Ban of Croatia


Ban of Croatia was the title of local rulers or office holders and after 1102, viceroys of Croatia. From the earliest periods of the Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by bans as a ruler's representative and supreme military commander. In the 18th century, Croatian bans eventually became the chief government officials in Croatia. They were at the head of the Ban's Government, effectively the first prime ministers of Croatia. The institution of ban persisted until the first half of the 20th century, when it was officially superseded in function by that of a parliamentary prime minister.

Origin of title

South Slavic ban possibly comes from the Turkic word bajan, which entered the Croatian language through the Avars. There are also theories that it is an Illyrian derivative. The long form is directly attested in 10th-century Constantine Porphyrogenitus' book De Administrando Imperio as βοάνος, in a chapter dedicated to Croats and the organisation of their state, describing how their ban "has under his rule Krbava, Lika and Gacka."

Bans during the Trpimirović dynasty

References from the earliest periods are scarce, but history recalls that the first known Croatian ban is Pribina from the 10th century. In the early Middle Ages, the ban was the royal district governor of Lika, Gacka and Krbava. Later, the meaning of the title was elevated to that of provincial governor in the Kingdom of Croatia. King Demetrius Zvonimir was originally a ban serving under King Peter Krešimir IV.
PortraitName
Term startTerm endNotesMonarch
Pribina
c. 949
c. 969
The first historically attested Ban of Croatia. Pribina deposed of King Miroslav during a civil war in the Croatian Kingdom, and replaced him with Michael Krešimir. He ruled over the Gacka, Krbava and Lika counties, according to De Administrando Imperio. He is also possibly referred to in a charter as potens banus, meaning "powerful ban".
Miroslav
Pribina
c. 949
c. 969
The first historically attested Ban of Croatia. Pribina deposed of King Miroslav during a civil war in the Croatian Kingdom, and replaced him with Michael Krešimir. He ruled over the Gacka, Krbava and Lika counties, according to De Administrando Imperio. He is also possibly referred to in a charter as potens banus, meaning "powerful ban".
Michael Krešimir II
Godemir
c. 969
c. 995
Also called Godimir. He is mentioned to have served kings Michael Krešimir and Stephen Držislav in a charter of King Peter Krešimir IV the Great from 1068.
Michael Krešimir II
Godemir
c. 969
c. 995
Also called Godimir. He is mentioned to have served kings Michael Krešimir and Stephen Držislav in a charter of King Peter Krešimir IV the Great from 1068.
Stephen Držislav
Gvarda
c. 995
c. 1000
Mentioned in a charter of King Peter Krešimir IV the Great from 1068.
Stephen Držislav
Gvarda
c. 995
c. 1000
Mentioned in a charter of King Peter Krešimir IV the Great from 1068.
Svetoslav Suronja
Božeteh
c. 1000
c. 1030
Mentioned in a charter of King Peter Krešimir IV the Great from 1068.
Svetoslav Suronja
Božeteh
c. 1000
c. 1030
Mentioned in a charter of King Peter Krešimir IV the Great from 1068.
Krešimir III

Gojslav
Stephen Praska
c. 1035
c. 1058
According to the chronicle of Archdeacon Goricensis John, he was named as ban by King Stephen I around 1035, thus succeeding Božeteh as Croatian ban. He eventually attained a Byzantine imperial title of protospatharios somewhere between 1035 and 1042, which governed his influence over the Dalmatian theme.
Stephen I
Gojčo
c. 1059
c. 1069
He was most likely the brother of King Peter Krešimir IV the Great, who was rumored to have murdered his other brother called Gojslav. According to some historians, Gojčo and Gojslav are the same person.
Peter Krešimir IV

Demetrius Zvonimir
c. 1070
c. 1075
During the reign of Peter Krešimir IV, Demetrius Zvonimir ruled in Slavonia, specifically the land between the rivers Drava and Sava, with the title of ban. Croatian charters at the time were issued in the names of both King Peter Krešimir and Ban Zvonimir. At the beginning of 1075, Peter Krešimir IV the Great named Demetrius Zvonimir "Duke of Croatia by the grace of God." This title made him not only the ruler of northern Dalmatia, but also the chief advisor of the king and his heir. In that same year, Normans from southern Italy invaded Croatia and captured a certain Croatian ruler whose name is not known, possibly King Peter Krešimir, who died soon after and was succeeded by Demetrius Zvonimir.
Peter Krešimir IV

