Zahumlje
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Image:Principalities02.png Zahumlje, also known as the Land of Hum, was a medieval principality located in today's Herzegovina.
Earliest written mentions
De Administrando Imperio[1] states:
- "From Ragusa begins the domain of the Zachlumi 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 to Serbia at the front."
- "The Zahumljani (Zachlumoi) that now live there are Serbs, originating from the time of the prince (archont) who fled to emperor Heraclius"
- "The land of the Zahumljani comprise the following cities: Ston (το Σταγνον), Mokriskik (το Μοκρισκικ), Josli (το Ιοσλε), Galumainik (το Γαλυμαενικ), Dobriskik (το Δοβρισκικ)"
Zahumlje then bordered the lands of Pagania (Paganoi) to the west and southwest, Travunia (Terbounia) to the east and southeast, and Serbia to the north.
The Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja mentions Zahumlje as a part of Red Croatia and states a source from 753, De Regno Sclavorum.
The book De Administrando Imperio from the 10th century, written by the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitos, mentions the land of the Zachlumoi or Zahumlje as a one of the lands given to the Serbs that came unsatisfied from Servia in the Byzantine theme of Serbia (thema Servia) to inhabit in the first half of the 7th century.
Rulers of Zahumlje
Zahumlje entered into confederations with the Serb princes of Raška early on. The Serb prince Časlav Klonimirović of the House of Vlastimirović fully incorporated this area into his domain between AD 927 and 940.
In the 12th and 13th century, Zahumlje was ruled by the a dynasty of local rulers:
- Desa, the župan of Duklja/Zeta, Travunia and Zahumlje before 1151 and the župan of Serbia from 1155-1162
- Zavida, the Prince of Zahumlje
- Miroslav, the Great Prince of Zahumlje 1162-1190. He was the brother of Stefan Nemanja, Tihomir and Stracimir. He married a sister of Ban Kulin of Bosnia. In 1166 he ruled in Tihomir's name and since 1166 in the name of Duke of All Serbia, Grand Prince of Rascia Stephen I Nemanya's name
- Rastko of Nemanja 1190 - 1192 rulling in the name of Stefan Nemanja
- Toljen, son of Miroslav 1192 - 1198
- Petar, son of Miroslav, Duke of Zahumlje 1198-1227 and a count of the city of Split 1222-1225. He married a daughter of Duke Berthold von Meran, Margrave of Istria
- Toljen II, son of Toljen, Duke of Upper Zahumlje up to 1239
- Nikola, Prince of Zahumlje. He married Katarina Kotromanić in 1238
- Andrija, son of Miroslav, Prince of the Seaside and Duke of southern Zahumlje up to 1250
- Bogdan, son of Andrija, Prince of Zahumlje up to 1249, died 1252
- Radoslav, son of Andrija, Prince of Zahumlje in 1249 - 1255
- Bogdan II 1285 - 1312
The recorded rulers of Zahumlje in the 14th century include:
- Stephen Konstantin, Prince of Zahumlje, pretender to the Serbian throne in 1323.
- Jovan Uglješa, a descendant of the Serbian House of Mrnjavčević governed Zahumlje from approx. 1370 until his death in 1404.
- Sandalj Hranić Kosača, knez of Zahumlje and one of the Dukes of Saint Sava, rose to become became Grand Vojvoda of Bosnia until his death in 1435
- Stefan Vukčić Kosača, Grand Vojvoda of Bosnia, a Knez of Zahumlje and Primorje until his death in 1466