Petar Krešimir IV of Croatia

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Petar Krešimir IV the Great was a notable energetic Croatian king, reigning in 1059–1074 and last great ruler of the Trpimirović dynasty Krešimirović branch. Under his rule the Croatian realm reached its peak. Under Petar Krešimir, Croatia was again encompassing large amounts of territory, earning the title the great. He reigned from Nin and Biograd.

Petar Krešimir succeeded his father Stjepan I upon his death in 1058, and continuing in his father's footsteps, he strengthened the state ever since his crowning in 1059.

At the imminent start of Petar Kresimir's reign, Pope Nicholas II demanded in 1059 and 1060 immediate reforms in Croatia in accordance to the formation of the Roman Catholic Church prior to the schism. This was hurt extremely Croatian priesthood, which was more aligned towards byzantine orientalism having long beards and marrying, and moreso the ecclesiastical service which was practiced in native Slavic and had to use Latin ever since. This caused a rebellion of the religious classes opposing linguistic discrimination and celibacy in 1063, but they were proclaimed heretics at the Synod of 1064 and excommunicated. Petar Kresimir harshly quelled all oppositions and attained a firm attitude towards western Romanism, planning to bring the Dalmatian Romanised populace to his side, in hopes to use them to balance the power measurements in the Croatian realm caused by the growing power of the feudalists.

King Petar Kresimir greatly expanded Croatia, across the coastland and in the mainland eastwards. The previous Ban of Slavonia Zvonimir of the related branch of Svetoslavić became his adviser, Ban of Croatia, while Pannonian Slavonia was peacefully re-annexed to Croatia. In 1069, he gave the island of Maun near Nin to the monastery of St. Krševan in Zadar, because of the "expansion of the kingdom on land and on sea, by the grace of the omnipotent God" (quia Deus omnipotenus terra marique nostrum prolungavit regnum). In his speech Krešimir did not fail to point out that it was "our own island that lies on our Dalmatian sea" (nostram propriam insulam in nostro Dalmatico mari sitam, que vocatur Mauni). Despite the fact that a squire became prominent and most powerful man at Kresimir's court, Petar reigned peacefully and did not fight many nor bloody wars.

In 1072 the King sent military aid to the slavic boyars in Macedonia fighting against the Byzantines and assist the Serbs of Zeta.

In November of 1075, the Norman count Amico invaded Croatia from south Italia on the behalf of the Dalmaitan cities who invited him to protect them against Petar's domination. In this war the Croatian King himself was kidnapped; Petar Kresimir IV had to give the Normans many cities, including both his capitals: Nin and Biograd.

He had no sons, only a daughter named Neda, and his brothers were also dead, so the end of Petar Krešimir IV also marked the de facto end of the Trpimirović ruling dynasty which had ruled the Croatian lands for over two centuries.

Petar Krešimir IV designated his Ban Dmitar Zvonimir Svetoslavic as heir and successor. When Petar Krešimir died in late 1074 or early 1075, Zvonimir succeeded him.

In 1075, king Petar Krešimir IV was buried in the church of St. Stephen, together with the other dukes and kings of the Croats. Unfortunately, several centuries later the Ottoman Turks destroyed the church, banished the monks who had preserved it, and destroyed the graves.