Croatia in personal union with Hungary

Kingdom of Croatia (and Dalmatia)
Kraljevina Hrvatska (i Dalmacija) (Croatian)
Horvát Királyság (és Dalmácia) (Hungarian)
Regnum Croatiae (Latin)
1102–1526
Coat of arms (14th–15th century) Note: Later used for Dalmatia Coat of arms (late 15th–16th century) of Croatia in personal union with Hungary
Coat of arms
(14th–15th century)
Note: Later used for Dalmatia
Coat of arms
Coat of arms
(late 15th–16th century)
Medieval Slavonia (green) and Kingdom of Croatia (dark green) in 1260
Medieval Slavonia (green) and Kingdom of Croatia (dark green) in 1260
StatusIn personal union with the Kingdom of Hungary
(See historical context section)
CapitalBiograd (until 1125)
Knin (until 1522)
Common languagesLatin, Croatian, Hungarian,
Religion
Catholic Church
Demonym(s)Croatian, Croat
GovernmentFeudal Monarchy
King 
• 1102–1116 (first)
Coloman
• 1516–1526 (last)
Louis II
Ban (Viceroy) 
• 1102–1105 (first)
Ugra
• 1522–1526 (last)
Ferenc Batthyány
LegislatureSabor
Historical eraMiddle Ages
• Coronation of Coloman in Biograd
1102
18 February 1358
9 September 1493
29 May 1522
29 August 1526
CurrencyFrizatik (12th–13th century)
Banovac (1235–1384)
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Kingdom of Croatia (925–1102)
Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg)
Today part ofCroatia
Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Kingdom of Croatia (Croatian: Kraljevina Hrvatska, Hrvatsko kraljevstvo, Hrvatska zemlja; Hungarian: Horvát királyság; Latin: Regnum Croatiae) entered a personal union with the Kingdom of Hungary in 1102, after a period of rule of kings from the Trpimirović and Svetoslavić dynasties and a succession crisis following the death of king Demetrius Zvonimir.[1][2] With the coronation of King Coloman of Hungary as "King of Croatia and Dalmatia" in 1102 in Biograd, the realm passed to the Árpád dynasty until 1301, when the (male) line of the dynasty died out. Then, kings from the Capetian House of Anjou, who were also cognatic descendants of the Árpád kings, ruled the kingdoms. Later centuries were characterized by conflicts with the Mongols, who sacked Zagreb in 1242, competition with Venice for control over Dalmatian coastal cities, and internal warfare among Croatian nobility. Various individuals emerged during the period, such as Paul I Šubić of Bribir, who was representing the most powerful Croatian dynasty at the time, the Šubić noble family. These powerful individuals were on occasion able to de facto secure great deal of independence for their fiefdoms. The Ottoman incursion into Europe in the 16th century significantly reduced Croatian territories and left the country weak and divided. After the death of Louis II in 1526 during the Battle of Mohács and a brief period of dynastic dispute, both crowns passed to the Austrian House of Habsburg, and the realms became part of the Habsburg monarchy.

Some of the terms of Coloman's coronation and the later status of the Croatian nobles are detailed in the Pacta Conventa, a document preserved only in transcript from the 14th century. The precise terms of this relationship became a matter of dispute in the 19th century; nonetheless, even in dynastic union with Hungary, institutions of separate Croatian statehood were maintained through the Sabor (an assembly of Croatian nobles) and the Ban (viceroy). In addition, the Croatian nobles retained their lands and titles.[3][4]

  1. ^ "Histoire de la Croatie". Larousse online encyclopedia (in French). Liée désormais à la Hongrie par une union personnelle, la Croatie, pendant huit siècles, formera sous la couronne de saint Étienne un royaume particulier ayant son ban et sa diète.
  2. ^ "Croatia (History)". Encyclopædia Britannica. 15 February 2024. Croatia retained its independence under native kings until 1102, when the crown passed into the hands of the Hungarian dynasty.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Britannica was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Murray, Lorraine (2013). Austria, Croatia, and Slovenia. Britannica Educational Publishing. p. 164. ISBN 978-1615309771.