Petar Svačić
c. 1075
c. 1091
Ban of Croatia according to a later addenda to Supetar Cartulary. A number of historians consider the claim spurious.
Demetrius Zvonimir
Petar Svačić
c. 1075
c. 1091
Ban of Croatia according to a later addenda to Supetar Cartulary. A number of historians consider the claim spurious.
Stephen II

Croatian bans after 1102

After the Croats elected King Coloman of Hungary as King of Croatia 1102, the title of ban acquired the meaning of viceroy. Bans were appointed by the Hungarian king as his representatives in Kingdom of Croatia, heads of the parliament and also as supreme commander of Croatian Army.
Croatia was governed by the viceregal ban as a whole from 1102 until 1225, when it was split into two separate regions of Slavonia and Croatia. Two different bans were occasionally appointed until 1476, when the institution of a single ban was resumed. Most bans were native nobles but some were also of Hungarian ancestry.
Most notable bans from this period were Pavao Šubić and Peter Berislavić.

Bans of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia

PortraitName
Term startTerm endNotesMonarch
Ugra11021105Coloman

Sergije1105Coloman

Klaudije11161117Stephen II

Aleksijec. 1130c. 1141Béla II

Beloš
1142c. 1158Géza II

Apa1158Géza II

Beloš
1163Stephen III

Ampudije1164c. 1180Stephen III

Mauro1181Béla III

Denisc. 1180c. 1183Ban only in the littoral partBéla III

Suban11831185Béla III

Kalán
11901193Béla III

Dominic Miskolc1194c. 1195Béla III

Andrija11981199Emeric

Nicholas I of Transylvania11991200Emeric

Benedict Osl11991200Emeric

Martin Hont-Pázmány1202Emeric

Hipolit1204Emeric

Mercurius Gutkeled12051206Ladislaus III

Stephen Mihaljev12061207Andrew II

Bánk Bár-Kalán12081209Andrew II

Tomo1209Andrew II

Berthold12091211Andrew II

Michael Kačić1212Andrew II

Martin Hont-Pázmány1213Andrew II

Julius I Kán1213Andrew II

Simon Kačić12121214Andrew II

Ohuz1214Andrew II

Ivan12151216Ban only in SlavoniaAndrew II

Pontius de Cruce1217Andrew II

Bánk Bár-Kalán12171218Andrew II

Julius I Kán12181219Andrew II

Ernej12201221Andrew II

Ohuz12191220Andrew II

Solomon Atyuszc. 1222c. 1225Andrew II

Bans of Croatia and Dalmatia

From 1225 to 1476, there were parallel Bans of Croatia and Dalmatia and of "Whole Slavonia". The following is the list of the former, the latter are listed at the article Ban of Slavonia. During the period of separate titles of ban, several persons held both titles, which is indicated in the notes.
After the death of King Louis I of Hungary, his daughter Mary succeeded to the throne, which led to kings Charles III and Ladislaus of Naples claiming the Kingdom of Hungary. A war erupted between forces loyal to Mary, and later to her husband and successor Sigismund of Luxembourg, and those loyal to Ladislaus.
During this time, Sigismund appointed Nicholas II Garai the Ban of Croatia and Dalmatia in 1392, Butko Kurjaković in 1394, and then again Garai in the period from 1394 to 1397. Nicholas II Garai was also at the time the Ban of Slavonia, succeeded by Ladislav Grđevački, Paul Besenyő, Pavao Peć, Hermann II of Celje.
Ladislaus in turn appointed his own bans. In 1409, this dynastic struggle was resolved when Ladislaus sold his rights over Dalmatia to the Republic of Venice.
PortraitName
Term startTerm endNotesMonarch
Vojnić1225Andrew II

Valegin1226Andrew II

Stephen IV Babonić12431249Béla IV

Butko of Podgorje1259Béla IV

Stephen of Klis12631266Béla IV

Nicholas of Gacka1275Son of Amadeus AbaLadislaus IV

Pavao I Šubić12781312Ladislaus IV

Pavao I Šubić12781312Andrew III

Pavao I Šubić12781312Charles I

Mladen II Šubić13121322Charles I

Stephen I Lackfi13501352Louis I

Ivan Ćuz13561358Louis I

Nicholas Szécsi13581366Louis I

Kónya Szécsényi13661367Louis I

Emeric I Lackfi1368Louis I

Simon Mauritius of Pok13691371Louis I

Charles of Durazzo13711376Louis I

Nicholas Szécsi13771380Second termLouis I

Emeric I Bebek13801383Louis I

Stephen II Lackfi13831384Mary

Thomas of St George13841385Mary

Ivan Paližna13851386Co-ruled with relative Ivan Anjou Horvat. Also at the time the Ban of Slavonia.Mary

