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The Mediaeval Sabor (Assembly) ofNoble Croats at Podbrižane
Nikola Jakšić
; Sveučilište u Zadru, Odjel za povijest umjetnosti HR -22000 Zadar,
Sažetak
The author discusses the institution of the Croatian Sabor (Assembly), which is cited in two documents from the mid l4th century. The Sabor was called by the Croatian Ban (vice-regent), who appeared at it with an armed retinue over which he presided, and the Sabor was composed of members of twelve Croatian noble families. In both cases the assembly was called in the month of August in a village called Podbrižane. The unknown site of this mediaeval village is sought, and the historical topography of the broader vicinity of Benkovac is analyzed, where relatively precise locations are known for mediaeval toponyms that appear in the sources as near Podbrižane. Particular attention is paid to the location of Mogorova dubrava, and jarane and Dobruća vasi, all lost mediaeval toponyms. It is concluded that the mediaeval Podbrižane was located at the site of present-day Šopot near Benkovac.
The assembly gathered in the center of the present day region known as Ravni Kotari, where members of the cited twelve noble Croatian houses lived. The assembly site is in the vicinity of the most important route of that period, the road connecting Nin and Knin, exactly halfway between each. The microsite of Podbrižane was chosen as the assembly point because there was an inexaustible spring of running water called Šopot at this site, which was necessary for watering the stock (oxen and horses) with whose help the members of the assembly had reached their destination. The famous inscription ofthe 9th century mentioning the Croatian prince Branimir as dux croatorum was found near the Šopot spring. It is concluded that it was he who bad erected an endowement at the site of the assembly. This location oft bis endowment is unknown, as the inscription came from the walls oftbe demolished late mediaeval chapel of St Jeremiah. The early mediaeval inscription was immurred in the walls of the later cbapel as the only memory ofBranimir's endowment. The author notes similar cases in ,vin and Ždrapanj, wbere inscriptions with the name of prince Branimir were immurred in the walls of ecclesiastic structures of later date.
lt seems that this assemblage of twelve Croatian noble families was a very ancient institution, wbich had its roots as far back as the 9th century, alt bougb tbe cited noble gathering is found in historical sourcesfor the first time in 1102 in the agreement with King Koloman.
The assembly in Podbrižane was composed exclUSively of representatives of twelve families from northern Dalmatia, thus it was not an assembly of all of mediaeval Croatia. In northern Dalmatia a strong tradition was preserved of noble families, and institutions were retained that had their roots in tte distant past. Important promoters for such assemblies being beld were the Croatian Bans Pavao and Mladen ŠubiĆ, members of the strongest, richest, and biologically most vital clan among the twelve noble families at the transition from the l3th to the 14th centuries
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
93251
URI
Datum izdavanja:
5.11.1998.
Posjeta: 3.444 *