Tomislav, the First Crowned King of the Unified Croatian Kingdom on the Adriatic – Part 1

This year marks the 1,100th anniversary of the coronation of King Tomislav, a pivotal figure whose leadership united the Croatian principalities into a formidable medieval kingdom. In this three-part article series, we will explore the remarkable life and enduring legacy of Croatia’s first crowned king, whose reign represents a critical foundation of Croatian national identity and Catholic heritage. Part one will examine King Tomislav’s rise to power and the historical context of early Croatian statehood. Part two will delve into his military prowess and diplomatic achievements that established Croatia as a respected European power. Finally, part three will explore his relationship with the Catholic Church and the lasting spiritual legacy he imparted to the Croatian people. King Tomislav’s virtues of courage, faith, and unwavering commitment to both nation and Church continue to offer powerful inspiration for Croatian Catholic men today. In these challenging modern times, the story of Tomislav provides not merely historical knowledge, but a template for authentic masculine leadership rooted in both Croatian patriotism and Catholic devotion—qualities that have sustained our people through eleven centuries of trials and triumphs.

King Tomislav – years prior to and the Coronation

King Tomislav, the first crowned king of a unified Croatian kingdom on the Adriatic. While the exact year of his coronation is debated by historians, and whether he was indeed the first internationally recognised Croatian king, the anniversary is officially associated with the year 925. This date is based on the legend of the coronation of Tomislav at Duvno Field, and the diplomatic letter written by Pope John X in which he refers to “his dear son Tomislav, king of the Croats”. The coronation is regarded as a significant event in Croatian history, symbolising the unification of the Croatian principalities into a medieval kingdom, in accordance with the European political sphere.

In 1906, the society of “The Brethren of the Croatian Dragon (Braća Hrvatskoga Zmaja)” first established the idea, and became the driver of the all-Croatian celebration, to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the establishment of Croatian kingdom. In the lead up to the commemoration in 925, King Tomislav became a symbol of national pride and identity during a historical period when Croats were in a struggle for their very physical and political survival. Illustrations of Tomislav and his crowning were used by the Croats to emphasize the autonomy and independence of the Croatian Kingdom in the light of denying the existence of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, a state that the Croats neither wanted, nor formally recognised by the Croatian Diet (Sabor). On 8 May 1925, church celebrations began in all Croatian regions on the occasion of the Catholic Youth Day in honor of the 1,000th anniversary. On 31 May, 400 pilgrims traveled to Rome on a great Croatian pilgrimage to commemorate the elevation of Tomislav to the royal title. The central church celebration was held on 21 June 1925, on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with a solemn mass in the Zagreb Cathedral, led by the Archbishop of Zagreb, Antun Bauer (1856–1937). During 1925, a series of cultural and artistic events in over 150 towns and cities across the Croatian lands, numerous memorials were erected in honor of King Tomislav, and a large number of streets and squares were named after him, including King Tomislav Square in Zagreb (1927).

Tomislav Trpimirović of Nin was the elder son of Ban Muncimir II of Adriatic White Croatia (892-910), and grandson of Ban/King Trpimir of Adriatic White Croatia (845-864) . He succeeded as Ban of Adriatic White Croatia between the years 910 and 914. According to the “Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja”, Tomislav succeeded his brother, which may mean that another son of Muncimir II ruled between 910 and 914. “Historia Salonitana” stated that Tomislav was Ban of Croatia in 914. Since the historical sources about Tomislav are scarce, the exact year of his accession and of his death are not known.

Tomislav may well have been elected as Ban of Adriatic White Croatia at the Diet of Croatian nobles, which represented the twelve tribes of White Croatia. The twelve tribes were: the Karinjani and Lapčani (from Karin and Lapac, possible descendants of Lobel), Polečići (from Poličnik), Tugomirići (decedents of Tuga from Karlobag in Podgorska County and Poljica), Kukari (possible descendants of Klukas and originating from Vrlika), Snačići (also referred to as Svačići), Gusići, Šubići, Mogorovići, Lačničići (Lasničići), Jamometići and the Kačići. During this period, Adriatic White Croatia was divided into 14 counties (administered by Župans), consisting of Livno, Cetina, Imotski, Pliva, Pset, Primorje, Bribir, Nona, Knin, Sidraga, Nin, Lika, Krbava and Gacka.