Ladislaus Lackfi1387Mary

Denis of Lučenec13871389Mary

Ivan Paližna1389Second term. Also at the time the Ban of Slavonia.Mary

Butko Kurjaković1394Mary

Nicholas II Garai13951397Charles II

Hermann II of Celje14061407Also at the time the Ban of Slavonia.Sigismund

Karlo Kurjaković14081409Sigismund

Ivan Kurjaković14101411Sigismund

Pavao Kurjaković14101411Co-ruled with Ivan Kurjaković.Sigismund

Peter Alben14121413Sigismund

John Alben14141419Sigismund

Albert Ungh14191426Sigismund

Nikola IV Frankopan14261432Son of Ban Ivan FrankopanSigismund

Ivan VI Frankopan14341436Sigismund

Stephen III Frankopan14341437Co-ruled with Ivan FrankopanSigismund

Peter Talovac14381453Albert I

Peter Talovac14381453Vladislaus I

Peter Talovac14381453Ladislaus V

Ladislaus Hunyad1453Ladislaus V

Pavao Špirančić14591463Ladislaus V

Pavao Špirančić14591463Matthias I

Stephen Frankopan1463Matthias I

Nicholas of Ilok14571463Also at the time the Ban of Slavonia Matthias I

Emeric Zápolya14641465Also at the time the Ban of SlavoniaMatthias I

John Thuz14661467Also at the time the Ban of SlavoniaMatthias I

Blaise Magyar14701472Also at the time the Ban of SlavoniaMatthias I

Damjan Horvat14721473Also at the time the Ban of SlavoniaMatthias I

Bans of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia

From 1476 onwards, the titles of Ban of Dalmatia and Croatia, and Ban of "Whole Slavonia" are again united in the single title of Ban of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia.
PortraitName
Term startTerm endNotesMonarch
Andrew Bánffy14761477Matthias I

Ladislaus of Egervár14771481Matthias I

Blaise Magyar1482Matthias I

Matthias Gereb14831489Known for the Battle of Una.Matthias I

Ladislaus of Egervár14891493Matthias I

Ladislaus of Egervár14891493Vladislaus II

John Both1493Vladislaus II

Mirko Derenčin1493Known for the Battle of Krbava field.Vladislaus II

Ladislaus Kanizsai14931495Vladislaus II

John Corvinus14951498Vladislaus II

George Kanizsai14981499Vladislaus II

John Corvinus14991504Vladislaus II

Andrew Both15051507Vladislaus II

Marko Mišljenović15061507Vladislaus II

John Ernuszt15081509Vladislaus II

George Kanizsai15081509Vladislaus II

Andrew Both15101511Vladislaus II

Emeric Perényi15121513Vladislaus II

Peter Berislavić15131520Known for the Battle of Dubica.Vladislaus II

Peter Berislavić15131520Known for the Battle of Dubica.Louis II

Ivan Karlović15211524Louis II

John Tahy1525Louis II

Ferenc Batthyány15251527Louis II

Christoph I Frankopan
1527Grandson of Ban Stephen FrankopanLouis II

Habsburg-era bans

The title of ban persisted in Croatia after 1527 when the country became part of the Habsburg Monarchy, and continued all the way until 1918.
Among the most distinguished bans in Croatian history were the three members of Zrinski family Nikola Šubić Zrinski and his great-grandsons Nikola Zrinski and Petar Zrinski. Also there are two notable Erdődys: Toma Erdődy, great warrior and statesman, and Ivan Erdődy, to whom Croatia owes much for protecting her rights against the Hungarian nobility, his most widely known saying in Latin is Regnum regno non praescribit leges
In the 18th century, Croatian bans eventually became chief government officials in Croatia. They were at the head of Ban's Government, effectively the first prime ministers of Croatia. The most known bans of that era were Josip Jelačić, Ivan Mažuranić and Josip Šokčević.

