Stjepan Tomašević

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Stjepan Tomašević (Cyrillic: Стефан Томашевић), first name also rendered Stipan, Stefan, and Stephen, from Latin Stephanus, ruled from 1461 to 1463 as the last King of Bosnia. He was the son of King Stjepan Tomaš.

He was also the despot of Serbia from 1458 to 1459.

In 1461, Tomašević sent to Pope Pius II for help in the face of an impending Ottoman invasion. Later, in 1463, he sent for help from the Venetians. However, none ever reached Bosnia. In 1463, Sultan Mehmed II led an army into the country. The royal city of Bobovac soon fell, leaving Tomašević to retreat to Jajce and later to Ključ. The Bosnian Kingdom was soon conquered by the Ottoman Empire. The King was captured in Ključ, and despite promises to the contrary, brought back to Jajce and beheaded on the nearby field known as Carevo Polje (Tzar Fields).

In 1888, renowned Croat archeologist Ćiro Truhelka excavated a locality in Jajce known as "Kraljev Grob" (King's Tomb) and found a skeleton of a decapitated adult male. Though there is no direct evidence that these are the remains of Stjepan Tomašević, folk tradition and circumstantial evidence make it almost a foregone conclusion that they are. The remains have since been housed, with minor interceptions, in the Franciscan monastery in Jajce.

Preceded by
Stjepan Tomaš
Serbian ruler
14581459
Succeeded by
post abolished
Preceded by
Stjepan Tomaš
King of Bosnia
14611463
Succeeded by
post abolished

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