Ceramic
found in Butmir near Sarajevo, which was inhabited since Neolit
Era
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At
the beginning of the Christian era Bosnia made part of the Roman Empire.
After the fall of Rome, it was contested between Byzantium and Rome’s
successors in the West.
- 7th century: Bosnia settled by Slavs (South Slav tribes)
forming a number of counties and duchies.
- 10th century: Bosnia mentioned for the first time in the
Byzantium document "Administrando Imperio". The oldest site
of the Bosnian culture, "Humacka ploca" ("Plaque from
Hum") is also from this period. |
-
11th century: Formed the State, integrated by several counties
headed by the Ban of Bosnia.
- 1154- 1163: Bosnia ruled by Ban Boric.
- 1167- 1203: Bosnia ruled by Ban Kulin, "the Great Ban
of Bosnia" for the second time. He is known for the famous Declaration
(1189) allowing the Republic of Dubrovnik a free trade within his
territory.
Ban Kulin celebrated a meeting with the Pope’s envoy (1203) on
Bilino Polje (Valley of Bila) where he was asked to give up
the independent Bosnian Church (Crkva bosanska) what he refused to
do. |
Old
Roman Bridge at Ilidza, suburb of Sarajevo
|
- 1252:
The Catholic Church Bishop was forced to leave Bosnia and moved to Djakovo,
which became his permanent Seat place.
- 1292: The Franciscan priests (Catholics) arrived to Bosnia.
|
"Stecak"
- monument in Zgosca, dating from the Middle Eages
|
-
1314- 1353: During the period of Ban Stjepan Kotromanic Bosnia
was established within its actual borders.- 1340: Bosnian Franciscan
order was established.
- 1377: Bosnia reaches the top peak of its power under Tvrtko
I Kotromanic (1353- 13910) ("Kralj Srbljem i Bosne i Primorju").
Tvrtko I expanded his territory to both east and west and to the south
as well, so that the European literature states Tvrtko’s Bosnia
the largest of the medieval south Slavic states.
|
Its population
was entirely Christian, but in a tolerant environment unusual for the
Middle Ages there were three different Christian churches: the schismatic
Bosnian Church, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. None of them had
really strong organization, reason why a large part of Bosnian people
abandon Christianity for Islam afterwards
The
independent medieval Kingdom of Bosnia endured for more than 260 years.
- 1463: The crash of the State of Bosnia. |
Gold
money issued by Bosnian King Stjepan Tomasevic
|
- 1463:
Bosnia become a part of the Ottoman
Empire (an Islamic state originating in Asia Minor) establishing the
Bosnia Sandzak.
- 1470: Herzegovina Sandzak was founded.
- Bosnia became the most prominent province of the Ottoman Empire.
Sarajevo
in Ottoman period
|
Bosnian
cities were embellished with splendid mosques, Islamic schools, libraries,
orphanages, public kitchens and other forms of welfare were introduced.
A proper Bosnian- Muslim culture took form and the distinctive Bosnian
style in architecture, literature and folklore remains until nowadays.
At this point Islam started to be widely accepted by Bosniacs and
the Bosnian Church faded away. |
The Ottomans
were tolerant to the non- Muslim minorities who had a full freedom to
worship, live and trade.
- 1492: After being expelled from Spain, Jews started settling
down in Bosnia.
- 1580: Bosnia ejalet, an administartive unit formed by seven sandzaks:
Bosnia, Herzegovina, Klis, Lika, Pakrac, Pozega and Zvornik, remained
a part of the Ottoman Empire for more then four hundred years.
- 1699: Turks Ottomans lost the war against Austria and Venice
(1689- 1699) and Bosnia ejalet lost its territories of Slavonia and Lika
sandzak as well as some parts of Klis and Herzegovina sandzak.
- 1737: Bosniaks won against Austria in the Battle of Banja Luka.
- 1831- 1832: Husein- Kapetan Gradascevic ("Zmaj od Bosne"-
the "Dragon of Bosnia") rejected the reforms made by Constantinople
and organized a movement against the Ottoman Empire.- 1878: Having both
internal and external problems, the Empire was forced by the Great Powers
to hand over some of its territories. The Berlin Congress (Austria- Hungary,
France, Italy, Germany, Russia and Great Britain on one side and the Ottoman
Empire on the other), recognized Bosnia’s borders as they remained
unchanged during the Austro- Hungarian occupation and administration.
- 1908: Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Austro- Hungarian
Empire. For forty years further on, the Empire tried to make Bosnia a
"model colony"- they built railroads, new schools, public buildings
and parks and developed industries.
 |
-
1914: Assassination of the heir to the Austro- Hungarian throne
by a Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip took place in Sarajevo and the
First World War started killing millions throughout Europe. |
- 1918:
Disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Bosnia and Herzegovina
entered into a newly established Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovens
which afterwards was renamed Yugoslavia.
-
1919: The Peace Agreement signed with Austia in Saint Germain
and the "Vidovdan" Constitution (1921) assured Bosnia’s
territorial integrity. In the paragraph #135 of this very rigid and
unitarist Constitution, it was determined that Bosnia and Herzegovina
"remains within its present borders".
- 1920- 1930:
Extremely centralist and dictatorial regime caused the atmosphere
of dissatisfaction among the non-Serbs. After the royal coup (1929),
internal borders were redrawn and the newly formed provinces were
placed under the military governors sent from Belgrade. |
 |
- 1941:
Unresolved economic and social issues helped with the global economic
depression of the 1930s accompanied Yugoslavia when it was invaded by
Hitler and the country was parceled out between Nazi Germany’s allies
and the locals. Bosnia entered into the newly formed Independent State
of Croatia.- The Yugoslav communists, led by Josip Broz Tito, organized
their multi-ethnic resistance group to fight against the Nazis as well
as against the local ultra- nationalist armed groups who did not support
their struggle.
- 1943: On the ZAVNOBIH Assembly, celebrated in Mrkonjic- grad
on November 25- 26, Bosnia and Herzegovina was established as one of the
federal state units (republics) of the new Democratic Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia.
- 1945: On the third session of ZAVNOBIH in Sarajevo (April 26-
28), it became the National Assembly and the Bosnian National Government
was established.
- 1992: At the end of February, a referendum took place and more
than 65% of the citizens with the right to vote gave their vote for the
independent and sovereign state within its historical borders.
- 1992: On April 7, the International Community recognized the
Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and in May it occupied its seat as
a full member of the OUN.
- 1992- 1995: War for the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
| -
1995: Dayton Peace Agreement was signed. |
FULL TEXT OF DAYTON PEACE AGREEMENT (250 KB ZIP
FILE)
|
For a more detailed
history of Bosnia and Herzegovina, visit BOSNET
website.
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