Bans in the Habsburg Monarchy

The Habsburg dynasty ruled Kingdom of Croatia and Kingdom of Slavonia between 1527 and 1918.
PortraitName
Term startTerm endNotesMonarch
Christoph I Frankopan
15261527Ferdinand I

Ivan Karlović
15271531Ferdinand I

Simon Erdődy
15301534Ferdinand I

Louis Pekry15321537Ferdinand I

Thomas Nádasdy
15371539Ferdinand I

Peter Keglević
15371542Ferdinand I

Nikola Šubić Zrinski
15421556Ferdinand I

Péter Erdődy
15571567Ferdinand I

Franjo Frankopan Slunjski15671572Maximilian II

Juraj Drašković
15671576Maximilian II

Gašpar Alapić
15751577Maximilian II

Kristóf Ungnad15781583Rudolf II

Thomas Erdődy
15831595Rudolf II

Gašpar Stankovački15951596Rudolf II

Ivan II Drašković
15951607Rudolf II

Thomas Erdődy
16081615Matthias II

Benedict Thuroczy
16151616Matthias II

Nikola XI Frankopan
16171622Matthias II

Juraj V Zrinski
16221626Ferdinand II

Sigismund Erdődy
16271639Ferdinand II


Ivan III Drašković
16401646Ferdinand III


Nikola Zrinski
16471664Ferdinand III

Peter Zrinski
16651670Leopold I

Miklós Erdődy
16701693Leopold I

Adam II Batthyány
16931703Leopold I

Ivan Pálffy
17041732Joseph I

Ivan V Drašković
17321733Charles III

Josef Esterházy
17331741Charles III

György Branyng17411742Maria Theresa

Karl Josef Batthyány
16 March 17436 July 1756Maria Theresa

Ferenc Nádasdy
17561783Maria Theresa

Ferenc Eszterházy
17831785Joseph II

Ferenc Balassa
17851790Joseph II

Ivan Erdődy
17901806Leopold II

Ignác Gyulay
18061831Francis II

Franjo Vlašić
10 February 183216 May 1840Ferdinand V

Juraj Haulik
184016 June 1842Acting banFerdinand V

Franz Haller
16 June 18421845Ferdinand V

Juraj Haulik
184523 March 1848Acting banFerdinand V

Bans during the Revolutions of 1848

Croatia was a Habsburg crown territory during the Revolutions of 1848 and up until 1867.
PortraitName
Term startTerm endNotesMonarch
Josip Jelačić
23 March 184819 May 1859Franz Joseph I

Johann Baptist Coronini-Cronberg
28 July 185919 June 1860Franz Joseph I

Josip Šokčević
19 June 186027 June 1867Franz Joseph I

Bans in Austria-Hungary

Croatia was returned to Hungarian control in 1867 when the Habsburg Empire was reconstituted as the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. Between then and 1918 the following bans were appointed:
PortraitName
Term startTerm endNotesMonarch
Levin Rauch
27 June 186726 January 1871Member of the Unionist Party that advocated for more integration of Croatia into Hungary. Notable for securing victory of the Unionist Party through changing the election law and terrorising those who were able to vote.Franz Joseph I

Koloman Bedeković
26 January 187112 February 1872Bedeković was the leader of the Unionist Party and fought against Croatia's autonomy from Hungary. Dissatisfaction with the obstruction of parliament led to the Rakovica Revolt. Early elections were subsequently called for in 1872. The failure of Bedeković to convene the previous parliament resulted in him being removed from the post of ban and replaced with the first non-noble ban, Ivan Mažuranić.Franz Joseph I

Antun Vakanović
17 February 187220 September 1873Acting banFranz Joseph I

Ivan Mažuranić
20 September 187321 February 1880Mažuranić was the first Croatian ban not to hail from old nobility, as he was born a commoner. He was a member of the People's Party. He accomplished the transition of Croatian lands from a semi-feudal legal and economic system to a modern civil society similar to those emerging in other countries in Central Europe.Franz Joseph I

Ladislav Pejačević
21 February 18804 September 1883As the reincorporation of the Military Frontier into the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia was proclaimed on 15 July 1881, Pejačević was given the task to follow it through. On 1 August 1881, he took over the administration of the former Frontier. On 24 August 1883, he quit after the Council of Ministers in Vienna concluded that bilingual Hungarian official emblems, installed by Hungarian officials in Croatia-Slavonia, were not allowed to be removed from the official buildings and were to stay along the Croatian ones.Franz Joseph I

Hermann Ramberg
4 September 18831 December 1883Acting banFranz Joseph I

Karoly Khuen-Héderváry
4 December 188327 June 1903Khuen's reign was marked by strong Magyarization. After a series of riots broke out against him in 1903, Khuen was relieved of his duty and appointed prime minister of Hungary.Franz Joseph I

