman predecessor, but played a far greater role in the defence and survival of the state than ...
sailed along the coast collecting promises of loyalty to the empire from the Dalmatian cities. At this moment the local Slavic tribes (in Zahumlje, Travunija, and Konavle), who had aided the intervention, also accepted Byzantine suzerainty. Afterwards, the Slavs of Dalmatia and Zahumlje took part in the Byzantine military actions against the Arabs in
Bari
Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy a ...
in 870-871. The Roman cities in Dalmatia had long been pillaged by the Slavic tribes in the mountaines around them. Basil I allowed the towns to pay tribute to the Slavic tribes to reduce the Slavs raiding. Presumably a large portion of this tribute went to the prince of
Dalmatian Croatia. In late 870s, the
theme of Dalmatia ("thema Dalmatias") was established, but with no real Byzantine authority. These small cities in the region (also
Dyrrachium) did not stretch into the hinterlands, and had none military capacity, thus Basil I paid a tax of '72 gold coins' to the princes of Zahumlje and Travunia.
In 879, the
Pope asked for help from Croatian prince
Zdeslav Zdeslav or Zdislav may refer to:
People
*Zdeslav of Croatia, a Prince of Dalmatian Croatia
* Zdeslav of Sternberg, Czech nobleman
* Zdislav Soroko, Soviet canoer
*Zdeslav Vrdoljak, Croatian water polo player
Places
*Zdeslav, a village and part of ...
for an armed escort for his delegates across southern Dalmatia and Zahumlje. Later in 880, the Pope ask the same from Zdeslav's successor, prince
Branimir.
10th century
The history of Zahumlje as a greater political entity starts with the emerging of
Michael of Zahumlje, an independent
South Slavic ruler who flourished in the early part of the 10th century. A neighbour of
Croatian Kingdom and
Principality of Serbia as well as an ally of
Bulgaria, he was nevertheless able to maintain independent rule throughout at least a good part of his reign.
Michael have come into territorial conflict with the neighbouring prince
Peter Gojniković, the ruler of
inner Serbia, who was extending his power westwards. To eliminate that threat and as a close ally of Bulgaria, Michael warned the Bulgarian Tsar
Simeon I about the alliance between Peter and Symeon's enemy, the
Byzantine Empire. In 912 Michael kidnapped the Venetian Doge's son Peter Badoari that was returning to Venice from Constantinople and sent him to Czar Simeon as a sign of loyalty. Symeon attacked inner Serbia and captured Peter, who later died in prison, and Michael was able to restore the majority of control. Before the annexation of inner Serbia in 924, Bulgaria did not yet border on Zahumlje, but a part of Croatia lay between both lands. The Venetian chronicler
John the Deacon (d. 1009) says that in 912 during
Michael's rule, Zachlumia was a part of the Croatian land. The historical work ''
Historia Salonitana'' by
Thomas the Archdeacon, when describing the reign of Croatian king
Stephen Držislav
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...
in the late 10th century, notes that Duchy of Hum (Chulmie) was a part of the
Kingdom of Croatia Kingdom of Croatia may refer to:
* Kingdom of Croatia (925–1102), an independent medieval kingdom
* Croatia in personal union with Hungary (1102–1526), a kingdom in personal union with the Kingdom of Hungary
* Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg) (152 ...
, before and after Stjepan Držislav.
The ''Historia Salonitana maior'', whose composition may have begun in the late 13th century, cites a letter of
Pope John X to
Tomislav, "king (''rex'') of the Croats", in which he refers to the first council in some detail. If the letter is authentic, it shows that the council was attended not only by the bishops of Croatian and Byzantine Dalmatia, but also by Tomislav, whose territory also included the Byzantine cities of Dalmatia, and by a number of Michael's representatives. Zahumlje may have been under Croatian influence, but remained a separate political entity. Both Zahumlje and Croatia were under the religious jurisdiction of the
Archbishopric of Split. In this letter, John describes Michael as "the most excellent leader of the Zachlumi" (''excellentissimus dux Chulmorum'').
