Mladen II Šubić Of Bribir
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Mladen II Šubić of Bribir (, ; c.1270 – c.1341), a
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
n leader and member of the Šubić noble family, was a
Ban of Croatia Ban of Croatia () was the title of local rulers or office holders and after 1102, viceroys of Croatia. From the earliest periods of the Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by Ban (title), bans as a ruler's representative (viceroy) and sup ...
and Lord of all of Bosnia. After succeeding his father Paul, he further consolidated the Šubić domain, and brought Stephen Kotromanić to administer Bosnia under his overlordship. His subsequent rule marked the weakening of the Šubić and ended with a mutiny of Dalmatian cities and Croatian nobility in 1322. This further led to Mladen's defeat at the Battle of Bliska and subsequent imprisonment by
Charles I of Hungary Charles I, also known as Charles Robert (; ; ; 128816 July 1342), was King of Hungary and Croatia in the union with Hungary, Croatia from 1308 to his death. He was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou and the only son of Charles Martel of A ...
, whom the Šubićs had previously brought to take the throne in Hungary. Mladen continued to develop the state and court institutions, and his ''de facto'' rule led to the further development of the chivalric culture in Croatia.


Background

Mladen II was christened as Ivan, in honour of
John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...
, the patron saint of the Šubićs'. Following a dynastic fracture in the monarchy of Hungary and Croatia, Mladen's father Paul emerged as a powerful oligarch who asserted sovereign rule over all of Croatia and Dalmatia, whose territories he distributed among his family members. He ruled from his seat in the fortified town of Bribir, where he erected, along with his castle, the three-aisled basilica of St. Mary inside the
Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
convent. After the extinction of the
Árpád dynasty The Árpád dynasty consisted of the members of the royal House of Árpád (), also known as Árpáds (, ). They were the ruling dynasty of the Principality of Hungary in the 9th and 10th centuries and of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 130 ...
, Paul had the Angevins brought to the throne, although their power over the land held by the Šubić family was merely nominal throughout the entirety of their administration. Paul took extensive campaigns and significantly expanded his dominion eastward, over Bosnia and Hum, and also warred successfully against the
Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...
, taking the Dalmatian capital Zadar. He was the most powerful Croatian noble at the end of the 13th century and beginning of the 14th century. He also issued his own
coin A coin is a small object, usually round and flat, used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by ...
.


Biography


Early years

Mladen II Šubić was an eldest son of Paul I Šubić of Bribir, who was the most powerful Croatian noble at the end of the 13th century and beginning of the 14th century, and his first wife whose name is not known. In regard to the date of his birth, there are no records available, but he is assumed to have been born around the year 1270. Mladen II had three brothers: George II Šubić, Gregory III Šubić and Paul II Šubić. After the death of his uncle, the Bosnian Ban Mladen I Šubić in 1304, his father Paul I Šubić himself had to lead an army to crush the resistance in Šubić's
Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
, after which in 1305 he took the title of "Lord of the all Bosnia" (''totius Bosniae dominus''), and passed the title of ban to Mladen. Upon the taking of the city of Zadar from the Venetians, he was elected Duke of Zadar by the commune and also assumed the title "Prince of Dalmatia". His troops also participated in the subsequent battle against the Venetian Republic, who attempted to take the city back. He ruled over Bosnia under his father, but after Paul's death in 1312, the situation in Bosnia and Croatia became more complicated.


