Ban of Croatia

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Ban of Croatia (Croatian: Hrvatski ban; Hungarian: horvát bán) was the title of local rulers or office holders and after 1102 viceroys of Croatia. From earliest periods of Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by Bans as a rulers representative (viceroy) and supreme military commander. In the 18th century, Croatian bans eventually become chief government officials in Croatia. They were at the head of Ban's Government, effectively the first prime ministers of Croatia. The institution of ban in Croatia persisted until the 20th century.

Origin of title

South Slavic ban (Croatian pronunciation: [bâːn], with a long [a]). The long form is directly attested in 10th-century Constantine Porphyrogenitus' book De Administrando Imperio as βο(ε)άνος, in a chapter dedicated to Croats and the organisation of their state, describing how their ban "has under his rule Krbava, Lika and Gacka".^[1]

Medieval bans

References from the earliest periods are scarce, but history recalls that the first known Croatian ban is Pribina in the 10th century (in 949 and in 969). Ban on his territory was pursuing administrative, judicial and military authority.

The meaning of the title was elevated to that of provincial governor in the Kingdom of Croatia (for example, King Dmitar Zvonimir was originally a ban in 1065 serving under King Peter Krešimir IV).

Bans in the Kingdom of Croatia

Portrait	Name Honorifics (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Monarch (Reign)
	Pribina	c. 949	969	Miroslav (945–949)
		The first historically attested Ban of Croatia. Pribina have deposed king Miroslav during a civil war in the Croatian Kingdom, and replaced him with Michael Krešimir II. He ruled over the župa's Gacka, Krbava and Lika, according to De Administrando Imperio. He is also possibly referred to in a charter as potens banus, meaning "powerful ban".[2]		Michael Krešimir II (949–969)
	Godimir	c. 969	c. 995
		He is said to have served the kings Michael Krešimir II and Stephen Držislav[3] in the King Petar Krešimir IV Charter from 1068.[4]		Stephen Držislav (969–997)
	Gvarda	c. 995	c. 1000
		Mentioned in the King Petar Krešimir IV Charter from 1068.		Svetoslav Suronja (997–1000)
	Božetjeh	c. 1000	c. 1030
		Mentioned in the King Petar Krešimir IV Charter from 1068.		Krešimir III (1000–1030) and Gojslav(1000–1020)
	Stjepan Praska Protospatharios	c. 1035	c. 1058	Stephen I (1030–1058)
		According to the chronicle of Archdeacon Goricensis John, he was established by king Stephen I around 1035 (after his military expeditions to the east), thus succeeding Božeteh as Croatian ban.[5][6][7] He eventually attained an imperial title of protospatharios somewhere between 1035 and 1042, which governed his influence over the Byzantine Dalmatian thema.
	Gojko	c. 1059	c. 1069	Peter Krešimir IV (1058–1074)
		He was most likely the brother of king Peter Krešimir IV of Croatia, who was rumored to have murdered his brother Gojslav.[8]
	Dmitar Zvonimir	c. 1070	c. 1075
		During the reign of Peter Krešimir IV (Zvonimir's relative), Demetrius Zvonimir ruled in Slavonia, specifically the land between the rivers Drava and Sava, with the title of ban.[9] Croatian charters at the time were issued in the names of both King Peter Krešimir and Ban Zvonimir.[10] At the beginning of 1075, Peter Krešimir IV named Demetrius Zvonimir "by the grace of God Duke of Croatia". This title made him not only the ruler of northern Dalmatia, but also the chief advisor of the king and his heir. In that same year, Normans from southern Italy, invaded Croatia and captured a certain Croatian ruler whose name is not known, possibly King Peter Krešimir, who died soon after and was succeeded by Demetrius Zvonimir.[11]
	Petar Snačić	c. 1075	c. 1091	Demetrius Zvonimir (1075–1089)

Bans (c. 1102 - c. 1225)

After the Croats elected Hungarian kings as kings of Croatia in 1102, the title of ban acquired the meaning of viceroy - bans were appointed by the king, as his representatives in Kingdom of Croatia, heads of the Parliament and also as supreme commander of Croatian Army.

Croatia was governed by the 'viceregal' 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. Most of bans were native nobles but some were also of Hungarian ancestry.

Most notable bans from this period were Pavao Šubić, Petar Berislavić.

