Croatia in personal union with Hungary
The Kingdom of Croatia (Croatian: Kraljevina Hrvatska, Hrvatsko kraljevstvo, Hrvatska zemlja; Hungarian: Horvát királyság; Latin: Regnum Croatiae) entered a personal union with the Kingdom of Hungary in 1102, after a period of rule of kings from the Trpimirović and Svetoslavić dynasties and a succession crisis following the death of king Demetrius Zvonimir. With the coronation of King Coloman of Hungary as "King of Croatia and Dalmatia" in 1102 in Biograd, the realm passed to the Árpád dynasty until 1301, when the (male) line of the dynasty died out. Then, kings from the Capetian House of Anjou, who were also cognatic descendants of the Árpád kings, ruled the kingdoms. Later centuries were characterized by conflicts with the Mongols, who sacked Zagreb in 1242, competition with Venice for control over Dalmatian coastal cities, and internal warfare among Croatian nobility. Various individuals emerged during the period, such as Paul I Šubić of Bribir, who was representing the most powerful Croatian dynasty at the time, the Šubić noble family. These powerful individuals were on occasion able to de facto secure great deal of independence for their fiefdoms. The Ottoman incursion into Europe in the 16th century significantly reduced Croatian territories and left the country weak and divided. After the death of Louis II in 1526 during the Battle of Mohács and a brief period of dynastic dispute, both crowns passed to the Austrian House of Habsburg, and the realms became part of the Habsburg monarchy.
Kingdom of Croatia (and Dalmatia) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1102–1526 | |||||||||
Kingdom of Croatia and Dalmatia (dark green) in 1260 | |||||||||
| Status | In personal union with the Kingdom of Hungary (See historical context section) | ||||||||
| Capital | Biograd (until 1125) Knin (until 1522) | ||||||||
| Common languages | Latin, Croatian, Hungarian, | ||||||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||||||
| Demonym(s) | Croatian, Croat | ||||||||
| Government | Feudal Monarchy | ||||||||
| King | |||||||||
• 1102–1116 (first) | Coloman | ||||||||
• 1516–1526 (last) | Louis II | ||||||||
| Ban (Viceroy) | |||||||||
• 1102–1105 (first) | Ugra | ||||||||
• 1522–1526 (last) | Ferenc Batthyány | ||||||||
| Legislature | Sabor | ||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||
| 1102 | |||||||||
| 18 February 1358 | |||||||||
| 9 September 1493 | |||||||||
| 29 May 1522 | |||||||||
| 29 August 1526 | |||||||||
| Currency | Frizatik (12th–13th century) Banovac (1235–1384) | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | Croatia Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||||||||
Some of the terms of Coloman's coronation and the later status of the Croatian nobles are detailed in the Pacta Conventa, a document preserved only in transcript from the 14th century. The precise terms of this relationship became a matter of dispute in the 19th century; nonetheless, even in dynastic union with Hungary, institutions of separate Croatian statehood were maintained through the Sabor (an assembly of Croatian nobles) and the Ban (viceroy). In addition, the Croatian nobles retained their lands and titles.