Reign

He succeeded his father as Ban of Croatia in the aftermath of his death on 1 May 1312 and inherited a strongly-founded dominion encompassing all of Croatia, Bosnia,
Zahumlje Zachlumia or Zachumlia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Zahumlje, Захумље, ), also Hum, was a medieval principality located in the modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia (today parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, r ...
and the Dalmatian cities. His wife Helen, was a relative of the
Capetian House of Anjou The Capetian House of Anjou, or House of Anjou-Sicily, or House of Anjou-Naples was a royal house and cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty. It is one of three separate royal houses referred to as ''Angevin'', meaning "from Anjou" in France. Foun ...
, and Mladen already made marriage contracts of their children to the counts of Gorizia, which could serve as valuable allies in the war against the
Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...
. Mladen greatly weakened the Venetian attempts to take
Zadar Zadar ( , ), historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian, ; see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Croatia. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ...
, by buying off the leader of their mercenaries, which greatly reduced their potential on land. However, in September 1313, he allowed the return of Zadar to Venice, under the condition of granting the city considerable autonomy. He relinquished the title Duke of Zadar, but was granted citizenship of Zadar under Venetian patronage by 1314. In doing this, he kept a strong and stable relations with the city and made status quo with Venice. His rule was met with mutiny for the first time in spring of 1315 when the Captain and Potestat of the city of Trogir, Matthew of Zori, expelled members of the Andreis family in an internal struggle within the city. Although this was not an act directed against Mladen's rule, the expelled received his support and as a result, he answered with hostility. Mladen requested from the commune "to send him a blank piece of paper, on which he will write whatever he wants from the city" and forty hostages, which was rejected by the city council. Fearing Mladen's wrath, they also decided to destroy the monastery outside the city walls, to prevent it from being used as a military base against the city. Despite the incident, it did not escalate, and Mladen allowed Matej to keep his position. However, he imposed a large fine on the city. Matej Zori made contacts with the members of Mladen's court in order to secure better status. In 1317, Matej Zori was eventually ousted from his position and was driven into exile by certain outer elements, with the help of the city of Šibenik, an act which was supported by Mladen. He imposed further sanctions of the city and Matej's supporters in 1318. Apart from Trogir, he also faced problems with the Croatian nobility. He inherited a dispute from his father regarding Jablanac, with the noble Frederick III (
Frankopan The House of Frankopan (, , , ) was a Croatian noble family, whose members were among the great landowner magnates and high officers of the Kingdom of Croatia in union with Hungary. The Frankopans, along with the Zrinskis, are among the mos ...
) of
Krk Krk (; ; ; ; archaic German: ''Vegl'', ; ) is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, located near Rijeka in the Bay of Kvarner and part of Primorje-Gorski Kotar county. Krk is tied with Cres as the largest Adriatic island, depending o ...
, although this did not pose any significant threat. A larger threat emerged from a rebellion of counts Nelipić and Kurjaković in the winter of 1316–1317, probably in connection with his conflicts against the
Slavonia Slavonia (; ) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria County, Istria, one of the four Regions of Croatia, historical regions of Croatia. Located in the Pannonian Plain and taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with f ...
n Babonić nobles. However, it was concluded shortly thereafter, and the mutineers did not seem to have fallen in his disfavor. Following the death of Stephen Dragutin, he occupied the northern territories of today's Bosnia and Hercegovina, Usora and Soli. This act prompted a retaliation of the neighboring Raška, which attacked Šubić's territories from
Ston Ston () is a settlement and a municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia, located at the south of isthmus of the Pelješac peninsula. History Because of its geopolitical and strategic position, Ston has had a rich history since ...
. In 1318, he joined the crusade of Phillip of Taranto, titular Latin Emperor and cousin of his wife, against the King of Rascia,
Milutin Milutin () is a Serbian masculine given name of Slavic origin. The name may refer to: *Stephen Uroš II Milutin of Serbia (1253–1321), king of Serbia * Milutin Bojić (1892–1917), poet * Milutin Ivković (1906–1943), footballer *Milutin Milan ...
. Mladen invaded Raška from his territories in Zahumlje and was initially successful, but had to withdraw in the subsequent years. In the aftermath, his younger brother George II (who was the prince of
Omiš Omiš () is a town and port in the Dalmatia region of Croatia, and a municipality in the Split-Dalmatia County. The town is approximately south-east of Croatia's second largest city, Split (city), Split, where the Cetina River meets the Adriatic ...
) was given as a hostage to the opposing side as part of the peace negotiations, and was subsequently transferred to the city of Dubrovnik for safe keeping. Mladen's rule was unpopular with Bosnia's nobility, specifically among the supporters of the former Bosnian ban Stephen Kotromanić. As a result, he placed Kotromanić under his patronage and arranged a marriage between him and one of the daughters of Meinhard of Ortenburg. He also took a tolerant stance towards Bosnia's krstjani (members of the Bosnian Church), which brought him into conflict with the
Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
. Later, in order to restore and quiet situation in Bosnia, he appointed Stephen in 1322 as the Bosnian Ban.