Portrait	Name Honorifics (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Monarch (Reign)
	Ugra	1102	1105	Coloman (1102–1116)
	Sergije	1005
	Ugrin (1811–1896)	1007
	Klaudije	1116	1117	Stephen III (1116–1131)
	Aleksije	c. 1130	c. 1141	Béla I (1131–1141)
	Beloš (fl. 1141–1163)	1142	c. 1158	Géza I (1141–1162)
	Arpa	1158
	Beloš (fl. 1141–1163)	1163		Stephen IV (1162–1172)
	Ampudin	1164	c. 1180
	Dionizije	c. 1180	c. 1183	Béla II (1172–1196)
	Suban	1183	1185
	Kalán (c. 1152–1218)	1190	1193
	Dominik	1194	c. 1195
	Andrija	1198	1199	Emeric (1196–1204)
	Nikola	1199	1200
	Benedikt	1199	1200
	Martin Hontpázmán	1202
	Hipolit	1204
	Merkurije	1205	1206	Ladislaus III (1204–1205)
	Stjepan Mihaljević	1206	1207	Andrew I (1205–1235)
	Banko	1208	1209
	Berthold	1209	1211
	Mihajlo	1211	1213
	Ðula Šikloški	1213
	Ohuz	1213	1214
	Ivan	1215	1216
	Poncije od Križa	1216	1217
	Banko	1217	1218
	Ðula Šikloški	1218	1219
	Ohuz	1219	1220
	Šalomon	c. 1222	c. 1225
	Mihajlo	1225

Parallel bans of Slavonia and Dalmatia

From 1225 to 1476 there were parallel bans of "the Croatia and Dalmatia" and of "the Whole of Slavonia". The following is the list of the former; the latter are listed at Ban of Slavonia. During the period of separate titles of ban, several persons held both titles, which is indicated in the notes.

After the death of King Louis I of Hungary, his daughter Mary succeeded to the throne, which led to kings Charles III and Ladislaus of Naples claiming the Lands of the Crown of St. Stephen. A war erupted between forces loyal to Mary and later to her husband and successor, Sigismund of Luxembourg, and those loyal to Ladislaus.

During this time, Sigismund appointed Nikola II Gorjanski (who was also count palatine) the ban of Croatia and Dalmatia in 1392, Butko Kurjaković in 1394, and then again Gorjanski in the period 1394–1397. Nikola Gorjanski, between 1397 and 1402, was also at the time the Ban of Slavonia, succeeded by Ladislav Grdevacki (1402–1404), Pavao Besenyő (1404), Pavao Pecz (1404–1406), Hermann II of Celje (1406–1408).

Ladislaus in turn appointed his own bans, including Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić. In 1409, this dynastic struggle was resolved when Ladislaus sold his rights over Dalmatia to the Republic of Venice.

Bans of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia

From 1476 onwards, the titles of Ban of Dalmatia and Croatia and Ban of Whole of Slavonia are again united in the single title of Ban of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia:

Habsburg-era Croatia

The title of ban persisted in Croatia after 1527 when the country became part of the Habsburg Monarchy, and continued all the way until 1918.

Among the most distinguished bans in Croatian history were the three members of Šubić/Zrinski family - Nikola Šubić Zrinski and his great-grandsons Nikola Zrinski and Petar Zrinski. Also there are two notable Erdödys: Toma Erdödy, great warrior and statesman in one person, and Ivan Erdödy, to whom Croatia owes much for protecting her rights against the Hungarian nobility, his most widely known saying in Latin is Regnum regno non praescribit leges, "a kingdom may not impose laws to a(nother) kingdom".

In the 18th century, Croatian bans eventually become chief government officials in Croatia. They were at the head of Ban's Government, effectively the first prime ministers of Croatia. The most known bans of that era were Josip Jelačić, Ivan Mažuranić and Josip Šokčević

Bans in the Habsburg Monarchy

The Habsburg dynasty ruled Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia between 1527 and 1848, and appointed the following bans:

Portrait	Name Honorifics (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Monarch (Reign)
	Ivan Karlović (c. 1485–1531)	1527	1531	Ferdinand I (1527–1564)
	Šimun Erdödy (c. 1489–143)	1530	1534
	Louis Pekry of Petrovina	1532	1537
	Toma Nádasdy (1498–1562)	1537	1539
	Petar Keglević of Buzin (1478–c. 1554)	1537	1542
	Nikola Šubić Zrinski (1508–c. 1566)	1542	1556
	Petar Erdődy of Monyorokerek (1508–c. 1566)	1557	1567
	Franjo I. Frankopan Slunjski	1567	1572	Maximilian II (1563–1576)
	Juraj Drašković (1525–1587)	1567	1576
	Gašpar Alapić of Veliki Kalnik (unknown–1584)	1575	1577
	Krsto Ungnad	1578	1583	Rudolf II (1572–1608)
	Toma Erdődy of Monyorokerek (1558–1624)	1583	1595
	Gašpar Stankovački	1595	1596
	Ivan II Drašković of Trakošćan (1550–1613)	1595	1607
	Toma Erdödy (1558–1624)	1608	1615	Matthias (1608–1618)
	Benedikt Thuroczy	1615	1616
	Nikola IX Frankapan (1584–1647)	1617	1622
	Juraj V Zrinski (1599–1626)	1622	1626	Ferdinand II (1618–1637)
	Žigmund Erdödy (1596–1639)	1627	1639
	Ivan III Drašković (1595–1648)	1640	1646	Ferdinand III (1625–1657)
	Nikola VII Zrinski (1620–1664)	1647	1664
	Nikola III. Erdödy (1630–1693)	1670	1693	Leopold I (1657–1705)
	Adam Baćan (1662–1703)	1693	1703
	Ivan Pálffy (1664–1751)	1704	1732	Joseph I (1705–1711)
	Ivan V Drašković (-1733)	1732	1733	Charles III (1711–1740)
	Josip Esterházy of Galanta (1682–1748)	1733	1741
	György Branyng acting	1741	1742	Maria II Theresa (1740–1780)
	Karlo Josip Baćan (1697–1772)	16 March 1743	6 July 1756
	Franjo Nádasdy (1708–1783)	1756	1783
	Franjo Eszterházy (1715–1785)	1783	1785	Joseph II (1780–1790)
	Franjo Balassa de Gyarmat (1736–1807)	1785	1790
	Ivan Erdődy (1733–1806)	1790	1806	Leopold II (1790–1792)
	Ignjat Đulaj (1763–1831)	1806	1831	Francis II (1792–1835)
	Franjo Vlašić (1766–1840)	10 February 1832	16 May 1840	Ferdinand V (1835–1848)
	Juraj Haulik acting (1788–1869)	1840	16 June 1842
	Franz Haller (1796–1875)	16 June 1842	1845
	Juraj Haulik acting (1788–1869)	1845	23 March 1848

Bans of the interregnum during the Revolutions of 1848

Croatia was a Habsburg crown territory between 1849 and 1867^[12] during which time the following bans were appointed:

Portrait	Name Honorifics (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Monarch (Reign)
	Josip Jelačić (1801–1890)	23 March 1848	19 May 1859	Franz Joseph I (1848–1916)
	Johann Baptist Coronini-Cronberg (1794–1880)	28 July 1859	19 June 1860
	Josip Šokčević (1811–1896)	19 June 1860	27 June 1867

Bans in the Austro-Hungarian Empire

Croatia was returned to Hungarian control in 1867 when the Habsburg Empire was reconstituted as the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. Between then and 1918 the following bans were appointed:

