Red Croatia
Red Croatia (Latin: Croatiam Rubeam, Croatian: Crvena Hrvatska), was a name that several medieval documents designated to the initial Slavonic states in southern parts of Dalmatia: the duchies of Hum/Zahumlje, Pagania/Narenta, Travunia, and Duklja. Red Croatia in the 7th/8th century was recorded as covering a territory from just south of the Cetina river in Croatia to the city of Durres in Albania and stretched from the Adriatic sea to inner modern day Herzegovina and Montenegro. The term went out of use somewhere around the 11th/12th century.
Origins of the term
Red Croatia was first mentioned in the 12th century by the Latin Catholic Priest of Dioclea or Duklja (today's Bar, Montenegro) in his work known as the Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja.
It records the name Croatiam Rubeam or Red Croatia from an earlier chronicle known as the De Regno Sclavorum. The De Regno Sclavorum, also called Methodus, is believed to have been written between the years 750 and 760 by a congress of Slavs in the Bosnian town of Dalmae (today Duvno). The Chronicle itself is a collection of several chronicles written before the 12th century that were kept in Church archives.
Duvno field was the site of the crowning of Croatian king Tomislav in the 920s. The town of Duvno in western Bosnia is now called Tomislavgrad in honor of his coronation.
References in the Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja
The De Regno Sclavorum portion of the Chronicle of the Priest of Dioclea was translated by Croat-Italian Ioannes Lucius (Ivan Lučić) in 1666 and was changed to De Regno Dalmatiae et Croatiae but it was still the same information found in De Regno Sclavorum.
A script (in Latin) from De Regno Sclavorum in the Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja showing Red Croatia:
- "Post haec secundum continentiam priuiligiorum, quae lecta coram populo fuerant, scripsit priuilegia, diisit prouincias et regiones regni sui ac terminos et fines earum hoc modo: secundum cursum aquarum, quae a montanis fluunt et intrant in mare contra meridianam plagam, Maritima uocauit ; aquas uero, quae a montanis fluunt contra septentrionalem plagam et intrant in magnum flumen Donaui, uocauit Sumbra. Deinde Maritima in duas diuisit prouincias: a loco Dalmae, ubi rex tunc manebat et synodus tunc facta est, usque ad Ualdeuino uocauit Croatium Album, quae et inferior Dalmatia dicitur.....Item ab eodem loco Dalmae usque Bambalonam ciuitatem, quae nunc dicitur Dyrachium, Croatiam Rubeam...." [1]
The last, bolded part is translated in English:
- "And from the field of Dalmae (Duvno) to the city of Dyrrachium (Durres) is Red Croatia"
The chronicle also divides Croatia up into two main parts. Primorje (coast) and Zagorje (mountains). Within Primorje are the states of White Croatia (Croatiam Albam) and Red Croatia (Croatium Rubeam). Within Zagorje is the state of Bosnia.
The chronicle continues:
"quae et superior Dalmatia dicitur..... Surbiam autem, quae et Transmontana dicitur, in duas diuisit prouin cias: unam a mango flumine Drina contra occidentalem plagam usque a montem Pini, quam et Bosnam uocauit, alteram uero ab eodem flumine Drina contra occidentalem plagam usque ad Lupiam et Lab quam Rassam uocauit..." [2]
Surbia and Bosnia are used as only geographic locations and not ethnic meanings. The region known as Surbia is divided from Raška and Bosnia, it covers a small area which is on the outskirts of the old Roman providence of Dalmatia. The chronicle does not refer to Serbs or Bosnians in the ethnic sense.
References in De Administrando Imperio
The Byzantine book known as the De Administrando Imperio, written in the 10th century by Byzantine emperor Constantine VII, gives two accounts of settlements, one of Croats, one of Serbs.
In Chapter 30 the Croats in Dalmatia were also referred to as Slavs (Sclavi) because of the Slavic language they spoke.
In the description of Croats in Chapter 30, the author notes that Croats settled in Dalmatia, Pannonia, and Illyricum. Geographically this supports Red Croatia. He in Chapter 30 also notes Croats setting up a powerful military presence in these regions and extracting taxes from the local populace in the southern Dalmatian dutchies. In addition in Chapter 30, The De Administrando Imperio suggests that the Croats who possesed Illyricum and Pannonia were subject to the prince of Croatia (in Dalmatia).
In chapter 32 about the Serbs, Porphyrogenitos describes an identical settlement of Serbs but specifically notes that Croats settled in these regions first. Porphyrogenitos mentions Serb settlements in Travunia and Hum but makes no mention of Serb settlements in Duklja.
In Chapter 32 of the De Administrando Imperio, the description of the Serbs suggests that the Serbs were not regarded as an ethnicity but rather as a social class. The Byzantines regarded the Serbs as social servants and even slaves.
Serbs probably have not been significant in this region until Croat king King Tomislav gave them a refuge to flee the Bulgarians. Chapter 32 of the De Administrando Imperio suggest that Bulgarian Czar Simeon I scattered the Serbs into Croatia and Bulgaria after an unsuccessful Bulgarian military advance against Croatia.