After the Italian city of
Siponto ( la, Sipontum) was heavily jeopardized by the raiding Arabs and Langobards, Mihailo won a magnificent military victory by taking the city upon the recommendations from Constantinople and orders from his ally, King Tomislav Trpimirovic, but didn't keep it permanently. Mihailo Višević entered into closer relations with the Byzantine Empire, after the death of Bulgaria's Tsar Simeon. He gained the grand titles of the Byzantine court as ''
anthypatos ''Anthypatos'' ( gr, ἀνθύπατος) is the translation in Greek of the Latin ''proconsul''. In the Greek-speaking East, it was used to denote this office in Roman and early Byzantine times, surviving as an administrative office until the 9th ...
'' and patrician (''
patrikios''). He remained as ruler of Zahumlje into the 940s, while maintaining good relations with the
Papacy
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
.
After the death of Mihailo, Zahumlje came under the rule of Serbian prince
Časlav Klonimirović, the last of the
Vlastimirović dynasty. With the death of Časlav, Serbia disintegrated and in 11th century
Duklja absorbed most of
Raška along with Zahumlje and
Travunija. In the 990s, Bulgarian Tsar Samuel made client states out of most of the Balkans, including Duklja and Zahumlje. In 998, Samuel launched a major campaign against
Jovan Vladimir to prevent a Byzantine-Serbian alliance, resulting in a surrender. The Bulgarian troops proceeded to pass through
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...
, taking control of
Kotor and journeying to Dubrovnik. Although they failed to take Dubrovnik, they devastated the surrounding villages. The Bulgarian army then attacked Croatia in support of the rebel princes
Krešimir III and
Gojslav and advanced northwest as far as
Split,
Trogir and
Zadar, then northeast through
Bosnia
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 He ...
and
Raška and returned to Bulgaria.
11th century
In a charter dated July 1039,
Ljutovid of Zahumlje who was an independent
Slavic ruler of Zahumlje, styled himself ''"Ljutovit,
protospatharios epi tou Chrysotriklinou, hypatos, strategos"'' of Serbia and Zahumlje, which suggests the Byzantine Emperor granted him nominal right over neighbouring lands, including
Duklja. Ljutovid's claim to be strategos not only of Zahumlje, but all Serbia suggests that he had been courted by the emperor, and awarded nominal rights neighbouring lands, including Duklja, which was at the time at war with the empire. If we can trust the ''Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja'', our only narrative source, we must conclude that none of the Serbian lands was under direct Byzantine control in 1042.
Vojislav of Duklja
Stefan Vojislav ( sr-cyr, Стефан Војислав; gr, Στέφανος Βοϊσθλάβος; 1034–d. 1043) was the Prince of Duklja from 1040 to 1043. Beginning in the year 1018, he served as a Byzantine governor, until 1034 when he led ...
(fl. 1018-1043) soon took Zahumlje from the Byzantines. During the rule of
Constantine Bodin
Constantine Bodin (Bulgarian and sr, italic=no, Константин Бодин, ''Konstantin Bodin''; 1072–1101) was a medieval king and the ruler of Duklja, the most powerful Serbian principality of the time, from 1081 to 1101, succeed ...
(r. 1081–1101), neither Bosnia, Rascia nor Zahumlje was ever integrated into Doclea, each retained its own nobility and institutions and simply acquired a
Vojislavljević to head the local structure as Prince or Duke. Zahumlje subsequently became part of the
Grand Principality of Serbia.
12th century
Kočapar
Kočapar ( sr-cyrl, Кочапар) was the ''knez'' or ''župan'' of Duklja, a Serbian state, briefly in 1102–03 under the suzerainty of Grand Prince Vukan of Rascia. He was the son of Branislav, the Prince of Duklja. Following Bodin's death in ...
, the Prince of Duklja (r. 1102–1103), ruled in the name of
Vukan I of Serbia. There was a split between the two, and Vukan sent forces to Duklja, making Kočapar flee to Bosnia and then Zahumlje, where he died.
Zavida ruled Zahumlje before getting into a conflict with his brothers, resulting in him being exiled to Duklja, where he would have the title of ''Lord of
Ribnica''. ''Grand Princes''
Desa (r. 1148-1162) and
Uroš II Prvoslav __NOTOC__
Uroš ( sr-Cyrl, Урош) is a South Slavic given or last name primarily spread amongst Serbs, and Slovenians (mostly of Serbian descent). This noun has been interpreted as "lords", because it usually appears in conjunction with ''velmõ ...
ruled Serbia together 1149-1153; Desa had the title of 'Prince of Duklja, Travunija and Zahumlje', mentioned in 1150 and 1151.
