Ban (title)

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Ban [baːn] is a title of uncertain origin, which was used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.

1 Etymology
2 Uses of the title
3 Medieval bans
4 Kingdom of Yugoslavia
5 Legacy
6 Sources and References
7 See also

[edit] Etymology

The word ban entered English from South Slavic ban "lord, master, ruler", itself presumably from Persian ban "prince, lord, chief, governor", related to Sanskrit pati "guards, protects". Others believe the word originates from Sarmatian bajan; it also bears a similarity to the Turkic-Mongolian (unrelated) khan. The word is preserved in many modern-day place names. But there are alternative theories concerning Illyrian origin and the Illyrian name Banius, which is to be found on Illyrian remains in Bosnia. According to one theory, the title of ban derived from the name of an Avar cagan, Bajan.

[edit] Uses of the title

The title was used for local land administrators in the southern Slavonic areas of Croatia and Bosnia in the early Middle Ages. The title was later on also used in the historical Kingdom of Croatia and the Kingdom of Hungary and its dependencies.

The title was further on used in Wallachia from the 14th century up to 1831 (where it was associated with the highest boyar office and the region of Oltenia), medieval Moldavia, the Kingdom of Serbia, and then in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1941. The meaning of the title changed with time — the position of a ban can be compared to that of a viceroy or a duke, but neither is accurate for all historical bans. The territory ruled by a ban was called banat or banovina, often transcribed to English as banate, banat, bannat, etc.

[edit] Medieval bans

Ban was the title of local rulers in Croatia and Bosnia since the Slavic population migrated there in the 7th century. References from the earliest periods are scarce, but history recalls the Croatian bans Ratimir in the 9th century (827, under Bulgarian sway) and Pribina in the 10th century (in 949 and in 970).

The meaning of the title was elevated to that of provincial governor in the medieval Croatian state (for example, Dmitar Zvonimir was originally a ban in 1065).

Bans were also provincial administrators in the Kingdom of Hungary, where each of the provinces was called banat; the Croatian word for province was banovina. Bans usually administered regions outside the kingdom, but within the realm.

Josip Jelačić, ban of Croatia (1848-1859)

When Croatia became a part of the Hungarian kingdom in the 12th century, the title of ban acquired the meaning of viceroy because the bans were appointed by the king, though the banate of Croatia was rarely referred to as a banat. Croatia was governed by the 'viceroyal' ban as a whole between 1102 and 1225, when it was split into two separate banovinas - Slavonia and Croatia. Two different bans were occasionally appointed until 1476, when the institution of a single ban was resumed, and lasted until 1918. In the Croatian history one of most distinguished bans was Toma II. Erdödy, great warrior and statesman in one person, Croatia ownes him much for protecting her rights against the Hungarian nobility, his mostly known words in Latin are 'Regnum regno non praescribit leges', or in English 'kingdom is not allowed to impose laws to other kingdom'.

When the medieval Bosnian state achieved a certain level of independence in the 12th century, its rulers were once again called bans, and their territory banovina, likely because of the similar suzerain status that it had towards the king of Hungary. Nevertheless, the Bosnian bans weren't viceroys in the sense they were appointed by the king. Sometimes their title is translated as duke. Later in the 13th century they gradually achieved more independence (though in some periods they were still vassals) and eventually proclaimed themselves kings in the late 14th century.

The region of Mačva (now in Serbia) was also ruled by bans. Mačva was part of the medieval Hungarian kingdom though under various levels of independence; some of the bans were foreign viceroys, some were native nobles, and one even rose to the status of a royal palatine.

Ban was also the title of medieval rulers of parts of Wallachia (Oltenia and Severin) since the 13th century. The Wallachian bans were military governors; their jurisdictions in Wallachia were called banats. The main Wallachian ruler was titled voivod, the position bans aspired to.

[edit] Kingdom of Yugoslavia

Ban was also the title of the governor of each province (called banovina) of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1941. The weight of the title was far less then that of a medieval ban's feudal office.

[edit] Legacy

The word ban is preserved in many modern place names in the regions where bans once ruled.

The region of Banat (sometimes called the Temeswarer Banat) in the Pannonian plain between the Danube and the Tisza rivers, now in Romania, Serbia and Hungary, however got its name without ever being ruled by a ban.

A region in central Croatia, south of Sisak, is called Banovina or Banija. The origin of the names of Banja Luka and Banovići, cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, could be also from the word ban.

The term ban is still used in the phrase banski dvori ("ban's court") for the buildings that host the highest government officials. The Banski Dvori in Zagreb host the Government of Croatia, while the Banski Dvori in Banja Luka host the President of Republika Srpska (first-tier subdivision of Bosnia and Herzegovina). The building known as "Bela banovina" ("the white banovina") in Novi Sad host the parliament and government of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in Serbia (The building got this name because it previously hosted administration of Danube Banovina).