References in Scylitza's chronicle
The notion of Croats in Duklja is supported with the testimony from Byzantine Chronicler John Scylitza where he writes:
- " Dukljan King Michael rules over those who call themselves Croats."
The descendants of these Croats are considered today's Bokelji.
References by Stefan Nemanja
In Stefan Nemanja's declaration in 1198 he writes how he forcefully expanded the Serbian state to include Duklja. He writes:
"i priobretoh' od' Mor'ske zemle Zetu i s' gradovi, a od ' Arbanas ' Pilot', a od' Gr'c'ske zemle Lab' s' L'planem..." [3]
References in Dandolo's chronicle
A Chronicle of Dalmatia by Venetian writer named Andrea Dandolo (1300-1354) gives evidence that where geographic Surbia is a geographic designation of the Croatian-Dalmatian kingdom.
(Keep in mind Dalmatian province extends inland to Bosnia)
Dandolo writes:
"Moderni autem maritimam totam vocant Dalmaciam, montana autuem Chroaciam..." [4]
"The whole Mediterranean coast (Adriatic) belongs to Dalmatia, The mountainous part is Croatia "
Andrea Dandolo, who writes of Croatian lands (Dalmatian Kingdom) and reiterates the boundaries of Red Croatia.
Dandolo writes:
" Svethopolis rex Dalmacie... in plano Dalme coronatus est et regnum suum Dalmacie in IIIIor partes divisit... A plano intaque Dalme usque Ystriam, Chroaciam Albam, vocavit, et a dicto plano usque Duracium, Chroaciam Rubeam, et versus montana, a flumine Drino usque Maceodoniam, Rasiam; et a dicto flumine citra Bosnam nominavit... Moderni autem maritimam totam vocant Dalmaciam, montana autem Chroatiam..." [5]
Translation:
" Svatopluk, king of Dalmatia.... on Duvno field was crowned and his kingdom of Dalmatia is spread out into 4 regions: From the field called Duvno (Tomislavgrad), to Istra is called White Croatia... and from that field to Drac (Durres in Albania) is called Red Croatia; and the mountainous side from the river Drina to Macedonia is called Rascia, and to that river to here is called Bosnia. The whole sea coast is called Dalmatia and its mountains are Croatia..."
Tomislavgrad (Duvno) field is the traditional location for crowning Croatian kings. Dandolo suggest that the entire Croatian Kingdom was centered at Duvno. Interestingly enough, Dandolo in the end names the entire land, Dalmatia becomes the whole coast (in which zupanije of White and Red Croatia are located) and Croatia itself becomes the mountainous inland were Zagorje (Transmontana Bosnam - Rassam) are located (within Croatia).
References by Flavius Blondus
Another writer confirms the diet of Duvno and the distribution of Croatian lands as well as the existence of Red Croatia. Flavius Blondus (1388 -1463) was an Italian humanist. In his well known book Historiarum ab inclinatione Romani imperii decades he word for word confirms what Dandolo writes about the Duvno diet and White and Red Croatia. [6]
Discussion and comparison of sources
One may see that Byzantine, Roman, German, and Venetian chronicles all suggests the existence of Red Croatia. Several documents like the De Administrando Imperio suggest that Croats settled in Dalmatia, Pannonia, and Illyricum after defeating the Avars. Other documents like the Methodus (De Regno Sclavorum) which is paired up with the Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja give an insight to the distribution of Croatian and other Slavic lands during the early medieval Balkans.
Some may argue against the authenticity of the Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja. Alone, it is a very controversial document. But, when paired up with other documentation to support at least some of what the Chronicle is saying makes it more believable and able to stand on more than one leg. Yugoslavists have often tried to use the Chronicle as a "proto-Yugoslavia" type model that was tried in the Middle Ages. Serb historians reject the document completely (except in some cases when discussing Bosnian history). Croat historians and most Bosniak historians put faith in the document especially when it regards distribution of land among the peoples of the early medieval Balkans.
Many believe that the De Administrando Imperio is written from an obvious Byzantine bias. The Byzantines which supported the Serbian state during the early medieval Balkans. One can conclude that Constantine only wrote about periods when Byzantine suzerainty was strong in Duklja, Travunia, Pagania, and Hum where the Greeks used the Serbs as despot lords loyal to them and thus described them as Serb territories.
The eye witness account of the Dukljan Priest is significant, because unlike the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII who wrote De Administrando Imperio, he was not a stranger to the land he was describing.
It is also notable that the priest may not have had much political understanding. He was the Catholic Archbishop of Bar and spoke about his archdiocese. His political biases would not be bound to states but they could have been bound to religion.
The Priest was not a Croat either but he was fluent in the Croatian language. He lived with Croats and thus was able to translate the Slavic chronicle of De Regno Sclavorum into Latin. Every time he refers to Croats he says "Their" "them" not "Ours" or "us".
An old place name in modern-day Bosnia (which part of was geographic "Surbia") has the name Servintium (modern-day Bosanska Gradiška). This name was already designated before any Croats and other Slavs appeared on Balkan soil.