Teodor Pejačević
1 July 190326 June 1907At the beginning of the 20th century, he was faced with a new direction of Croatian policy marked by political alliance between Croats and Serbs in Austria-Hungary for mutual benefit. A Croat-Serb Coalition was formed in 1905, and it governed the Croatian lands from 1906 until the dissolution of the Dual Monarchy in 1918. As Pejačević supported the ruling Coalition in its resistance towards the Hungarian request in 1907 to make the Hungarian language an official language on railways in Croatia, he was forced to resign.Franz Joseph I

Aleksandar Rakodczaj
26 June 19078 January 1908Franz Joseph I

Pavao Rauch
8 January 19085 February 1910From the very beginning of Rauch's rule, the Croato-Serbian Coalition announced that it would refuse to co-operate in any manner with the new unionist ban. After the Croatian Parliament had been disbanded on 12 March 1908, because of its refusal to co-operate and the insults it directed at the ban, Pavao Rauch ruled through decrees and civil servants. Despite all opposition predictions, Rauch remained in power for two years. On 5 February 1910, he received the king's letter of dismissal.Franz Joseph I

Nikola Tomašić
5 February 191019 January 1912-Franz Joseph I

Slavko Cuvaj
19 January 191221 July 1913He was appointed in January 1912, when anti-Habsburg sentiments were on the rise in Croatia, often manifesting in sympathies for Serbia and calls for creation of a Yugoslav state. Cuvaj tried to curb those trends by series of decrees directed at curbing the freedom of the press, limiting rights of assembly and local autonomy. This created a backlash in the form of strikes and demonstrations. Some young radicals even engaged in terrorism. Cuvaj himself was target of two assassination attempts in 1912.Franz Joseph I

Ivan Skerlecz
27 November 191329 June 1917Skerlecz managed to reconvene the Croatian Parliament in Zagreb by 1915. The Croats made further demands for local authority, as well as unification of Croatia-Slavonia with Dalmatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.Franz Joseph I

Ivan Skerlecz
27 November 191329 June 1917Skerlecz managed to reconvene the Croatian Parliament in Zagreb by 1915. The Croats made further demands for local authority, as well as unification of Croatia-Slavonia with Dalmatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.Charles IV

Antun Mihalović
29 June 191720 January 1919Charles IV

Croatian bans in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia

Ban was also the title of the governor of each province of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1941. The weight of the title was far less than that of a medieval ban's feudal office. Most of Croatian territory was divided between the Sava and Littoral Banovina, but also some parts were outside this provinces.
In 1939 Banovina of Croatia was created with Cvetković-Maček agreement as a unit of limited autonomy. It consisted of the Sava and Littoral Banovinas along with smaller parts of Vrbas, Zeta, Drina and Danube Banovina's. Ivan Šubašić was appointed for the Ban of Banovina of Croatia until the collapse of Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1941. Šubašić was also the last person who held the position of Croatian Ban.

Bans of Croatian lands within the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes

Following a brief period of self-rule at the end of World War I, Croatia was incorporated into the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918, under the Karađorđević dynasty.
PortraitName
Term startTerm endNotesMonarch
Ivan Paleček20 January 191924 November 1919Peter I

Tomislav Tomljenović24 November 191922 February 1920Peter I

Matko Laginja22 February 192011 December 1920Peter I

Teodor Bošnjak23 December 19203 July 1921Peter I

Tomislav Tomljenović2 March 19212 March 1921Peter I

Bans of the [Sava Banovina]

In 1929, the new Constitution of the Kingdom renamed it Kingdom of Yugoslavia and split up the country into banovinas.
PortraitName
Term startTerm endNotesMonarch
Josip Silović3 October 19291931Alexander I

Ivo Perović19311935Alexander I

Marko Kostrenčić19351936Peter II

Viktor Ružić19361938Peter II

Stanoje Miladžić193826 August 1939Peter II

Bans of the [Littoral Banovina]

Bans of the [Banovina of Croatia]

In 1939, the Banovina of Croatia was created with Cvetković-Maček agreement as a unit of limited autonomy within Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It consisted of the Sava and Littoral Banovinas along with smaller parts of Vrbas, Zeta, Drina and Danube Banovinas.
PortraitName
Term startTerm endNotesMonarch
Ivan Šubašić
26 August 193910 April 1941Last person to hold the title of ban.Peter II