About 1150, the Byzantine Emperor
Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos ( el, Μανουήλ Κομνηνός, translit=Manouíl Komnenos, translit-std=ISO; 28 November 1118 – 24 September 1180), Romanization of Greek, Latinized Comnenus, also called Porphyrogennetos (; "born in the purple"), w ...
displeased with king
Radoslav of Duklja, divided up his lands between princes of the old Serbian family of Zavida, and
Stefan Nemanja secured the land of Hum. After 1168 when Nemanja was raised to the Serbian throne with Manuel's favor, Hum passed to his brother
Miroslav. He married a sister of
Ban Kulin
Kulin ( sh-Cyrl, Кулин; d. November 1204) was the Banate of Bosnia, Ban of Bosnia from 1180 to 1204, first as a vassal of the Byzantine Empire and then of the Kingdom of Hungary, although his state was de facto independent. He was one of B ...
, who in meantime acquired the throne of
Bosnia
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 He ...
. The subjects of Miroslav and Kulin included both Catholic and Orthodox. Prince Miroslav himself was Orthodox. In meantime, both Bosnia and Hum had been fought between
Kingdom of Hungary and
Byzantine Empire. The Catholics supported the former and the Orthodox the latter. A support of the growing heresy seemed the best solution for both Kulin and Miroslav.
Following the death of Emperor Manuel in 1180 Miroslav started ecclesiastical superior of Hum. He refused to allow Rainer, Latin Archbishop of Spalato (
Split) whom he considered to be an agent of Hungarian king, to consecrate a bishop for the town of
Ston. In addition, Miroslav confiscated the Archbishop's money. Rainer complained to the
Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland ( it, Rolando), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181.
A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a con ...
, who sent Teobald to report on the matter. The Pope's nuncio Teobald found Miroslav as a patron of heretics. After this, the Pope wrote to king
Béla III of Hungary who was overlord of Hum (which Miroslav did not recognize), telling him to see that Miroslav performed his duty, but Miroslav remained as ''Prince of Hum''. In 1190-1192, Stefan Nemanja briefly assigned the rule of Hum to his son
Rastko Nemanjić, while Miroslav held the
Lim region with
Bijelo Polje. Rastko however took monastic vows and Miroslav continued ruling Hum after 1192.
Latin vengeance came in March 1198, when
Andrew II of Hungary become the prince of Dalmatia, Croatia and Hum, while Miroslav died a year after and his wife was living in exile. The
Miroslav Gospels
Miroslav Gospel ( sr, Мирослављево jеванђеље / Miroslavljevo jevanđelje, ) is a 362-page Serbian illuminated manuscript Gospel Book on parchment with very rich decorations. It is one of the oldest surviving documents written ...
are the oldest surviving documents written in Serbian recension of
Old Church Slavonic
Old Church Slavonic or Old Slavonic () was the first Slavic languages, Slavic literary language.
Historians credit the 9th-century Byzantine Empire, Byzantine missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius with Standard language, standardizing the lan ...
, very likely produced for the Church of St Peter in Lima, commissioned by prince Miroslav.
13th century
Until beginning of the 13th century, areas of Zahumlje were under jurisdiction of the Roman Church. When
Sava became the first
archbishop of Serbia
This article lists the heads of the Serbian Orthodox Church, since the establishment of the church as an autocephalous archbishopric in 1219 to today's patriarchate. The list includes all the archbishops and patriarchs that led the Serbian Ort ...
in 1219, he appointed
Ilarion as the
Orthodox bishop of Hum.
Andrija Mirosavljević
Andrija ( sr-cyr, Андрија, 1203–d. 1250) was the Prince of Hum (Zahumlje) in 1216–1218 and 1250.
