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Born in 1338 he was only 15 years old when he became ban. And 39 when he became king.
Father: Vladislav Kotromanić (1353-1354), son of Ban Stefan I Kotromanić and Jelisaveta (Elizabeta) Nemanjić Kotromanić (1270-1331), daughter of the Serbian King Stefan Dragutin Nemanjić (1276-1282).
Mother mentioned in the charter below (26,37): Jelena Šubić Kotromanić (1306-1378) from the Croatian noble family Šubić.
Wife mentioned in the charter (26, 37): Dorothea Vidinska Kotromanić (c. 1345-1390) daughter of the Bulgarian Tsar Jovan Stracimir (1324-1397).
Historical background:
In 1369, internal aristocratic conflicts broke out in Serbia, resulting in a civil war between King Vukašin and Ugljesa Mrnjavčević on the one hand and Emperor Stefan Uroš V Nemanjić, Lazar Hrebeljanovic and Nikola Altomanović on the other. The conflicts ended with the victory of Vukasin and Ugljesa Mrnjavcevic in the first battle of Kosovo in 1369.
In 1371, two years later, Vukasin and Ugljesa Mrnjavcevic were camping near the Ottoman army, preparing for battle. On the night of September 26th, 1371, a group from Ottoman army cowardly attacked the sleeping Serbian army, killing Vukasin and Ugljesa Mrnjavcevic.
A few months later, in December 1371, Tsar Stefan Uroš V Nemanjić, only 35 years old, died under suspicious circumstances.
7 years later in 1378 Tvrtko I writes this charter.
It is important to note that 11 years later in 1389, Tvrtko I supported Prince Lazar Hrebeljanovic and Vuk Brankovic during the second battle of Kosovo against the Ottoman invaders with 10,000 of his soldiers. And after the battle at his court, he publicly and proudly declared the victory of Serbia and Christianity.
Charter of King Tvrtko I Kotromanić written between April 10th and June 17th, 1378.
In this charter, written and signed in Cyrillic in the Old Slavonic alphabet, he says, among other things (2-7):
“Then also to me, to my slave, for the mercy of my Deity, gifts to blossom my offspring noble rooted in my family and honor me with a double wreath to rule both lordships, first in the God-given land of Bosnia, then my Lord God honored me to inherit the throne of my ancestors, Serbian lords, because those of my ancestors, who reigned in the earthly kingdom, also moved to the heavenly kingdom. I, on the other hand, seeing the land of my ancestors left after them and without my shepherd, went to the Serbian land, wanting to strengthen the throne of my parents. And going there, I was crowned by God with the crown given to me by the kingdom of my ancestors, to be pious in Christ Jesus and appointed by God, Stefan, King of the Serbs and Bosnia and Coastal and Western Sides. And then I began to reign with God and make the throne of the Serbian land, wanting what fell to rise and what was destroyed to strengthen."
First, for what purpose would the ruler of Bosnia write to Dubrovnik in the Old Slavonic Cyrillic alphabet? Beacuse this is a regularly used alphabet and language that the people of Dubrovnik also had to know in order to trade with Bosnia and for centuries, as they were, with Serbia!
"Nobly rooted in my family" and the "double wreath" he mentions is the Serbian and Bosnian family and wreath. He did not see the difference its the same family and it is noble rooted! Also (29) "faithful and wholehearted love, as the great-grandparents and parents of the Kingdom of Serbia and Bosnia had with him (Dubrovnik)."
He calls both Serbian and Bosnian rulers his parents!
"Crowned with the crown of my great-grandparents." Whose crown is it? Hungary? Bulgaria? Byzantine? Not! That is the Serbian crown! It is not Bosnian because until then Tvrtko was the ban of Bosnia, not the king, and now he is crowned with the Serbian crown as king of Serbia and Bosnia. Tvrtko I was crowned in the Serbian monastery, most likely Milesevo, a year before the writing of this charter in 1377, which was confirmed by Marvo Orbini in the 16th century.
Then the question:
What crown did the rulers of medieval Bosnia inherit after Stefan Tvrtko I?
Stefan Dabisa, Stefan Ostoja, Stefan Tvrtko II, Stefan Ostojic, Stefan Tomas and Stefan Tomasevic?
