Bosnian Kingdom and the Serbian Despotate (1402 -1459)

Opis

Godina izdanja: 2023

Broj stranica: 480

Format: 25 cm

Uvez: meki

ISBN: 978-9958-9356-9-5 (Centar za kulturu i turizam)
ISBN: 978-9958-649-61-5 (Institut za historiju Univerziteta)

 PREFACE
The research on the relationship between the Bosnian Kingdom and the Serbian Despotate began in 2013 during my doctoral studies at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo. I defended my doctoral dissertation titled “The Bosnian Kingdom and the Serbian Despotate (1402– 1459)” on January 26, 2017, in front of a committee consisting of Prof. Dr. Esad Kurtović (president) and Prof. Dr. Pejo Ćošković (member). Prof. Dr. Dubravko Lovrenović, who unfortunately passed away just days before the defense, also participated as a committee member, having already submitted an evaluation report. The book before us represents a revised and expanded version of the dissertation. While the fundamental hypothetical standpoints remained unchanged, the manuscript was enriched with archival data found during later research, as well as the latest historiographic achievements. Recent observations of historical processes on this topic have also highlighted the need to revise and define certain positions more clearly. Since Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia lack archives with significant medieval sources, the portrayal of the relationship between the Bosnian Kingdom and the Serbian Despotate is heavily dependent on the perspective of neighboring sources. Consequently, this study does not exhaust all the possibilities associated with this thematic framework. This book is the result of eight years of research, during which the author has matured scientifically. The modified and expanded text of the dissertation was published by the Institute of History at the University of Sarajevo in the winter of 2021 in the Bosnian language. The book immediately captured the interest of a wider readership, as evidenced by the fact that the first edition sold out within the first month.
The Ministry of Science, Higher Education, and Youth of Sarajevo Canton made a decision at the end of 2022 to allocate funds for the translation of this book into the English language and its publication. I entrusted this task to MA Anela Dedić, a young translator with significant translation projects in the field of historical science already under her belt. Despite the fact that
there has been an increased number of scholarly works on the medieval period in Bosnia and Serbia over the last decade, the medieval history of these
countries remains relatively unknown and poorly recognized in the European context, primarily due to the language barrier. I considered it valuable to publish a new edition of this book in the English language, aiming to make the results of my research accessible to a wider circle of historians and interested readers. The policies and ideologies in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the period following the publication of the Bosnian edition of the book have placed a special focus on the relationships between Bosnia and Serbia in the Middle Ages. Thus, the publication of the English edition of this book is of great significance. Hopefully, this book will increase the interest of foreign historians in the medieval history of Southeast European countries, as well as encourage domestic historians to publish their works in English. I would like to express my gratitude to the publishers of the book, the Institute of History at the University of Sarajevo, and the P.I. “Center for Culture and Tourism Cazin – Department of the Museum of the Bosnian Kingdom” for the trust they have shown and the recognized potential of this study.
I am grateful for the advice and suggestions provided by the members of the Committee during the preparation of my doctoral dissertation. Special thanks are due to my mentor, Prof. Dr. Esad Kurtović, who guided the process throughout the dissertation writing and subsequent revisions, providing exceptionally valuable and useful suggestions. Also, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to Prof. Dr. Vesna Mušeta-Aščerić for reviewing the book and providing valuable guidance that significantly enriched this work.
I am particularly grateful to my colleagues at the Institute for History, who have offered generous support and understanding whenever needed. For the purpose of researching this topic, I stayed at a number of domestic and foreign institutions. The employees of the Dubrovnik State Archives,
the library of the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Sarajevo, and the library of the Institute for History at the University of Sarajevo regularly assisted me, and I extend my warmest thanks to them. In gathering hardto-access literature and assistance with certain translations, I received significant help from Dejan Zadro, Dženan Dautović, Nedim Rabić, Irfan Teskeredžić, Milomir Maksimović, Milan Vojnović, Elmedina Duranović, and Miloš Ivanović. The work on this book over the past years was financially supported by my extended family from Sanski Most, European countries, and the United States. On this occasion, I would like to thank each and every one of them. Aside from providing financial support, my family provided understanding and moral support during the writing process. A special thanks is due to my wife, Anela, for her support, faith, and understanding throughout all these years. The life partners of all historians inevitably live with their topics. Once again, Anela’s artistic work adorns the cover of this book, which reflects her understanding of this topic.
Sarajevo, September 2023 

SADRŽAJ:
Dedić, Enes. Bosnian Kingdom and the Serbian Despotate (1402 -1459)