Last years and fall

Another mutiny emerged within the city of
Šibenik Šibenik (), historically known as Sebenico (), is a historic town in Croatia, located in central Dalmatia, where the river Krka (Croatia), Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea. Šibenik is one of the oldest Croatia, Croatian self-governing cities ...
in 1319, the most loyal city towards the Šubić family. The causes of it are not known, but it is known that the commune requested mediation by Venice. The rebellion was taken very seriously by Mladen, as it offered an opportunity for Venice to meddle in Mladen's affair directly, although it was already crushed before they could act diplomatically. He imprisoned the leaders of the rebellion Koza of Ilija, under the accusations of conspiring against his life. Mladen's fall began with the second rebellion of Šibenik in 1321/1322, which was soon joined by Trogir. Mladen first attacked and pillaged Šibenik's surroundings, which was followed by laying siege to the city itself. He ordered Koza's brothers to be brought before the city and executed in clear sight. This act only deepened the conflict and provoked other members of the Croatian nobility to mutiny, including his younger brother Paul II, who was at the time Duke of Trogir. The rebellion of the cities received support from Venice and in March 1322, Šibenik accepted Venetian rule, who in turn sent a fleet to defend it from Mladen's attempts at retribution. Paul II and the city of Trogir made an alliance with the goal of deposing Mladen and replacing him with Paul. Despite this, Trogir also accepted Venice's supremacy, declaring that its loyalty belongs to
Charles I of Hungary Charles I, also known as Charles Robert (; ; ; 128816 July 1342), was King of Hungary and Croatia in the union with Hungary, Croatia from 1308 to his death. He was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou and the only son of Charles Martel of A ...
, its natural master. This forced Mladen to convene an assembly of the Croatian nobility in order to gain support and tone down the tensions with the Dalmatian cities. The attempt was unsuccessful, as the assembly ended with even more animosity of the rest of the nobility towards him. The conflict gave pretext to king Charles, who eliminated the oligarchic powers in Hungary by then, in restoring royal power in Croatia, since he disputed Mladen's rule over these lands. The king named a new
Ban of Croatia Ban of Croatia () was the title of local rulers or office holders and after 1102, viceroys of Croatia. From the earliest periods of the Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by Ban (title), bans as a ruler's representative (viceroy) and sup ...
, John Babonić, and alongside him departed to face Mladen. The first battle took place in the vicinity of Šibenik, in which Mladen's troops were defeated, forcing him to withdraw to the south. The armies of Trogir, Šibenik and Venice pillaged the city of Skradin. The second and final battle occurred in Blizna near Klis Fortress. Mladen's army consisted of his own troops, those of his brother George II, as well as
Vlach Vlach ( ), also Wallachian and many other variants, is a term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate speakers of Eastern Romance languages living in Southeast Europe—south of the Danube (the Balkan peninsula) ...
s' and those from lesser nobility of the Poljica region. The opposing army were royal troops under John Babonić in coalition with the Croatian nobility (including Paul II Šubić) and the militia of Trogir and Šibenik. The battle resulted in the victory for the coalition, forcing Mladen further south into Klis Fortress. In the Klis Fortress, Mladen received news of the king's arrival in
Knin Knin () is a city in the Šibenik-Knin County of Croatia, located in the Dalmatian hinterland near the source of the river Krka (Croatia), Krka, an important traffic junction on the rail and road routes between Zagreb and Split, Croatia, Split. ...
, which prompted him to send his younger brother George II as a diplomat with intent to negotiate. Charles I received George very diligently and gave his assurance for Mladen to arrive personally to Knin. Despite the king's previous promises, when Mladen arrived, he was imprisoned and taken alongside the king to Hungary, where he lived in captivity under unknown circumstances. It is possible that his daughter Catherine was also taken. He is assumed to have died around the year 1341. As a result, the king gave Stephen II Kotromanić Bosnia and Dalmatia from
Cetina The Cetina () is a river in southern Croatia. It has a length of and its basin covers an area of . From its source, Cetina descends from an elevation of above sea level to the Adriatic Sea. It is the most water-rich river in Dalmatia.Naklada Nap ...
to
Dubrovnik Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, a Port, seaport and the centre of the Dubrovni ...
. Mladen's former court member and conspirator, Ivan Nelipić, used the opportunity to seize Knin from the royal forces. After Mladen II's defeat, the Šubić family not only lost Bosnia, but also lands in Croatia, and lost forever its previous influence. Mladen II was succeeded by his brother George and subsequently his nephew
Mladen III Šubić Mladen III Šubić () ( 1315 – Trogir, 1 May 1348) was a member of the Croatian Šubić noble family, who ruled from Klis Fortress. He was in possession of Klis, Omiš and Skradin. He is also known as Shield of the Croats (Clipeus Croator ...
as heads of the Šubić family, who continued to rule over Klis, Skradin and Omiš until 1348.