Based on oral legends and writings of Croatian historians such as Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski (1816-1889), Tomislav was formally re-crowned in 925 as king at a Croatian Diet at Duvno (Dalma) field, near the old Illyrian city of Delminium (the ancient capital of the Delmatae tribes), which was renamed Tomislavgrad in the king’s honour. The Diet was attended by all representatives of the Croatian tribes as well as representatives from the Holy See in Rome. Ban Mihajlo Višević of Zahumlje also recognised Tomislav as his king, and Zahumlje bacame a vassal of the Kingdom of Croatia (and Dalmatia). It was the first time in history that the Croatian states and principalities on the Adriatic, which covered over 112,000 square kilometres, were unified under the one Croatian crown. The unified Croatian kingdom stretched from the Adriatic Sea to the Mura, Drava and Danube (Dunav) Rivers, to Vukovar and to the Sava River at Brčko in the north; from the Raša (Arsa) River in eastern Istria to Srijem; and the Drina River to Goražde in the east. It included Zahumlje and the Neretian islands of Vis, Brač and Hvar, and formally incorporated some Dalmatian cities that were previously under the Theme of Dalmatia. The kingdom included Pannonian Croatia (including present-day north-western Croatia and Slavonia), all of present-day Bosnia and most of present-day Hercegovina. Other Dalmatian cities that remained within the Theme of Dalmatia under nominal Byzantine rule, including Trogir, Zadar, Split, Rab, Krk and Osor, continued to pay tribute to Tomislav.

Source: A History of the Early Croats – Ante Mrkonjić

Bog i Hrvati

King Tomislav – consolidation and expansion of the Croatian Kingdom 

King Tomislav – and the Roman Catholic Church

Video Links

The First King of CROATIA | Is TOMISLAV the GREATEST King in Croatian History?

USPON KRALJEVINE | Hrvatska od Branimira do Tomislava (879. – 925.)

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Frankish chronicles refer to “Rex Tirpimerus” and “Regnum Croatiae”. In Trpimir’s own charter of his gift of the Sveti Juraj (St George) Church refers to his state as “Regnum Chroatorum”. Artefacts from the rule of Dmitar Zvonimir refer to “regum predecessorum… Tirpimirus et Muntimirus (predecessor kings… Trpirmir and Muncimir)”. Gottschalk of Orbais (808 to 867, Saxon Benedictine monk and scholar who was under the protection of Trpimir’s court between 846 and 848) in his work “De Trina deitate” referred to Trpimir as “rex Sclavorum”. Other chronicles such as “Ljetopis Pop Dukljanin”, “De regno Dalmatiae” and “Illyricum Sacrum” all refer to Trpimir’s title as “Rex” and his state as “Regum”, meaning ‘king’ and ‘kingdom’ respectively. The declaration or charter in Bijaći (present-day Kaštela) which stated “…by the mercy of God, Ban of the Croats (Dux Chroatorum)…” is also interpreted as that only God is greater than Trpimir. Based on these references to royal title, it is likely that Ban Trpimir; like his successor and youngest son Ban Muncimir II, was considered to be an independent ruler of his own kingdom, meaning his title may have actually been Kralj (King) of Adriatic White Croatia rather than Ban. Ban Trpimir’s court, like that of Ban Mislav before him, resembled that of other feudal states during the Medieval period, included priests and chamberlains, and his court was regularly frequented by the most respected župans and nobility.

The noble title ‘Ban’ was only used by the Croats from ancient times to designate the legal representative of the king, similar to that of the titles ‘Viceroy’ or ‘Duke’. Up to the establishment of the kingdoms of Croatia in 924 and Bosnia in 1377, all Croatian rulers of the Croatian principalities from 626 held the title ‘Ban’. Historian Stjepan Krizin Sakač connected the title of Ban with statements from two Persian dictionaries (released in 1893 and 1903); the noun ‘bàn’ (lord, master, illustrious man, chief), suffix ‘bân’ (guard), and the Sasanian title ‘merz-bân’ (marz-bān) as the early Croats originated from the Iranian-speaking Sarmatians and Alans. Franjo Rački (1828-1894, and prominent Yugo-Slavist) was the first Croatian historian to claim (without any substantiated evidence) that all Croatian rulers were titled as ‘Knez’ and not as ‘Ban’ in common with the titles of other Slavic rulers. All historians prior to Franjo Rački, including Ivan Lučić, Anselmo Banduri, Juraj Ratkaj, Pavao Ritter-Vitezović, Josip Mikoci and Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, referred to the Croatian ruler as ‘Ban’ (Banus) and not Knez. After Franjo Rački’s unsubstantiated claim, all historians commenced using the term ‘Knez’ instead of ‘Ban’.

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