Life
Andrija was the heir of Miroslav of Hum, who was the brother of Serbian Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja.Fine 1994, p. 52 Miroslav's pro ...
is entitled the rule of Hum, but the Hum nobility chose his brother
Petar. Andrija is exiled to Rascia, to the court of his cousin Grand Prince
Stefan Nemanjić. In the meantime, Petar fought successfully with neighbouring Bosnia and Croatia. Stefan Nemanjić sided with Andrija and went to war and secured Hum and Popovo field for Andrija sometime after his accession. Petar was defeated and crossed the Neretva, continuing to rule the west and north of the Neretva, which had around 1205 been briefly occupied by
Andrew II of Hungary.
Toljen Toljenović
Toljen ( sr-cyr, Тољен; fl. 1189) was a Serbian prince (''knez''), who ruled Hum between 1192–1196, serving his uncle Serbian Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja (r. 1166–1196).
Life
His father was Miroslav of Hum (r. 1166–1190; 1192) and his ...
, the son of Toljen I, succeeded as prince, ruling 1227-1237. Andrija's sons
Bogdan
Bogdan or Bohdan (Cyrillic: Богдан) is a Slavic masculine name that appears in all Slavic countries as well as Romania and Moldova. It is derived from the Slavic words '' Bog/Boh'' (Cyrillic: Бог), meaning "god", and ''dan'' (Cyrillic: ...
,
Radoslav
Radoslav () is a common Slavic masculine given name, derived from ''rad-'' ("happy, eager, to care") and ''slava'' ("glory, fame"), both very common in Slavic dithematic names. It roughly means "eager glory". It is known since the Middle Ages. T ...
and
George succeed as princes of Hum in 1249, Radoslav held the supreme rule. During the war against Ragusa, he aided his kinsman
Stephen Uroš I of Serbia
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...
, at the same time swearing allegiance to
Béla IV of Hungary. Following an earthquake in the Hum capital of Ston, the Serbian Orthodox bishop of Hum moved to the church of St Peter and St Paul built on the Lim River near the Serbian border in the 1250s.
Radoslav of Zahumlje
Radoslav ( sr-cyr, Радослав) was the Lord of Hum in 1254. Radoslav was the son of Andrija, Prince of Hum. In 1254, Radoslav is mentioned as a Hungarian vassal, with the title of ''župan'' . He had two younger brothers, Bogdan and Đorđe ...
was from 1254 a vassal of Hungary, but probably afterwards his land were absorbed into Serbia. However, he was at war with Serbia in 1268, while still under Hungarian suzerainty. But seeking to centralize his realm,
Stephen Uroš I of Serbia
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...
tried to stamp out regional differences by dropping references to Zahumlje (Hum), Trebinje and Duklja (Zeta), and called himself "King of all Serbian land and the Coast". Miroslav's descendants dropped to the level of other local nobles.
14th century
Paul I Šubić of Bribir as
Ban of Croatia and Dalmatia controlled Croatia from
Gvozd Mountain to the river
Neretva mouth. Paul became
Lord of all of Bosnia in 1299. Although supporting the king, Paul continued to act independently, and ruled over a large portion of modern-day Croatia and Bosnia. In the course of the war between
Stephen Uroš II Milutin and
Stephen Dragutin
Stefan Dragutin ( sr-cyr, Стефан Драгутин, hu, Dragutin István; 1244 – 12 March 1316) was King of Serbia from 1276 to 1282. From 1282, he ruled a separate kingdom which included northern Serbia, and (from 1284) the neigh ...
, Paul Šubić expanded not only into western Hum, but also beyond the Neretva river, and took the region of
Nevesinje and
Ston. Paul appointed his eldest son,
Mladen II
Mladen () is a South Slavic masculine given name, derived from the Slavic root ''mlad'' (, ), meaning "young". It is present in Bulgarian, Serbian, and Croatian society since the Middle Ages.
Notable people with the name include:
* Mladen (vojvo ...
, as Lord of Hum. At least part of Paul's conquests were granted to his vassal
Constantine Nelipčić. Mladen succeeded his father in 1312. After Paul's death, Milutin and Dragutin concluded a peace, and went to war against the
Šubić family. In the war that followed Milutin took one of Mladen's brother captive, and to get him back Mladen Šubić had to agree to restore a part of Hum to Milutin. After this agreement in 1313 the Neretva again became the border between eastern and western Hum.
