Gradu kmeti or iobagiones castri as an element of the social structure of Croatian Kingdom

Abstract

The author analyzes elements of the social structure of the Croatian Kingdom in the Early and High Middle Ages, paying particular attention to the social role, status and obligations of the class of professional warriors (“violence specialists”) described in sources as gradu kmeti (in Croatian) or iobagiones castri (in Latin). Underpinning the discussion is an analysis of relevant provisions of the Vinodol Codex, a source that best illustrates the self-perception of the members of the professional warrior class. The paper also analyzes elements of social knowledge as reflected in the discourse of various written sources, particularly 13th century ones, while at the same time trying to define the members of this class by using the terms employed by modern social sciences.