The Founding of the Bosnian State

Bosnia, the land of the Bosna River Valley, was created by Stephen Kotroman. Kotroman ruled the region of Bosnia from 1287 to 1316 as a vassal of the Magyar Empire (Hungary). Kotroman was Serbian but his name may have been Sarmatian, perhaps from the more ancient days when Sarmatians ruled White Serbia.

After the death of Stephen Kotroman his son, Stephen Kotromanić, because the ruler. This son was really the founder of the Bosnian state. In 1322 Stephen Kotromanić declared his kingdom to be independent of the Magyar Empire. He then extended his rule to all of what later became known as Bosnia. Kotromanić went beyond the land of the Bosna River Valley to the Hum River Valley and gained control of it in 1325. This area later became known as Hercegovina, from Herzog, the German word for duke. He also gained control of the Adriatic coast from the city of Split to the Neretva River.

This rebellion and aggrandizement by Stephen Kotromanić did not go unchallenged by the Magyar Emperor. There were attacks and invasions. Stephen Kotromanić died in 1353 and was succeded by his son Turtko I. Turtko survived the Magyar onslaught and retained control of a reduced kingdom of Bosnia. Turtko struck back and by 1370 and regained the territory along the Adriatic coast.

In 1377 Turtko declared himself to be "King of the Serbs, of Bosnia and of the Coast." In 1390 he also declared himself to be King of Dalmatia and Croatia.

After Turtko's death in 1391 there was some political turmoil within the ruling Kotromanić family, as indicated by the list of rulers of Bosnia shown in the table below. However, after Turtko the major problem was the invasions by the Magyars and the Turks, particularly the Turks.

In 1461 Stephen Tomasevic became king. The Turkish invasions continued and in 1463 the Turkish forces defeated Bosnia and executed King Stephen Tomá. Bosnia was then made part of the Ottoman Empire.