Republic of Poljica
Part of a series on the |
History of Croatia |
---|
Early history
|
Middle Ages
|
Modernity
|
20th century
|
Contemporary Croatia
|
Timeline |
Croatia portal |
The Poljica Republic or duchy (Croatian: PoljiÄka republika, in older form "PoljiÄka knežija") was an autonomous community which existed in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period in central Dalmatia, near modern-day OmiÅ”, Croatia.
It was organized as a "peasants' republic", and it's best known because of the Poljica Statute first written in 1440.
Etymology
The name poljica stems from the word polje for "field", karst polje in particular, a common geographic feature in the area. The Poljica region was first titled "Republic" by the Venetian writer Alberto Fortis in 1774. It was also known as Poglizza (in Italian).
Legal system
Poljica is best known for the eponymous statute from the 15th century. It was first written in 1440, revised in 1485, 1515, 1665, and on several occasions up to the 19th century, growing to 116 articles. It is today kept in OmiÅ”'s museum. This document contains a description of the Poljica common law and its system of government, and is the most important Croatian historical legal statute (together with the Vinodol codex of 1288) written in the Chakavian dialect and arvatica (the name appears in the annex of Statute of Poljica from 1655) (poljiÄica and poljiÄka azbukvica).
One of the items of Poljica Statute states that "everyone has the right to live", contrary to many mediaeval European laws replete with capital punishments including torture.
A number of other documents dated from the 12th to 17th century regarding the Republic have been preserved, such as PoljiÄki molitvenik (1614), Statut poljiÄke bratovÅ”tine Sv.Kuzme i Damjana (1619).
Geography
The territories of the Poljica republic lay chiefly within the south-easterly curve made by the river Cetina before it enters the Adriatic at OmiÅ”. They also comprised the fastnesses of the Mosor mountain (1,370 m or 4,500 feet)) and the fertile strip of coast from OmiÅ” to StobreÄ, 16 km (9.9 mi) W.N.W.
Poljica is divided into three zones: Upper Poljica (Zagorska), behind Mosor, is farthest from the Adriatic Sea and is in the hinterland of Mosor; Middle Poljica (Zavrska), the largest part of Poljica (50%) extends from the Žrnovnica River to the Cetina River at Zadvarje; Lower Poljica (Primorska), built on the remnants of the ancient Greek colony Eqetium, which extends along the sea from OmiÅ” to the village of StobreÄ.
History
The people of Poljica organized and founded the "parish commune" where they could live according to their own laws. The parish commune was divided into twelve villages (katuni), which they named after twelve larger villages of Poljica:
- (Upper) Gornja Poljica: Srijane, Dolac Donji and Gornje Polje
- (Middle) Sridnja Poljica: Kostanje, ZveÄanje, ÄiÅ”la, Gata, Dubrava, Sitno and Srinjine
- (Lower) Donja Poljica: DuÄe, Jesenice and Podstrana
Five of the twelve villages were greatly populated by free peasants from Split origin, and are therefore called free peasant composite villages. The other composite villages were populated by descendants of the three brothers (noted to be founders of Poljica). Each of the twelve villages elected an elder, or little duke (knez), to serve as leader. The little dukes of free peasant composite villages did not share the same rights as little dukes of the other villagesāthey could vote, but not be elected to the government of Poljica due to their ties with Split.
Documents dating back to the 15th century mention three brothers as founders of the parish commune of Poljica. According to tradition, TiŔimir, KreŔimir and Elem, sons of Croatian king Miroslav, escaped from Bosnia to Poljica. Each brother is credited to having occupied Upper, Middle and Lower Poljica during the mid 15th century.