Legacy and assessment

Historians give various reasons for Mladen's failure in relation to the career of his father, namely his violent tendencies and vanity, although those were not unusual traits for a ruler. At the same time, he was praised by his contemporaries for his chivalrous and intellectual virtues. Even the very negative description of chronicler Miha Madijev admits that he read the Holy Scripture often. He seems to have inspired his personal physician, William of Varignan (later also a professor of medicine), to write scientific tractates. In the eyes of the Dalmatian cities and some of his other subjects, he was remembered as a tyrant. His power as an arbiter became a burden for the Dalmatian cities, whose aristocracy and citizens required more space for self-governing, which was impossible to do with the domination of Mladen's court members. Croatian nobility was also unhappy, since they wanted a larger share of the rule for themselves. Mladen's political and military failures only encouraged their appetites. His fate caused sympathies in national tradition, and in 19th century two places in the Knin Castle were thought to be the places of his temporary captivity.


Titles

In the document of 10 April 1318, Mladen II Šubić is called "Ban of the Croats and Bosnia and general lord of Hum country".''banom Hrvata i Bosne i općim gospodarem Humske zemlje'', in cit: ''Generalis dominus totius territorii Chelmensis.'' Bruchstücke aus der Geschichte der nordwestlichen Balkanländer, Ein Beitrag zur Biographie des Mladen Šubić Banus von Bosnien, Dr. Ludwik von Thallóczy k.u.k. Regierungsrath und Archivsdirector, Druck von Adolf Holzhausen k.u.k. Hof- und Universitäts-Buchdrucker, Wien 1895.


See also

* House of Šubić *
Stephen II, Ban of Bosnia Stephen II ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, separator=" / ", Стефан II, Stjepan II) was the Bosnian Ban from 1314, but in reality from 1322 to 1353 together with his brother, Vladislav Kotromanić in 1326–1353. He was the son of Bosnian Ban Stephen I Ko ...
*
List of rulers of Croatia This is a complete list of dukes and kings of Croatia () under domestic ethnic and elected dynasties during the Duchy of Croatia (until 925), the Kingdom of Croatia (925–1102), the Kingdom of Croatia and Dalmatia (1102–1526 in union with K ...
* List of rulers of Bosnia


Footnotes


References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Subic of Bribir, Mladen 02 Mladen 02 Bans of Croatia Bans of Bosnia 1270s births 1341 deaths Croatian people who died in prison custody Croatian people imprisoned abroad Prisoners who died in Hungarian detention 13th-century Croatian nobility 14th-century Croatian nobility 14th-century Croatian military personnel Oligarchs of the Kingdom of Hungary