| Paul I Šubić of Bribir | |
|---|---|
| Ban of Croatia Lord of all of Bosnia |
|
| "Paulus de Breberio banus Croatorum D[omi]n[u]s et Bosnae". | |
| Reign | 1299 - 1312 |
| House | House of Šubić |
| Born | Croatia |
Paul I Šubić of Bribir (Croatian: Pavao I Šubić Bribirski) (c. 1245 - 1 May 1312) was a Croatian leader and most outstanding member of the Šubić noble family from Bribir, was a Ban of Croatia and Lord of all of Bosnia. 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 convent.[1]
Paul I Šubić was the most powerful Croatian noble at the end of 13th century and beginning of the 14th century. He reigned during the Arpad and Anjou struggle which secured him power over the whole central part of Croatia.
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The exact date of his birth is unknown, but the year is estimated around 1245. He was the oldest son of the Bribirian noble Stephen II and his wife, who was probably a descendant of the Arpad noble dynasty. Paul was also a brother of Mladen I Šubić of Bribir and Juraj.
The first mention of his name occurs in 1272, when he held the title of Count of Bribir, from which he took his name, Bribirski. Paul became ban of Croatia in 1273 and ruled until his death. At the time of his death, he ruled over most of Dalmatia, Slavonia and Bosnia,[2] lands once ruled by the early Croatian kings.
During a civil war between the Árpád and Anjou dynasties for the crown of Hungary and Croatia, he supported Charles I. Charles I in 1292 named him master of the lands between the Gvozd and Neretva rivers. In Dalmatia, he appointed his brothers as commissars of Dalmatian cities. He gave Split to his brother Mladen I, and Šibenik, Nin, Trogir and Omiš to his brother Juraj I. He united large parts of Dalmatia and Slavonia. The following year, king Andrew III gave him and his family jurisdiction over the whole Banovina. However, the king also asked to recognize his mother, Tomasina Morosini as the duchess of Slavonia, which Paul rejected and in 1293., proclaimed himself as "ban of the Croats" (lat. banus Croatorum).
In 1299 he conquered Bosnia, and ruled from the Adriatic sea to the Drava river on the north, and to the Drina river to the east. After conquering Bosnia, Paul I Šubić declared himself as "Dominus of Bosnia" in 1299,[3] and gave his brother Mladen I Šubić the title of Bosnian Ban. Although he did not have himself crowned, he was the de facto sovereign ruler of these territories. The seal of Paul I Šubić Bribirski (1312), had the following lettering on it: "s[igillum] Pauli Breberiensis bani totius Sclavoniae". Another Paul's seal had the inscription "Paulus de Breberio banus Croatorum D[omi]n[u]s et Bosnae"
After the death of his brother, Bosnian Ban Mladen I Šubić in 1304, Paul I Šubić himself had to lead an Army to crush the resistance in Šubić's Bosnia, after which in 1305 he took the title of Lord of all of Bosnia (totius Bosniae dominus). Paul I Šubić passed the title of Lord of all of Bosnia to his eldest son Mladen II Šubić, who ruled over Bosnia as a Ban of Bosnia under his father. However,after Paul I Šubić's death in 1312, Mladen II tried to maintain his hold over Bosnia and the other Croatian clans, but wasn't successful like his father, so in 1322 he lost control over Bosnia.
Paul eventually sided with the Anjou dynasty and sends his brother George I. to Naples so he can safely transport Charles I over the Adriatic to Hungary. At the death of king Andrew III, Charles I was taken to Zagreb, and from there he went to Esztergom so he could be crowned as the new king. Despite the coronation, Charles wasn't fully recognized for another 10 years and his power in Croatia was only nominal.
Ban Paul was a nearly sovereign monarch, who reigned over most of territories that were originally under former Croatian kings and also issued his own coin.[4]
In a war with the Venetian Republic, Paul captured Zadar in 1311, which was the height of his power.
He died on 1 May 1312 and was buried in the franciscan church of St. Mary in Bribir. He was succeeded by his son Mladen II during which the power of the Šubić family starts to fade.
Paul Šubić had five sons:
An important avenue in Zagreb, the Pavao Šubić Avenue is named after him.
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Butko |
Ban of Croatia 1273–1312 |
Succeeded by Mladen II Šubić |
| Preceded by Stjepan I Kotroman |
Ban of Bosnia 1299 |
Succeeded by Mladen I Šubić |
| Preceded by Paul I Šubić of Birbir |
Lord of all of Bosnia 1305–1312 |
Succeeded by Mladen II Šubić |