By 1325, the
Branivojević family had emerged as strongest in Hum. Probably at their highest point they ruled from
Cetina River to the town of
Kotor. Though nominal vassals of Serbia, the Branivojević family attacked Serbian interests and other local nobles of Hum, who in 1326 turned against Serbia and Branivojević family. The Hum nobles approached to
Stjepan Kotromanić II, the ban of Bosnia, who then annexed most of Hum. The
Draživojevići of Nevesinje as vassals of Bosnian Ban, become the leading family of Hum in the 1330s. Because of the war in 1327-1328 between Serbia and Dubrovnik, Bosnian lordship of inner Hum and the war in Macedonia,
Stephen Uroš IV Dušan
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...
sold
Ston and
Pelješac to Dubrovnik, and turned to the east to acquire all of Macedonia.
The region was overwhelmed by the
House of Kotromanić from Bosnia in 1322-1326. By the mid-14th century, Bosnia apparently reached a peak under Ban
Tvrtko I who came into power in 1353.
15th century
In the beginning of the 15th century,
Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić
Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić (ca. 1350–1416) was a medieval Bosnian nobleman and magnate, Grand Duke of Bosnia, Knyaz of Donji Kraji, and Duke of Split. He was the most prominent member of the Hrvatinić noble family, and one of the major feudal ...
ruled over the western Hum, and
Sandalj Hranić Kosača ruled over its eastern part, while the Neretva river remain a border between their possessions.
Bosnian regional lord
Stjepan Vukčić Kosača
Stjepan Vukčić Kosača ( sr-Cyrl, Стјепан Вукчић Косача; 1404–1466) was the most powerful Bosnian nobleman whose active political career spanned the last three decades of medieval Bosnian history, from 1435 to 1465. D ...
who ruled over Zahumlje, in 1448 dropped his title "Vojvode of Bosnia", assuming the title "Herceg
ukeof Hum and the Coast". He changed it again in 1449 to "Herceg of Saint Sava" in recollection of the Serbian saint. This title had considerable public relations value, because Sava's relics were consider miracle-working by people of all Christian faiths. His lands were known as Herzog's lands or later
Herzegovina
Herzegovina ( or ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Hercegovina, separator=" / ", Херцеговина, ) is the southern and smaller of two main geographical region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Bosnia. It has never had strictly defined geogra ...
.
In 1451 he attacked Dubrovnik, and laid siege to the city.
[Viator (1978), pp. 388–389.] He had earlier been made a Ragusan nobleman and, consequently, the Ragusan government now proclaimed him a traitor.
A reward of 15,000
ducat
The ducat () coin was used as a trade coin in Europe from the later Middle Ages from the 13th to 19th centuries. Its most familiar version, the gold ducat or sequin containing around of 98.6% fine gold, originated in Venice in 1284 and gained wi ...
s, a palace in Dubrovnik worth 2,000 ducats, and an annual income of 300 ducats was offered to anyone who would kill him, along with the promise of hereditary Ragusan nobility which also helped hold this promise to whoever did the deed.
Stjepan was so scared by the threat that he finally raised the siege.
Demographics
12th–13th centuries
Most of Hum's territory was inhabited by
Slavs
Slavs are the largest European ethnolinguistic group. They speak the various Slavic languages, belonging to the larger Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout northern Eurasia, main ...
,
and
Vlachs, and belonged to the
Eastern Church after the
Great Schism. Hum's coastal region, including its capital
Ston, had a mixed population of
Catholics and Orthodox.
14th–15th centuries
In contrast to Bosnia, where Roman Catholicism and
Bosnian Church were firmly established, eastern parts of Hum was mostly Orthodox, from 13th century and the rise of Nemanjići. In the 14th- and 15th centuries, there was an influx of settlers from the
''župa'' of
Trebinje, around forts Klobuk, Ledenica and Rudina, and the ''Hum lands'' around
Gacko and
Dabar, to
Kotor. The people from Hum were mostly girls from Gacko, who took up working as servants to wealthy families.
List of rulers
*
Michael of Zahumlje, independent Slavic ruler of Zahumlje, Prince of Zahumlje 910–940
*
Časlav,
knez of Serbia 940–960
*
Tihomir Tihomir (Bulgarian, Macedonian and sr, Тихомир) is a South Slavic male given name which means "quiet" and "peace" (South Slavic: ''Tiho'' = quiet, ''mir'' = peace). In Russian however the word “mir” мир also means world. So in Rus ...