Portrait	Name Honorifics (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Monarch (Reign)
	Levin Rauch (1819–1890)	27 June 1867	26 January 1871	Franz Joseph I (1848–1916)
		Member of the Unionist Party that advocated an integration of Croatia and Hungary; Notable for securing victory of the Unionist Party through changing the election law and terrorising those who were able to vote.[13]
	Koloman Bedeković Komorski (1818–1889)	26 January 1871	12 February 1872
		Bedeković was the leader of the Unionist Party and fought against his country's independence. Dissatisfaction with the obstruction of parliament led to the Rakovica Revolt. Early elections were subsequently called for 1872. The failure of Bedeković to convene the previous parliament resulted in him being removed from the post of ban and replaced with the first non-noble ban, Ivan Mažuranić.
	Antun Vakanović acting (1808–1894)	17 February 1872	20 September 1873
	Ivan Mažuranić (1814–1890)	20 September 1873	21 February 1880
		Mažuranić was the first Croatian ban not to hail from old nobility, as he was born a commoner. [14] He was a member of the People's Party. He accomplished the Croatian transition from a semifeudal legal and economic system to a modern civil society similar to those emerging in other countries in central Europe.
	Ladislav Pejačević (1824–1901)	21 February 1880	4 September 1883
		As the reincorporation of the Croatian and Slavonian Frontiers into Croatian-Slavonian Crown land was proclaimed on 15 July, 1881, Pejačević was given the task to perform it. On 1 August 1881, he took over the administration of the former Frontiers. On 24 August 1883, he quit after the Council of ministers in Vienna concluded that bilingual Croatian-Hungarian official emblems in Croatia, installed by the Hungarian administration, should stay and were not allowed to be removed from the official buildings.
	Hermann Ramberg acting (1820–1899)	4 September 1883	1 December 1883
	Dragutin Karoly Khuen-Héderváry (1849–1918)	4 December 1883	27 June 1903
		Khuen's reign was marked by a strong magyarization. After a series of riots broke out against him in 1903, Khuen was relieved of his duty and appointed prime minister of Hungary.
	Teodor Pejačević (1855–1928)	1 July 1903	26 June 1907
		At the beginning of the 20th century, he was faced with a new direction of Croatian policy marked by political alliance between Croats and Serbs in Austria-Hungary for mutual benefit. A Croat-Serb Coalition was formed in 1905 and it governed the Croatian lands from 1906 until the dissolution of the Dual Monarchy in 1918. As Pejačević supported the ruling Coalition in its resistance towards the Hungarian quest in 1907 to introduce the Hungarian language to be the official language on railways in Croatia, he was forced to resign.
	Aleksandar Rakodczaj (1848–1924)	26 June 1907	8 January 1908
	Pavao Rauch of Nyek (1865–1933)	8 January 1908	5 February 1910
		From the very beginning of Rauch’s rule, the Croato-Serbian Coalition announced that it would refuse to co-operate in any manner with the new unionist vice-roy.[15] After the Croatian Parliament (Sabor) had been disbanded on 12 March 1908 because of its refusal to co-operate with and the insults it directed at the Vice-Roy, Pavao Rauch ruled through decrees and civil servants. Despite all opposition predictions, Rauch remained in power for two years. On 5 February 1910, he received the King’s letter of dismissal.
	Nikola Tomašić (1864–1918)	5 February 1910	19 January 1912
	Slavko Cuvaj (1851–1931)	19 January acting from 5 April 1912	21 July 1913
		He was appointed in January 1912, when anti-Habsburg sentiments were on the rise in Croatia, often manifesting in sympathies for Serbia and calls for creation of Yugoslavia. Cuvaj tried to curb those trends by series of decrees directed at curbing press freedom, limiting rights of assembly and local autonomy. This created backlash in the form of strikes and demonstrations, while some young radicals engaged in terrorism. Cuvaj himself was target of two assassination attempts in 1912
	Ivan Skerlecz (1873–1951)	21 July acting to 27 November 1913	29 June 1917
		Skerlecz managed to reconvene the Croatian Parliament in Zagreb by 1915. The Croats made further demands for local authority, as well as unification of Croatia-Slavonia with Dalmatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.		Charles IV (1916–1919)
	Antun Mihalović (1868–1949)	29 June 1917	20 January 1919

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 than that of a medieval ban's feudal office. Most of Croatian territory was divided between Sava and Littoral Banovina, but also some parts were outside this provinces.

In 1939 Banovina of Croatia was created with Cvetković-Maček agreement as a unit of limited autonomy. It consisted of Sava and Littoral Banovina along with smaller parts of Vrbas, Zeta, Drina and Danube Banovina's. Ivan Šubašić was appointed for the Ban of Banovina of Croatia until the collapse of Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1941. Šubašić was also the last person who held the position of Croatian Ban.

Bans in the Yugoslav Kingdom

Following a brief period of self-rule at the end of World War I, Croatia was incorporated into the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918, under the Karađorđević dynasty.

In 1929, the new Constitution of the Kingdom renamed it Kingdom of Yugoslavia and split up Croatia between several banovinas (provinces):

In 1939, the Banovina of Croatia was created with Cvetković-Maček agreement as a unit of limited autonomy within Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It consisted of Sava and Littoral Banovina along with smaller parts of Vrbas, Zeta, Drina and Danube Banovina's.

See also

• Croatian Parliament
• List of rulers of Croatia
• History of Croatia
• Timeline of Croatian history
• Tabula Banalis

References

External links

• "Bans of Croatia and Dalmatia (style Ban Hrvatske i Dalmacije)" at World Statesmen.org