What does this research mean for the field?

In medieval Bosnia and the Hum region between the 10th and 14th centuries, collective identities such as 'Serb' and 'Bosnian' were not static ethnic categories but dynamic political-legal markers shaped by war, political conflict, and territorial organization. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to analyze transformations of collective identities in Bosnia and the Hum region from the 10th to the 14th century, focusing on the impact of war and political conflict.

May 29, 2026Open Access

From Porphyrogenitus' “Baptized Serbs” to the Bosnians: War, Borders, Political Conflict, and the Dynamics of Ethnic Identities in Bosnia and the Hum Region (10th — 14th Centuries)

VBVuk BačanovićUniversity of Belgrade

Key Points

The aim is to analyze transformations of collective identities in Bosnia and the Hum region from the 10th to the 14th century, focusing on the impact of war and political conflict.
Examined diplomatic sources including Frankish, Byzantine, papal, and local documents.
Analyzed the usage and significance of terms like Srbin, Bošnjanin, and Sclavus in historical contexts.
Interpreted shifts in identity through the lens of political and legal frameworks.
The term Bošnjanin emerged in the 14th century as a key identity marker in the Bosnian state, surpassing Srbin in usage.
Ethnic categories were flexible, driven by political loyalties rather than fixed identities.
Conflict and legal practices influenced the evolution of identities over time.

Abstract

Rad analizira transformacije kolektivnih identiteta u Bosni, Srpskoj zemlji i Humskoj zemlji između X i XIV vijeka, polazeći od teze da su rat, politički konflikt i granični režimi presudni faktori u oblikovanju srednjovjekovnih oblika pripadnosti. Na osnovu franačkih, vizantijskih, papinskih i domaćih diplomatskih izvora pokazuje se da odrednice poput Srbin, Bošnjanin, Sclavus, Vlah, natio i ethnos ne predstavljaju stabilne etničke kategorije, već političko-pravne označitelje nadležnosti, lojalnosti i teritorijalne organizacije. Posebno se razmatra pojava termina Bošnjanin u XIV vijeku kao integrativne oznake podanika bosanske države, koja postepeno preuzima primat nad ranijim nazivom Srbin u diplomatskoj praksi, bez potpunog identitetskog diskontinuiteta. Ova promjena tumači se kao rezultat ratova, vazalnih prekompozicija i institucionalne potrebe za širim političkim okvirom pripadnosti. Zaključno, rad argumentuje da je identitet u srednjovjekovnoj Bosni bio dinamična kategorija oblikovana konfliktom i pravnom praksom, a ne statična etnička konstanta.

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