Knešpolje ( sr-cyr, Кнешпоље) or Knežopolje (Кнежопоље) is a region in northwestern

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 is the northwestern part of the Potkozarje geographical region, and includes a region stretching from

Prijedor Prijedor ( sr-cyrl, Приједор, ) is a city and municipality located in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 89,397 inhabitants within its administrative limits. Prijedor is situated in ...

Kozara Kozara ( sr-cyrl, Козара) is a mountain in western Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the town of Kozarac and in the Bosanska Krajina region, bounded by the Sava River to the north, the Vrbas to the east, the Sana to the south, and the Una to the ...

mountains,

Bosanska Dubica Kozarska Dubica ( sr-cyrl, Козарска Дубица), previously known as Bosanska Dubica ( sr-cyrl, Босанска Дубица) is a town and municipality located in northern Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 20 ...

, the Una river and

Bosanska Kostajnica Kostajnica ( sr-cyr, Костајница) is a town and municipality located in northern Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

. Its name is derived from ''knez'' (count, duke) and ''polje'' (field).

Geography

The region lies in northwestern

, in the wider

Bosanska Krajina Bosanska Krajina ( sr-cyrl, Босанска Крајина, ) is a geographical region, a subregion of Bosnia, in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is enclosed by a number of rivers, namely the Sava (north), Glina (northwest), Vrbanja and Vrba ...

region. It is the northwestern part of the Potkozarje geographical region, and includes a region stretching from

mountains,

, the Una river and

Bosanska Kostajnica Kostajnica ( sr-cyr, Костајница) is a town and municipality located in northern Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

History

The region is known for its rebellions against Ottoman rule. In 1858, an uprising broke out in the region, known as

Pecija's First Revolt Pecija's First Revolt ( sr-cyr, прва Пецијина буна) or Doljani Revolt (Дољанска буна) was an uprising in Knešpolje led by Serb hayduk leader Pecija, Petar Popović–Pecija (1826–1875) against the Ottoman government, ...

. The region is known as a place where Serbs were persecuted by the Ustashe in World War II; Bosnian Muslim poet

Skender Kulenović Skender Kulenović (2 September 1910 – 25 January 1978) was a Yugoslav poet, novelist and dramatist. Biography Skender Kulenović was born in 1910 in the Bosnian town of Bosanski Petrovac (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), to Muslim ...

wrote about the Kozara tragedy. In the prelude of the

Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...

, the Serb-organized

SAO Bosanska Krajina The Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Bosanska Krajina ( sr, Српска aутономна област Босанска Крајина, Srpska autonomna oblast Bosanska Krajina) was a self-proclaimed Serbian Autonomous Oblast within today's Bosnia ...

was proclaimed in the Bosnian Frontier; it was then succeeded by the establishment of

Republika Srpska Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, lit=Serb Republic, also known as Republic of Srpska, ) is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Feder ...

(1992).

Culture

The region is historically Serb-inhabited, and has specific folk traditions. Ojkača is sung with at least three singers and without instrumental music. The local ''

kolo Kolo may refer to: Places Poland *Koło *Koło, Łódź Voivodeship * Koło, Lublin Voivodeship * Koło, Lubusz Voivodeship Other places * Kolo, Bosnia and Herzegovina * Kolo, Central African Republic * Kolo (Tanzanian ward), Kondoa district, Dod ...

'' (dance) is the Kozara kolo (Kozaračko kolo). The traditional instrument is

tamburica Tamburica ( or ) or tamboura ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", tamburica, тамбурица, little tamboura; hu, tambura; el, Ταμπουράς, Tampourás; sometimes written tamburrizza or tamburitza), refers to a family of long-necked lute ...

. The region's inhabitants call themselves ''Knežopoljci'', and regard themselves ''Krajišnici'' ("frontiersmen").

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knespolje Regions of Republika Srpska Historical regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina History of the Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Geography

History

Culture

See also

References