,
knez of Serbia 960–969
*
Stephen Držislav of Croatia
Stephen Držislav ( hr, Stjepan Držislav, la, Dirzislaus) was King of Croatia from AD 969 until his death around 997. He was a member of the Trpimirović dynasty. He ruled from Biograd with Godemir as his Ban.
Biography
Early period
Stephen ...
,
King of Croatia 969–997
*
Dragimir, Prince of Travunia and Zachlumia (as a part of Duklja) 1000–1018
* Part of
Byzantine empire: 1018–1039
*
Ljutovid, Prince of Hum 1039–1054
*
Mihailo Vojislavljević, Prince, and King of Duklja 1054–1081
*
Bodin Vojislavljević
Constantine Bodin (Bulgarian and sr, italic=no, Константин Бодин, ''Konstantin Bodin''; 1072–1101) was a medieval king and the ruler of Duklja, the most powerful Serbian principality of the time, from 1081 to 1101, succeed ...
, King of Duklja 1081–1101
*
Vladimir II of Duklja, King of Duklja c. 1103–1113
*
George I of Duklja, King of Duklja c. 1113–1118 and 1125–1131
*
Desa, Duke of Zahumlje 1149–1162
*
Miroslav of Hum Prince of Zahumlje 1162–1190
*
Rastko of
Nemanja
Nemanja ( sr-Cyrl, Немања) is a masculine Serbian given name.
It is derived from the by-name borne by the founder of the Nemanjić dynasty, Stefan Nemanja (1114–1199), a Serbian grand prince who was venerated as a saint after his death. ...
1190–1192 ruling in the name of
Stefan Nemanja
*
Miroslav of Hum Prince of Zahumlje 1192
*
Toljen of Hum
Toljen ( sr-cyr, Тољен; fl. 1189) was a Serbian prince (''knez''), who ruled Hum between 1192–1196, serving his uncle Serbian Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja (r. 1166–1196).
Life
His father was Miroslav of Hum (r. 1166–1190; 1192) and his ...
Prince of Zahumlje 1192–1196 (He married a daughter of
Duke Berthold von Meran,
Margrave of
Istria
Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; ist, Eîstria; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian, Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; formerly in Latin and in Ancient Greek) is the larges ...
)
* To Hungary 1198–1199
*
Petar, son of Miroslav,
Duke of Zahumlje 1196–1216 and a
count of the city of
Split 1222–1225.
* In 1216 Stephen the First-Crowned divided Hum:
**Mainland of Zachlumia:
***
Stefan Radoslav of Serbia, Prince of Serbia and Zahumlje 1216–1228
***
Toljen II, son of Toljen,
Duke of Upper Zahumlje 1228–1239
**Coastal Zachlumia:
***
Andrija, son of Miroslav, Prince of the Seaside and
Duke of Southern Zahumlje 1216–1239
* Union of Zachlumia:
*
Andrija, 1239–1250
*
Radoslav of Zahumlje
Radoslav ( sr-cyr, Радослав) was the Lord of Hum in 1254. Radoslav was the son of Andrija, Prince of Hum. In 1254, Radoslav is mentioned as a Hungarian vassal, with the title of ''župan'' . He had two younger brothers, Bogdan and Đorđe ...
,
Bogdan I
Bogdan I, or Bogdan the Founder ( ro, Bogdan Întemeietorul), was the first independent ruler, or voivode, of Moldavia in the 1360s. He had initially been the voivode, or head, of the Vlachs in the Voivodeship of Maramureș in the Kingdom of Hun ...
and
George I 1249–1252 (brothers, sons of Andrew)
*
Radoslav of Zahumlje
Radoslav ( sr-cyr, Радослав) was the Lord of Hum in 1254. Radoslav was the son of Andrija, Prince of Hum. In 1254, Radoslav is mentioned as a Hungarian vassal, with the title of ''župan'' . He had two younger brothers, Bogdan and Đorđe ...
and
George I 1252–1268
*
George I 1268–1280
*
Bogdan II
Bogdan II (1409 – 17 October 1451) was a prince of Moldavia from October 12, 1449 to October 17, 1451.
