Ban (title)
Ban [] is a
title of uncertain origin, which was used in several states in central and south-eastern
Europe between the
7th century and the
20th century.
The word
ban entered English from Serbo-Croat
ban "lord, master, ruler", itself presumably from Persian
ban "prince, lord, chief, governor", related to Sanskrit
pati "guards, protects". Others believe the word originates from
Sarmatian bajan; it also bears a similarity to the Turkic-Mongolian (unrelated)
khan. The word is preserved in many modern-day place names. But there are alternative theories concerning
Illyrian origin and the Illyrian name
Banius, which is to be found on Illyrian remains in
Bosnia. According to one theory, the title of ban derived from the name of an
Avar cagan,
Bajan.
The title was used for local land administrators in the southern Slavonic areas of
Croatia and
Bosnia in the early Middle Ages. The title was later on also used in the historical
Kingdom of Croatia and the
Kingdom of Hungary and its dependencies.
The title was further on used in
Wallachia from the 14th century up to
1831 (where it was associated with the highest
boyar office and the region of
Oltenia), medieval
Moldavia, the
Kingdom of Serbia, and then in the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia between
1929 and
1941. The meaning of the title changed with time — the position of a ban can be compared to that of a
viceroy or a
duke, but neither is accurate for all historical bans. The territory ruled by a ban was called
banat or
banovina, often transcribed to English as
banate,
banat,
bannat, etc.
Ban was the title of local rulers in Croatia and Bosnia since the
Slavic population migrated there in the
7th century. References from the earliest periods are scarce, but history recalls a Croatian ban Ratimir in the 9th century (827), and Pribina in the 10th century (in 949 and in 970).
The meaning of the title was elevated to that of provincial governor in the
medieval Croatian state (for example,
Dmitar Zvonimir was originally a ban in 1065).
Bans were also provincial administrators in the
Kingdom of Hungary, where each of the provinces was called
banat; the Croatian word for that was
banovina.
When
Croatia became a part of the Hungarian kingdom in the
12th century, the title of ban acquired the meaning of
viceroy because the bans were appointed by the king, though the banate of Croatia was rarely referred to as a
banat. Croatia was governed by the viceroy ban as a whole between 1102 and 1225, when it was split into two separate banovinas - Slavonia and Croatia. Two different bans were occasionally appointed until 1476, when the institution of a single ban was resumed, and lasted until 1918.
When the medieval
Bosnian state achieved a certain level of independence in the 12th century, its rulers were once again called bans, and their territory
banovina, likely because of the similar suzerain status that it had towards the king of Hungary. Nevertheless, the Bosnian bans weren't viceroys in the sense they were appointed by the king. Sometimes their titles are translated as
dukes. Later in the
13th century they gradually achieved more independence (though in some periods they were still
vassals) and eventually proclaimed themselves kings in the late
14th century.
The region of
Mačva (now in
Serbia) was also ruled by bans. Mačva was part of the medieval Hungarian kingdom though under various levels of independence; some of the bans were foreign viceroys, some were native nobles, and one even rose to the status of a royal
palatine. The
Gorjanski family gave three notable native bans of Mačva in the
14th century.
Ban was also the title of medieval rulers of parts of
Wallachia (
Oltenia and
Severin) since the
13th century. The Wallachian bans were military governors. Territory over which a ban ruled in Wallachia was called a
banat. The main Wallachian ruling title was
voivod, the position bans aspired to.
Ban was also the title for province administrator in the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia between
1929 and
1941; each of the provinces was also called
banovina. The weight of the title was not nearly similar to medieval one.
The word
ban is preserved in many modern place names in the regions where bans once ruled.
The region of
Banat (sometimes called the
Temeswarer Banat) in the
Pannonian plain between the
Danube and the
Tisza rivers, now in
Romania,
Serbia and
Hungary, however got its name without ever being ruled by a
ban.
A region in central Croatia, south of
Sisak, is called Banovina or
Banija. The origin of the names of
Banja Luka and
Banovići, cities in
Bosnia and Herzegovina, could be also from the word
ban.
The term
ban is still used in the phrase
banski dvori ("ban's court") for the buildings that host the highest government officials. The Banski Dvori in
Zagreb host the
Government of Croatia, while the Banski Dvori in
Banja Luka host the President of
Republika Srpska (first-tier subdivision of
Bosnia and Herzegovina). The building known as "Bela banovina" ("the white banovina") in
Novi Sad host the parliament and government of the Autonomous Province of
Vojvodina in
Serbia and Montenegro.
(incomplete)
*
EtumologyOnLine*
WorldStatesmen- here Croatia, see also each other country above (not completely worked in)
*
Bans of Wallachia*
Bans of Bosnia*
Bans of Croatia*
Bans of Mačva*
Bans of Danube Banovina*
Banat*
BanijaCompare:
*
Gespan