If Stefan Tvrtko I inherited the Serbian crown from his ancestors, including his great-grandfather King Stefan Dragutin Nemanjić, then the answer is completely clear. All the rulers of medieval Bosnia wore the Serbian Nemanjić crown and the Serbian royal title STEFAN!
Therefore, it is no wonder that Stefan Tomasevic took power over the Serbian Despotate without any problems in 1459, and Stefan Lazararevic (1402-1427) and Djuradj Brankovic (1427-1456) ruled as despots, not kings of part of the former Serbian empire.
It is clear from his own words that the Serbian kings from the Nemanjić family, through his grandmother Jelisaveta and the great-grandfather Serbian king Stefan Dragutin Nemanjić, he considered his parents and great-grandparents (3 "throne of my great-grandparents, Serbian lords"). Here, he especially thought of King Stefan Dragutin Nemanjić. His feelings, emotions and affection are quite clear.
The charter also reveals Dubrovnik's relationship with the Serbian state that they paid (16, 17) "Serbian income" of "2000 perpers", which Tvrtko I agreed for them to continue paying to him as a heir.
Tvrtko himself calls the state, Serbian, several times.
In one place he mentions (13) "contracts and laws and charters that the city of Dubrovnik had with the lords of Serbia and Raska" where he puts the term "Serbia" and "Raska" together, emphasizing what is meant to be one and the same!
As a Christian, he mentions Jesus Christ in a charter and mints money with Jesus sitting on the throne.
You can read the whole charter below, separated by numbers 1-41 for easier navigation:
“It is pious [and] worthy to praise with true faith and to offer the desired word to one's benefactor, Bishop Christ, since when everything created and revealed would be in praise of divine [1] providence, which has mercy on the human race, which it created according to the pure image of its deity. , and gave him power and reason, to be [above] his earthly creature and to understand [2] it and create judgment and justice in the midst of the earth. Also, to me, to my slave, for the mercy of his deity, he gives me the gift to blossom an offspring noble rooted in my family and to honor me with a double wreath [3] in order to manage the scope of lordships, first in the God-given land mainly Bosna, then my Lord god honored me to inherit the throne of my great-grandparents, Serbian lords [4], because these great-grandparents of mine, having reigned in the earthly kingdom, also moved to the heavenly kingdom. I, on the other hand, seeing the land of my ancestors left after them and not having my own [5] shepherd, went to the Serbian land, wanting to strengthen the throne of my parents. And there, going as crowned from God with a crown given to me to the kingdom of my ancestors, [6] to be pious in Christ Jesus and appointed by God, Stefan, king of the Serbs and Bosnia and Coastal and Western Sides.
And then I began to reign with God and make [7] the throne of the Serbian land, wanting what had fallen to rise and what had been destroyed to strengthen. And when I came to the lands of Coastal, approaching the glorious and benevolent city of Dubrovnik, honest majesty of Dubrovnik came before our Majesty, with all glory and honor, and reminded our Majesty of its laws, treaties and charters. which they had with the great-grandparents of our Majesty, [9] with the Lords of Bosnia. This and these nobles spoke about it before our Majesty: Marin Menčetić, Mihail Bobaljević, Dobre Kaličiević, Mateo Žurgović, [10] Žun Gradić, Nikola Gundulić. These nobles also wanted to confirm to our Majesty their laws and agreements that they had with the great-grandparents and parents of our Majesty, with Bosnian lords [11] and lord ban Stefan. And for the love and unity of our and our predecessors that we had with the city of Dubrovnik and the nobility of Dubrovnik, because of that our majesty [12] wrote and confirmed and better regulated all the laws and treaties and charters and trade freedoms they had with the Bosnian gentleman. And then he reminded our Majesty [13] the above-mentioned nobles of Dubrovnik and the treaties and laws and charters that the city of Dubrovnik had with the lords of Serbia and Raska. And while I fulfilled my former love [14] and harmony with the city of Dubrovnik and its esteemed nobleman, I did mercy, wrote and renewed and better fulfilled in every freedom and purity [15] to keep these treaties and laws firm and unchanged and charters and trade freedoms and never to be taken away. After this word and our confirmation, he promised [16] the city of Dubrovnik and the nobles of Dubrovnik that they would legally give our Majesty Serbian income, which they also gave to Serbian gentlemen, and that they would give our Majesty every future [17] Dmitrov's day two thousand perpers under this treaty, law and manner, as long as our Majesty holds and masters this coastal land: Trebinje, [18] Konavle and Dracevica.
