Kotromani

Kotromani, or Kotromanići in Bosnian usage, refers to the Kotromanić dynasty, a medieval Bosnian royal house that ruled the Banate and later the Kingdom of Bosnia from the 14th century until the Ottoman conquest in 1463. The family emerged within the Bosnian nobility and built a centralized state through strategic alliances, notably with the Kingdom of Hungary and neighboring noble houses.

The dynasty’s rise is tied to Stephen Kotromanić, who governed as Ban of Bosnia and laid foundations for a stronger state. His successor, Tvrtko I Kotromanić, expanded the realm, and in 1377 was crowned king, marking the establishment of the Kingdom of Bosnia. Under Tvrtko’s rule, Bosnia reached its territorial zenith, with influence in parts of western Croatia and along the Dalmatian coast. The Kotromanić line continued through the 14th and 15th centuries with rulers such as Dabiša and others, maintaining dynastic authority amid pressures from Hungary and the rising Ottoman threat.

The decline of Kotromanić power culminated in the Ottoman conquest of Bosnia in 1463, which ended the dynasty’s political rule. The Kotromanić era is frequently viewed as the high medieval period of Bosnia, characterized by centralized administration, the growth of towns and institutions, and renewed engagement with neighboring powers.

Legacy of the Kotromanić dynasty includes its role in shaping medieval Bosnian statehood, its dynastic marriages and diplomacy, and its influence on the region’s cultural and religious landscape. The dynasty remains a central reference point in studies of medieval Bosnia and its formation as a political entity within the Balkans.