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
There were now fresh disturbances in Bosnia, and Tvrtko, who had been
deposed in favour of Ostoja, was causing trouble. He raised a band of
rebels, with which he defeated his adversaries and obliged some of them
to take refuge in Ragusan territory. Of this hospitality Tvrtko, as an
old friend of the Republic, complained, but the citizens replied that
it was better for malcontents to fly to Ragusa, where they usually
ended by making peace with their king, than to other lands. For a few
months Tvrtko was quite powerful, but soon after he was again defeated.
Hrvoje, who had been deprived of his duchy, now called in the Turks
to aid him against Hungary and Bosnia, and the Sultan Mohammed I.
thereupon sent a force into the latter country, which defeated the
Hungarians near Usora, and obtained much booty. As soon as it had
retired civil strife broke out again, in consequence of the murder
by Ostoja of Paul Radinović, a powerful Bosnian noble. Hrvoje died in
March 1416, and in October a Ragusan despatch declared that “the whole
of Bosnia is laid waste, and the barons are preparing to exterminate
each other.” The rebel magnates met in a Diet, and forced Ostoja to
fly to Hlum, where he succeeded in establishing a precarious rule, but
after the year 1418 nothing more is heard of him. The magnates elected
his son, Stephen Ostojić, as King, and Ragusa at once sent an embassy
to try to obtain from him the rest of Canali, of which a part had been
given by Sandalj and a part by Paul Paulović. This request Ostojić
granted, and in exchange for a yearly tribute of 500 _ipperperi_
promised to protect the city. Sandalj and Paulović still retained a
part of that territory, but on Paulović’s death in 1419 Sandalj sold
all his remaining share to the Republic for 18,000 ducats, and included
that of Paulović. The latter’s son, Radosav, protested, and induced the
Canalesi to revolt. He too asked for Turkish help, for, as Resti says,
“he had begun after the example of the other Slave princes to nourish
in his breast the viper that was to devour them all.” He continued to
disturb Ragusa for years to come.
Between 1417 and 1421 Balša had been at war with most of his
neighbours, including Venice and Ragusa, but in this last year his
stormy life came to an end, and with him the house of Balša died out,
for he left no sons. Stephen, the Despot of Servia, Sandalj Hranić, and
a native prince named Stephen Maramonte, laid claim to his estates, but
Venice obtained the lion’s share, as Drivasto, Dulcigno, and Antivari
surrendered spontaneously to the Republic. Thus disappeared the
principality of the Zedda.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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