The inhabitants lived in scattered villages, twelve of them, each ruled by its count, and all together ruled by the supreme count. These officers, with the three judges, were always of noble birth, though elected by the whole body of citizens. There were two orders of nobles: "vlastela" were the nobles that came from other parts of Kingdom of Croatia-Hungary. Because both noble groups were Croats, and to distinguish them from "didiÄi", at first they got nickname "ugriÄiÄi", after the fact that they came from the areas under control of Hungary. "DidiÄi" were the original nobles, and according to legends, the descendants of Croatian king Miroslav. DidiÄi were "koljenoviÄi", and they have rights on lands ("didovina"). Vlastela could became the part of "poljiÄki stol", but they needed the confirmation of the assembly of Poljica nobles. The descendants of the office holders were allowed to use titles of duke and count. Below these ranked the commoners and the serfs. At a very early date the warlike highlanders of Poljica became the friends and allies of the OmiÅ” corsairs, who were thus enabled to harass the seaborne trade of their neighbors without fear of a sudden attack by land.
OmiÅ” received a charter from Andrew II of Hungary in 1207, and remained under the nominal protection of Hungary until 1444, when both OmiÅ” and Poljica accepted the suzerainty of Venice, while retaining their internal freedom.
The occupation of Bosnia as well as by the Ottoman Empire gravely impacted the Poljica Republic. Notable battles were fought by the local forces against the Turks in 1530 and 1686, and in both occasions the Ottoman army was repelled. A local young woman by the name of Mila GojsaliÄ became a heroine after sacrificing herself for the good of the Poljica community in one of the conflicts with the Turksāshe infiltrated the Turkish camp and blew up the munitions stockpile. A statue of Mila GojsaliÄ by Ivan MeÅ”troviÄ stands in Poljica overlooking the mouth of Cetina,[1] and the story was also made into a theatre play.
After the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797, Poljica was taken over by Austria. The population of Poljica numbered 6,566 in 1806. In the following year, however, the republic incurred the enmity of Napoleon by rendering aid to the Russians and Montenegrins in Dalmatia; and it was invaded by French troops, who plundered its villages, massacred its inhabitants, and finally deprived it of independence.
After the Napoleonic era, Poljica was absorbed by Austria.
Legacy
Poljica area were also important to Croatian national renaissance on Croatian South, because the votes from Poljica contributed a lot to the victory of the People's Party (Narodna stranka, the Croatian unionist party) in 1882 on the elections in Split county, bringing the pro-Croat forces on ruling level.
It since passed to Yugoslavia, and in 1912, the Poljica region was reconstituted as a single municipality. In 1945, it was split again between several municipalities, and remained that way until the present day, when the villages are part of Croatian municipalities of Podbablje and OmiÅ”. Today this area of around 250 km2 (97 sq mi) is inhabited by around 20,000 people.
Recently the Republic was "re-established" as a cultural organization. The reigning prince (veliki knez) is His Highness Petar RodiÄ.
Rulers of the Poljica Principality
The title of the rulers of the Principality of Poljica was župan (count) at first, later changing to knez (prince) and finally veliki knez (grand prince).
- Župans
- Dalizio (DaliÅ”) 1070
- Visen (Uisono) 1076, 1078
- Vratina (Uratina) 1088
- KaÄiÄ, c 12th century
- Gregor IvaniÅ”eviÄ 1120
- Domaso Papalli 1144
- Alberti 1145
- Michiel Francesco Ivancichio 1146
- Comulli Petracca 1148
- LovretiÄ 1149
- Ivan Papalli 1200
- Princes
- Tolen 1239
- The Counts Å ubiÄ ruled over Poljica at the end of the 13th century.
