Pregledni rad
On the Ethnogenesis of the Croats in the Early Middle Ages
Ivo Goldstein
; Filozofski fakultet, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Sažetak
In the first part of the paper, the author reviews and discusses some older theories on the origin of the Croats and the meaning of their ethnonym. Of these, the “Iranian” theory appears to be “the least unlikely”, since one can conclude from Constantine Porphirogenet's text that a certain section of the Croats had been in contact with an Iranian milieu. The author, furthermore, claims that the name “Croat” originated in the regions east of the Carpathians, were the core of the Slavic tribes was also located. In this framework, the first Croats were probably a small nomadic or semi-nomadic group which migrated to the area of Krakow (i.e. White Croatia). Here the possible pre-Slavic substratum merged with the Slavic majority. The second period of Croatian ethnogenesis began after the migration to the former Roman provinces of Dalmatia and Panonia. Conditions for the development of a state in the new territories (as well as for the incorporation of the local Slavs in the Croatian ethnos) were not yet ripe in the 7th and 8th centuries. However, starting from the early 9th century, i.e. from the Franko-Byzantine war, economic and cultural ties with both the Franks and the Byzantine cities of Dalmatia had an effect on the consolidation and expansion of the Croatian state and ethnos. Christianization was a further factor in this. However, the author claims that the Christianization of the Croats was a long-term process, expanding from various centres, just as was the process of ethnogenesis itself. Nevertheless, the Dalmatian cities probably had a key role in it. At the end of the paper, the author states that the significance of trends in this period should not be over-emphasised. The structure of the state was still too weak and dependent on concrete economic interests. Although certain “charismatic” leaders managed to unite the people in the 9th and 10th centuries (i.e. Trpimir, Branimir and Tomislav), it appears that this was accomplished on a temporary, situational, and not on a permanent basis.
Ključne riječi
ethnogenesis; Croats; Middle Ages
Hrčak ID:
128055
URI
Datum izdavanja:
29.9.1989.
Posjeta: 4.275 *