Family
According to some historians, he was the bastard of Alexander the Good, by an unknown mother. On the contrary, according to the other ...
1280–1299
*
Mladen I Šubić of Bribir, a Croatian noble and
Bosnian Ban from 1299–1304
*
Paul I Šubić of Bribir, a
Ban of Croatia and
Lord of all of Bosnia from 1304–1312
*
Mladen II Šubić of Bribir, ''"Ban the Croats and Bosnia and general lord of Hum country"'' 1312–1322
*
Nikola
Nikola () is a given name which, like Nicholas, is a version of the Greek '' Nikolaos'' (Νικόλαος). It is common as a masculine given name in the South Slavic countries ( Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, North Macedonia, Mo ...
,
Prince of Zahumlje 1322–1326. Son of Bogdan I (or Radoslav). He married Katarina
Kotromanić in 1338
*
Stjepan Kotromanic II, a Bosnian Ban from 1326–1353
*
Tvrtko, the first Bosnian King 1353–1391
*
Stephen Dabiša of Bosnia
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...
1391–1395
*
Helen I 1395–1398
*
Stephen Ostoja of Bosnia
Stephen OstojaHis name in Bosnian is rendered Stjepan Ostoja (), while in Croatian it's Stjepan Ostoja. In Serbian, he is called Stefan Ostoja (). ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Stjepan Ostoja, Стјепан Остоја; died September 1418 ...
1398– 1404
*
Stephen Tvrtko II of Bosnia 1404–1409
*
Stephen Ostoja of Bosnia
Stephen OstojaHis name in Bosnian is rendered Stjepan Ostoja (), while in Croatian it's Stjepan Ostoja. In Serbian, he is called Stefan Ostoja (). ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Stjepan Ostoja, Стјепан Остоја; died September 1418 ...
(again) 1409–1418
*
Sandalj Hranić Kosača, Grand Duke of Hum from 1418–1435
*
Stjepan Vukčić Kosača
Stjepan Vukčić Kosača ( sr-Cyrl, Стјепан Вукчић Косача; 1404–1466) was the most powerful Bosnian nobleman whose active political career spanned the last three decades of medieval Bosnian history, from 1435 to 1465. D ...
(1435–1466) was Serbian noble. In 1448. changed his title from "Vojvode of Bosnia" into "Herceg
ukeof Hum and the Coast", and from 1449 into "Herceg of
Saint Sava" .
*
Vlatko Hercegović
Vlatko Hercegović (Cyrillic: Влатко Херцеговић), (born 1428 – died 1489), was the second and the last ''Herzog of Saint Sava'', succeeding his father Stjepan Vukčić in 1466.
Succession
After the fall of the kingdom in 1463 ...
from 1466 to 1481
Legacy
The historical name of the region is officially represented in the name of the
Eparchy of Zahumlje and Herzegovina of the
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches.
The majori ...
. Also, the honorific title ''Grand
Voivode (Duke) of Zahumlije'' has been granted at times to junior members of the
Petrović-Njegoš dynasty that ruled in
Montenegro until 1918. The last grand duke of Zahumlije was
Prince Peter of Montenegro
Prince Peter Petrovich-Njegosh of Montenegro, Grand Duke of Zahumlie (10 October 1889 – 7 May 1932)Burkes Royal Families of the World. Volume 1 Europe and Latin America, p 414. Burkes Peerage, 1977. was a soldier in the Balkan and First World ...
, who died in 1932.
Ulla Tillander-Godenhielm (2005): The Russian Imperial Award System During the Reign of Nicolas II, p. 446.
/ref>
See also
* History of Bosnia and Herzegovina
* History of Dalmatia
* History of Croatia
* History of Serbia
References
Footnotes
Bibliography
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* John the Deacon, ''Chronicon Venetum'', ed. A later edition is that by G. Monticolo (1890), Rome: Forzani. The relevant passage is also found in
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External links
Medieval Lands: BOSNIA
- Chapter 2. HERCEGOVINA (formerly ZAHUMLJE, HUM)
{{Authority control
Medieval history of the Balkans
Former Slavic countries
1050s disestablishments in Europe
States and territories established in the 9th century
9th-century establishments in Europe
tr:Hum Prensliği