The Republic of Ragusa: An Episode of the Turkish ConquestVillari, Luigi
History
The Republic of Ragusa: An Episode of the Turkish Conquest
Villari, Luigi
Dubrovnik (Croatia) -- History
letters from the Bosnian magnates. They also discussed how to raise a
band of followers from among the dregs of the people, and secretly to
admit some Slaves from outside, with the object of overpowering the
town guard, seizing the gates, and opening them to a large force of
Bosnians. Gozze, although suffering from the gout, rose from his bed,
had himself carried to the Government Palace, and summoned the Minor
Council. The woman was secured and summoned to give evidence, and the
chief conspirators were arrested. They confessed everything under
torture. At the same time a trusty man was sent to await the arrival
of the letters in the place of the Morlach; he gave all the requisite
signs when the messenger arrived, and received the papers. The contents
were as follows: “In the first place remember your promise and take
care of yourself and yours, and we shall do what we have decided.” The
conspirators were beheaded on March 10, and their property confiscated.
A few who managed to escape were condemned in contumacy. This episode
is interesting as being one of the only instances of an internal
revolution in law-abiding Ragusa. There is not enough evidence to
enable us to understand its character nor the actual complicity of
Ostoja. It may also have been an early symptom of the disagreement
between the Latin and Slavonic elements of the population.
[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO THE FRANCISCAN MONASTERY]
Ostoja, after having received the homage of Sebenico and Traù, renewed
his request that Ragusa should recognise his supremacy; but again
the citizens refused, and renewed their oath of fealty to Sigismund,
merely promising to take no part in the hostilities between Bosnia
and Hungary, and to refuse to admit Bosnian rebels into the town. The
following year a number of Sigismund’s opponents in Hungary, Croatia,
and Dalmatia collected at Zara, and Ladislas crossed over from Italy
and was crowned by the Hungarian Primate King of Hungary, Croatia, and
Dalmatia. Ostoja himself, however, was not altogether satisfied, for
although he had favoured Ladislas’s cause as long as the pretender
was in Italy, the moment he landed in Dalmatia, the Bosnian king felt
that his own interests along the seaboard were menaced. Hrvoje, Duke
of Spalato, maintained an ambiguous attitude, and Ostoja determined to
make use of this confusion to declare war on Ragusa. He found a pretext
in the fact that two Bosnian rebels had been given hospitality in the
town; he began by demanding back the Primorije which he himself had
ceded, as well as other territory given by his predecessors, and he
also insisted that the Ragusans should recognise his full suzerainty.
His demands being rejected he sent a force of 8000 men under the
Vojvods Radić Sanković, Sandalj Hranić, and Paul Radinović into Ragusan
territory. Hostilities lasted from August 1403 to the spring of
1404.[342] We have but meagre details of this campaign besides those
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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