Bukovica in the midle ages

Abstract

The author first describes the position and the boundaries of Bukovica according to various writters (Zlatovič, Maschek, Ardalić, etc.) and where it is placed on the topographic maps. Then he points out that this region has not been investigated at all especially in the middle ages. Passing from the old to the early middle ages the author talks about Bukovica in the 6th century on, that is, from the time of the East Gothic rule, then Byzantium and Croatian rule. On the basis of Byzantine sources (especially Constantine the Vllth Porphirogenet) he establishes to which Croatian tribal state Bukovica and its surrounding places belonged. From the second half of the 11th century it belonged to the tribal state Luka where “nobility from twelve noble Croatian families” had their properly (Kukar, Šubić, Gušić. Mogorović, Karinjan and Lapčan, Jamometi, Tugomcrić) and they obeyed their “Consuetudines Croacie”. Facts about Bukovica from the 12th and the 13th century are interesting and it is also of interest how the Tatars went thtough those places. Pavle Bribirski's “dominium” and “Dominus” “Croatorum” is very vividly presented to which Bukovica also belonged with its center in Bribir. The property of Bribir's dukes in Bukovica are described, namely, in Lučka tribal state after the death of Pavle. The author shows how the properties were eventually lost. The author also talks about the name Luka and its division into Lower and Upper Luka (the 15th century) where Bukovica belonged. He also looks into the question of the boundaries between them. Upper Luka belonged to the area called Banadego, Banat or even “Banovina” (the 15th and the 16lh century). Lučki tribal state had a special characteristic in that it had its archipresbyter, i.e., the deputy of Nin's bishop (the second half of the 15th and the 16th century). From 1409. the castellans from Ostrovo were also called “comites of Luka” who collected from Zadar serfs church, military and other dues. All of this gives a valuable insight into the social and economic relationship in this part of Croatia. The author ends with the description of how the Turks conquered Karin (1514), Knin (1521), Skradin (1521), Ostrogovica and Kličevac (1523) and in 1527 Obrovac on the river Zrmanja. Thus Upper Luka with a part of Banadego fell under the Turks and from then on they trampled over the conquered Bukovica unhampered to the coast, that is, to Zadar and Šibenik.