The Chronicle furthermore regulates geographic "Bosnia", and part of Raška to the Lipa and Lab (together "Surbia") to the Croatian Kingdom. Bosnia and part of Raška are known as "Transmontana" which is also known as Zagorje in Croatian language. Original Croatian Zagorje included Bosnia (small land in southeast modern Bosnia) and the frontiers of Raška (part of modern Sandzak).
The Serbs under Stefan Nemanja expanded their state to include Duklja (Montenegro) which Serbs named Zeta, Herzegovina, small parts of southern Dalmatia, and half of modern day Sandzak to the Lipa and Lab.
With Montenegro in particular, not even the De Administrando Imperio mentions the Serbs there prior to 1198.
Controversy over "Red Croatia"
There is much controversy over the historical existence of Red Croatia. The main sceptics are Serbian historians. The whole controversy has its roots in Greater Serbian and Greater Croatian ideologies as well as Montenegrin separatism. Serb historians base their argument on old historical documents such as the De Administrando Imperio and the Royal Frankish Annals from the 7th century which quote "the Serbs live in the greater part of Dalmatia." Many Serb historians deny the existence of Red Croatia but recently there are some Serbian historians that concede to its historical existence but argue that the dominant ethnicity between the Cetina river and northern Albania have been Serbs ever since the seventh century. The De Administrando Imperio in chapters 33 and 34, probably written in the 10th century, records that three hundred years earlier (i.e. the 7th century) Hum and Travunia were Serb lands and the inhabitants of Hum and Travunia (i.e. large part of southern Dalmatia and Herzegovina) originated from unbaptized Serbs. Serb historians also believe that the territory south of the Cetina river had nothing to do with Croatia until the 10th century when Croatian kings forcefully conqured the populace and forcefully croatised "Catholic Serbs."
Croat historians argue that the De Administrando Imperio gives direct contradictions. Many other historians also agree that the settlements described in chapter 32 of the Serbs seem like a copy of an earlier written chapter 31 of the Croats. Croat historians also accuse the De Administrando Imperio of having a Byzantine and pro-Serb bias in the later chapters 33 and 34 where it designates Hum and Travunia as Serb lands. They also argue that there are no historical documents prior to the 11th century that designate Duklja (large part of Montenegro) as a Serb territory. Croatian historians believe that Montenegro was forcefully conquered by the Serbs in the 12th century and Orthodox religion was forced on the populace. Croat nationalists believe most of the Orthodox Montenegrins and Herzegovians to be descendants of Red Croats and therefore "Orthodox Croats".
Serb nationalists declare Montenegrin separatism as a direct product of Greater Croatian ideology. In the later half of the 20th century, a prominant Serb historian Dr. Slavenko Terzic had extreme criticism against his enemies whom he considered "Red Croats" particularly against the work of a Montenegrin Croat named Savic Markovic Stedimlija. Stedimlija between 1941 and 1944 in the pro fascist Independent State of Croatia published several books and articles promoting pro-Croat Montenegrin nationalism as well as several articles on the promotion of the "Croatian Orthodox Church." Stedimlija is accused of the systematic sabotage of Serbian history in Montenegro by Terzic due to Stedimlija's publishing of Red Croatian history which Terzic alleged was made only for the purpose of negating the Serb roots of Montenegrins.
Today, Montenegrin separatism is less based on Croatian nationalism and more due to economic problems facing the union between Serbia and Montenegro. There are still many Montenegrins today who declare themselves Serbs and very few that declare themselves Croats.
Red Croatia, despite its historical signifigance, has become more of a controversy among Croat and Serb nationalists trying to assert their respective ideologies. Like so many other things in the Balkans, it has become subject to radicalism due to strained relations between the various ethnic groups especially in the last century.
References
^ Presbyter Diocleas: De Regno Sclavorum;
Ioannes Lucius: De Regno Dalmatie et Croatiae (Amsterdam 1666) 287-302 ;
Schwandtner Scriptores rerum hungaricarum III (Vienna) 174;
Sl. Mijušković: Letopis Popa Dukljanina (Titograd 1967)
^ Andrea Dandolo: Chronica (Muratori: Scriptores rerum ital. XIII, E. Postorello) 156.
^ Franz Miklosich: Monumenta serbica 4, si 9;
A. V. Soloviev: Odabrani spomenici 12, no 10.
^ Flavius Blondus: Historiarum ab inclinatione Romani imperii, dec II, lib II (Venetiae 1483, f. 115 r; ed Basilea 1559) 177.
See also
External links
- Catholic Encyclopedia
- Paul Stephenson: Chronicle of Dioclea
- Serbian site quoting Stefan Nemanja taking over Duklja (Zeta)
- Serbian explanation of Historia Salonitana by Toma Archdeacon
- Croatian explanation of Historia Salonitana by Toma Archdeacon
- South Slav Journal
- Information on John Scylzia
- History of Duklja: Montenegrin site
- History of Nations: Croatia
- Serb Montenegro
- Dr. Slavenko Terzic : The ideological roots of Montenegrin nation and Montenegrin separatism
