Geostrategic Position of Bosnian Banovina at the End of the 12th Century

Abstract

This research includes the most important geographical maps preserved to date, which show a noticeable delay in mapping the area of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is not different situation even with the other countries in the near and far interior. From the presented and analyzed cartographic works, it is noticeable that Bosnia is represented only on the map of Cardinal Nikolaus von Kues. On this map Bosnia is highlighted as the Kingdom of Bosnia, with the note that what historiographical knowledge implies by that Kingdom is not fully shown. Essentially, all other maps represent only the Banovina of Bosnia of the great Ban Kulin. It is not difficult to see that Francesco Rosselli's map from the end of the 16th century had an impressive number of mapped diverse geographical materials, including textual markings of the borders of "his" Bosnia. On Martin Waldseemüller's map from 1513, the name of Bosnia stands out in the title for the first time. Taken as a whole, the area of Bosnia and Herzegovina, even at such an early time, proved to be geostrategically extremely important, as a dividing line between the West, to which it has always belonged, and the East, which began on the right bank of the river Drina. The basis of this statement is the year 1054 and the schism within the church. Bosnia was and remains with the Roman church and the pope. Therefore, the great Kingdom of Hungary had the last geostrategic defensive bastion in medieval Bosnia against the Byzantine Empire and their subject states. In the end, it can be concluded that Bosnia of the great Ban Kulin was really very spacious, respectable in terms of military strength and economically quite advanced. It will be the basis for future Bosnian rulers, especially Tvrtko the 1st.