- Mladen Å ubiÄ II 1322
- Gregor JuriniÄ 1328
- Jure RajÄiÄ between 1342 and 1350
- Dražoe, Lord of Kamengrad 1350
- Grand princes in the period 1444ā1482
- Grisogono
- Cindro
- Alberti
- Petracca
- Dujam PapaliÄ (Papalli)
- Grand princes
- Arnerio LovretiÄ 1451
- Žane ŽaniÄ 1454
- Mijo PocoliÄ (also known as KuliÅ”iÄ) 1458
- Matija TusÄeviÄ ScinsiÄ 1459
- Komula VitkoviÄ 1461
- Dujam PapaliÄ 1468
- Stipan MikuliÄ c 1469
- Dujam MariÄiÄ 1479
- Dujam PapaliÄ 1482-1483
- Ivan PetroviÄ October 1499-March 1500
- Marian GregoliÄ 1500
- Augustin MariÄiÄ 15 February 1503-January or February 1504
- Ivan JovanoviÄ 1504 - 1511
- IvaniÅ” Nenada DražoeviÄ 1511-1546
- Ivan AugustinoviÄ (DražoeviÄ) veliki knez five times in the period 1512-1537
- Jure PaviÄ March 1537
- RadoÅ” SladoeviÄ 1541
- Ivan AugustinoviÄ (DražoeviÄ) 1546-1567
- Augustin MariÄiÄ 1555
- Nikola SudgiÄ 1567-1581
- Stipan MikuliÄ (NikoliÄ, DražoeviÄ) 1581-1605
- Pavo PaviÄ 1596
- Jure PaviÄ 1607-1609
- RadoÅ” SudgiÄ 1609-1626
- Nikola GojakoviÄ 1619
- Ivan SikiÄ 1620
- Jure SinovÄiÄ 1626-1628
- Pavo SudgiÄ 1628-1632
- Jure PaviÄ 1632-1655
- Stipan BobetiÄ 8 March 1652
- Jure SinovÄiÄ 1655-1676
- Pavo SuÄiÄ 1676-1678
- IvaniÅ” NovakoviÄ 1678-1684
- Luka SinovÄiÄ 1684-1701
- Marko BariÄ 1701-1704
- Marko SinovÄiÄ 1704-1708
- Ivan SinovÄiÄ 14 September 1706
- Jure NovakoviÄ 24 November 1707
- Marko BariÄ 1708-1710
- Ivan BariÄ 1710-1712
- Petar BariÄ 11 August 1711
- Marko BariÄ 1712-1716
- Ivan SinovÄiÄ 1716-1717
- Ivan BariÄ 1717-1721
- Ivan NovakoviÄ 1721-1732
- Pavo PaviÄ 28 October 1728
- Petar SinovÄiÄ 1732-1740
- Marko BariÄ 1740-1742
- Ivan NovakoviÄ 1742-1747
- Marko BariÄ 1747-1760
- Ivan PaviÄ 20 July 1756
- Jure NovakoviÄ 1760-1768
- Frano PaviÄ 1766-1768
- Ivan GeronÄiÄ 1768-1771
- Frano PaviÄ 1770-1777
- Ivan GeronÄiÄ 1777-1778
- Andrija BariÄ 1778-1783
- Jure NovakoviÄ 1783-1789
- Ivan SiÄiÄ 1789
- Matija KružiÄeviÄ 1793
- Frano PaviÄ 9 September 1796.
- Frano GojseliÄ 24 February 1796
- Grand princes during the period of the Austrian occupation of Dalmatia
- Marko ŽuljeviÄ 18 November 1797-25 March 1798
- Matija MianoviÄ 21 May 1799-1 December 1801
- Ivan ÄoviÄ 23 April 1803-1806
- Grand princes during the period of the French occupation of Dalmatia
- Ivan ÄoviÄ until 10 June 1807, when the Principality of Poljica was abolished by the French.
Notes
References
- Domljan, Žarko (ed); OmiŔ i Poljica, Naklada Ljevak, Zagreb, 2006., ISBN 953-178-733-6
- Mimica, Bože ; OmiŔka krajina Poljica makarsko primorje. Od antike do 1918. godine, Rijeka, 2003. ISBN 953-6059-62-2
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). EncyclopƦdia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press
The 1911 Britannica, in turn, gives the following references:- Annuario Dalmatico for 1885 (published at Zadar)
- Fortis, A; Travels into Dalmatia, London, 1778
- Alfons Pavich v. Pfauenthal, BeitrƤge zur Geschichte der Republik Poljica bei Spalato mit besonderer RĆ¼cksicht auf die Reihenfolge der Veliki Knezen (StaatsoberhƤupter), in Wissenschaftliche Mitteilungen aus Bosnien und der Herzegowina, 10. vol. Moriz Hoernes (ed.), Vienna, 1907, pp. 156-345.