International congress of byzantine studies belgrade, 22 27 august 2016

Neven Isailović
Institute of History, Belgrade, Serbia; 
[e-mail]
Diplomatic Practice in Medieval Bosnia – 
Between Domestic and Foreign Influences
Diplomatic practice of medieval Bosnia can be studied from 12
th
to 15
th
century. The first forms 
and patterns were influenced by chanceries from Italy and the Eastern Adriatic communes. Modified 
notarial forms, originally devised for private documents, initially prevailed as the model even for 
documents issued by the state authorities, but in time, with development of Bosnian state apparatus 
and professional clerical services, most of the charters gained the form of public act. Although some 
domestic elements found their way into forms of Bosnian charters and letters, especially some parts 
of customary law, the adoption of patterns from neighbouring countries (dominantly Hungary for 
Latin and Slavic states for Slavonic documents) never ceased. The dynamics of this process was 
increased in the late middle ages, when the nobles formed their own chanceries and started issuing 
large quantities of their own documents. The “addressee’s draft” also proved to be an important and 
long-lasting source for shaping solemn charters. The most notable cases of such a practice were the 
charters issued by the Bosnian rulers and magnates to the city of Dubrovnik (Ragusa). This paper 
will try to identify which elements were domestic and which foreign, and how they were combined.

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328
Miloš Ivanović
Institute of History, Belgrade, Serbia; 
[e-mail]
Immunity Formulas in the Charters of Prince and Despot Stefan Lazarević
In most of preserved charters of Prince and Despot Stefan Lazarević immunity formulas can be 
encountered within the final part of 
dispositio
, before 
sanctio
. It should be noted that all these charters 
are related to donations to the monasteries. The documents dedicated to laymen did not survive, and 
therefore it is not possible to estimate the level of privileges which were given to Church institutions.
The monasteries were generally exempted from all duties and obligations to the ruler. 
However, during the reign of Stefan Lazarević (1389–1427) exceptions were recorded to this rule. 
All immunities which Prince and Despot Stefan mentioned in charters to the monasteries can be 
divided into several categories. In the first place, by significance, are those that relate to military 
obligations. Exemption from performing military service can only be found in two charters issued 
in the last decade of the 14
th
century. On the other hand, different types of military service, by 
which some monasteries were burdened, were listed in charters from 1417 and 1427 (sending 
auxiliary troops to the Turks, military action on the local level and campaigns in which ruler led 
army personally). The exemption of the obligations of building and protecting of fortresses were 
often cited among immunities of monasteries.
Also, some new cash taxes were introduced and monasteries were not always exempted from 
them. Prince Stefan introduced a fee known as “unče”. The “unče” became the most important tax in 
the state of Stefan Lazarević and therefore monastic possessions were not always completely exempted 
from these duties. According to the charter of 1394/1395, the monastery of Saint Panteleimon had 
to pay only a special tax – tribute (haraç), which was paid by family Lazarević to the Sultan. Later, 
this tribute is not mentioned directly in charters, but its existence is certain. The purpose of all these 
fees was to strengthen military capabilities of Lazarević’s state after the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. 
Namely, many Serbian noblemen were killed in the battle. Beside that, Prince Stefan became a vassal 
of Sultan Bayezid I to whom he had to send auxiliary troops. The fortresses had great significance 
for Stefan Lazarević, because he could not stand up to the Turks in the open field. Similar measures 
were also undertaken by Byzantine Emperors after 1371. The exemption from the “soće”, which was 
previously the main tax, was assigned to all the monasteries.
The charters of Prince and Despot Stefan testify that dependent peasants on monastic 
estates were freed from many working obligations and natural levies toward state. There is a little 
information in charters about administrative and judicial autonomy of monasteries. Only in two 
cases can be clearly concluded that the above-mentioned autonomy was limited.

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329