And with this promise, our Majesty promises the nobles of Dubrovnik that Dubrovnik merchants and goods pass [19] freely throughout our country and state, and that no one should defend themselves against them, and that no one should reach for them or their goods. you or as soon as you keep them, neither the lord nor the small lord, nor anyone [20] small or large. If anyone dares to spoil our word, and take something from them in the realm of my kingdom, that I have to pay it to them from my chamber, [21] and that I have to look for the culprit. And I undertake to protect and guard their government from attack, from theft, from all malice and force, and I also [22] undertake if there is anyone to speak or force the city of Dubrovnik for the income they have to give to my to the kingdom, to have a kingdom for me to defend them from [23] and to help them not to do any damage to their government or trade. And God forbid, it happens for a while and this country is not in the area [24] of my kingdom: Trebinje, Konavle and Dračevica, or my kingdom does not fulfill and does not make many words, and does not pay merchants, or do not watch the government, or manage them [25] Let it be a pity for that income, that the kingdom will not ask them for that income, nor anyone else after me, nor that they are obliged to give it.
And after all this promise [26] my kingdom with the God-given kingdom of my mother, Mrs. Kira Jelena and Mrs. Queen Kira Dorothea and the chosen nobleman of my kingdom, [27] and there would be nobles in my kingdom: Prefect Branko Pribinić, courtier Vukosav Stefković, Dobrašin Stefanović, duke Vlatko Vuković, prince Vukašin [28] Milatović, prince Priboje Mastnović, prefect Bjelak Sanković, founder Tvrtko Vlađević, Vukac Vladisalić. And so we promise that there will be faithful and wholehearted love between the kingdom [29] and between the city of Dubrovnik and its ruler, as the great-grandparents and parents of the kingdom of Serbia [30] and Bosnia had with him. And for this word and for this justice written above, the kingdom promises me on the holy gospel and before the honorable cross of Christ and the mother of the kingdom, and with me [31] the queen and the eloquent nobleman, that this word and this promise be written firmly and steadfastly to to eternity: whoever dares to live up to this word and promise [32] of ours to which we have committed and written, let him take upon himself and on his soul those curses which we have mutually uttered before the holy gospel, and may the kingdom give me this [33] never falsify, until when the city of Dubrovnik and the nobles of Dubrovnik falsify this and by some unbelief they and their children and their heirs lose. And I also pray for [34] reading, whoever God puts after me on the throne of my kingdom, not to confirm this, but moreover, to better fulfill and confirm it and to strengthen it better. And this promise [35] and writing records and confirming the kingdom in front of the city of Dubrovnik in Žrnovnice in the year after the birth of Christ in 1378 in April 10th day. [36] And after all that was done, the venerable nobles of Dubrovnik Dobre Kalićiević and Mateo Žurgović came to the glorious court of our kingdom in Trstivnica, and I Mrs. [37] Kira Jelena and Mrs. Queen Kira Dorothea, seeing the promises and conditions of Mr. King with the city of Dubrovnik , and this is better confirmed, we swore before the holy gospel [38] and before the holy cross of Christ in the church of St. Gregory and our nobleman, with these and these: Duke Vukac Hrvatinić, Prince Vukota Pribinić, Prince Hegen Dragoslal [39], Vlatko Vojevodic, prefect Vukac Črnugović, Radoslav Pribinić, Vukmir Semković, Hrana Vuković, Purća Hrvatinić, Bjelica Ižesa [40] lic, prefect Dinica. And so we promised and swore in everything written above that it is firm and unwavering for days and forever. And this ended on the 17th day of June. And wrote the logofet of the Vlade [41].
STEFAN TVRTKO IN CHRIST GOD KING OF SERBS AND BOSNIA AND COAST”
6th part of the charter states:
“… to be pious in Christ Jesus and appointed by God, Stefan, king of the Serbs and Bosnia and Coastal and Western Sides.”
Tvrtko I in addition to calling himself Stefan what is a royal title of Serbian kings, he mentions that he is the king of SERBS (СРbΛIЄMb) and then he continues the sentence mentioning 3 geografical areas: BOSNIA (БОСНЋ), COAST (ПОМОРИЮ) and WESTERN SIDES (ЗАПАДНИМb СТРАНАМb).
