Aleksandar Uzelac | The Institute of History (original) (raw)
Books by Aleksandar Uzelac
![Research paper thumbnail of Од Урала до Цариграда: монголски поход на Европу (1236-1243), Београд: Историјски институт, 2023. [Od Urala do Carigrada: Mongolski pohod na Evropu; From the Ural River to Constantinople: the Mongol Campaign in Europe (1236-1243)] [errata corrige]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/111839732/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Хрватске или Аустрије (Алба Јулија уместо Ђулафехервар; Звољен уместо Зољом; Гисинг уместо Немету... more Хрватске или Аустрије (Алба Јулија уместо Ђулафехервар; Звољен уместо Зољом; Гисинг уместо Неметујвар). У регистру су за сва ова места дати вишејезични називи у оригиналној транскрипцији. ИЗВОРИ Често понављана максима, приписана Винстону Черчилу, иако несумњиво старијег датума, каже да историју пишу победници. Међутим, историје монголских освајања нису писали монголски победници, већ арапски, персијски, кинески или европски аутори, који су потицали из редова побеђених. 1 Упадљиви изузетак од овог правила представља спис Тајна историја Монгола (Monggol-un Niguča Tobčiyan). Реч је о летопису Чингисовог клана Борџигин, састављеном у години пацова (1240. или 1252. године), испрва на ујгурском писму, али сачуваном у транскрипцији на кинеском алфабету. У њему су описани монголски походи током епохе Чингиса и његовог наследника Огедеја (1229-1241), али су обавештења о њиховој европској кампањи врло кратка и узгредна. 2 Далеко више података о томе забележено је у делима персијских и кинеских службеника Монголског царства. На првом месту, ту је Џувејни ('Alā' al-Din Ata Malik Juvayni, 1226-1283), гувернер Ирака током монголске епохе и аутор Историје освајача света (Tārīkh-i Jahāngushāy), која обухвата време до 1260. године. 3 На њега се надовезује Рашид ад-Дин (Rashīd al-Dīn Faḍlullāh Hamadānī, 1247-1318), преобраћеник у ислам јеврејског порекла, лекар, чиновник и историчар, који је по налогу монголских владара у Персији саставио обимни Историјски компендијум или Зборник летописа (Jāmiʿ al-tawārīkh), прву истинску светску историју. 4 Кинеска историографска компилација-Јуанши (Yuan Shi), редигована у другој половини 14. века, такође садржи важна обавештења о западном походу, сачувана у биографијама Чингисових наследника-Огедеја (1229-1241), Гујука (1246-1248), Менгкеа (1251-1259), монголског војсковође Субедеја и појединих других личности. 5 У казивањима свих ових извора који чине корпус "званичних монголских наратива" присутне су тзв. "про-толуидске тежње", односно изражена наклоност према потомцима најмлађег 1
![Research paper thumbnail of Крсташи и Срби, Утопија: Београд 2018 [Krstaši i Srbi; Crusaders and Serbs] 221 pp.](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/59146722/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](![Research paper thumbnail of Под сенком Пса - Татари и јужнословенске земље у другој половини XIII века, Утопија: Београд 2015. [Under the Shadow of the Dog - Tatars and South Slavic Lands in the Second Half of the Thirteenth Century] 324 + 12 pp with color illustrations](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/40507327/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Приказ књиге/Рецензия/Reviewed in: Colloquia Russica 7 (2017) 485-490 (N. Mika); Világtörténe... more Приказ књиге/Рецензия/Reviewed in:
Colloquia Russica 7 (2017) 485-490 (N. Mika);
Világtörténet 39/4 (2017) 663-665 (S. Szmutkó);
Золотоордынское обозрение 5/1 (2017) 226-229 (D. Radičević)
Војноисторијски гласник 1 (2016), pp. 195-198 (М. Алексић);
Београдски историјски гласник 7 (2016) pp. 131-133 (М. Милојевић);
Историјски часопис 64 (2015) pp. 437-443 (С. Рудић)
![Research paper thumbnail of Descriptio Europae Orientalis - Опис источне Европе (прир. Т. Живковић - Д. Кунчер - В. Петровић - А. Узелац), Историјски институт: Београд 2013. ["The Description of Eastern Europe", Edition: Sources for Serbian History, Medieval Sources, vol. 2]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/32170593/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Book Chapters by Aleksandar Uzelac
![Research paper thumbnail of The Mongol Invasion and the Latin Empire of Constantinople // The Mongols in Central Europe: Profile and Impact of their Thirteenth-Century Invasions, ed. B. Nagy, ELTE Eötvös Kiadó: Budapest, 2023 [2024], 423-449](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/116379318/thumbnails/1.jpg)
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Papers by Aleksandar Uzelac
Crkvene studije, 2025
During the latter half of the thirteenth and the early half of the fourteenth centuries, a series... more During the latter half of the thirteenth and the early half of the fourteenth centuries, a series of conflicts emerged between the Nemanjić rulers and their Hungarian neighbors. This article offers a new perspective on the origins of these conflicts, which, as recent research suggests, began in late 1265 – early 1266 when King Uroš I attacked Further Srem/Szerém (Mačva/Macsó). The article argues that the conflicts arose from a dynastic dispute over the land of Further Srem, which was the patrimony of Queen Jelena, the royal consort of Uroš I and daughter of John Angelos, the lord of Srem.
Palman of Letinberch earned his reputation as the leader of Teutonic mercenaries who served King ... more Palman of Letinberch earned his reputation as the leader of Teutonic mercenaries who served King and Tsar Stefan Dušan of Serbia (1331-1355). His achievements are documented in various sources, including multiple documents from the archives of Dubrovnik and Venice, the correspondence between Stefan Dušan and Pope Innocent VI, accounts from French soldier and diplomat Philippe de Mézières, and Byzantine Emperor and writer John VI Kantakouzenos. These sources offer an opportunity to explore Palman's turbulent career, spanning around three decades (ca. 1333-1363). They reveal that Palman was not only a mercenary commander involved in the Serbian-Byzantine conflict but also a resourceful and skillful diplomat, who played a critical role in Dušan's negotiations with the Habsburgs and Papal Curia. This article examines Palman's career in detail and sheds light on his mercenary company.
![Research paper thumbnail of Монголи у Срему (1241-1242): догађај који се није одиграо // Иницијал. Часопис за средњовековне студије 10 (2022) 29-49 [The Mongols in Srem (1241-42): a non-event]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/100402993/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](The Mongol invasion of 1241–42 left strong political, social and demographic consequences in Medi... more The Mongol invasion of 1241–42 left strong political, social and demographic consequences in Medieval Hungary. The conquerors heavily devastated the eastern parts of the kingdom, but some parts of the country west of the Danube also suffered. According to the generally accepted opinion in historiography, the region of modern Srem (Szerém), or medieval Marchia, situated between the Danube and the Sava rivers was devastated twice: first by the Cumans in the early spring of 1241 who fled the country after the murder of their leader Cuthen and then by the Mongols...
![Research paper thumbnail of Поход краља Милутина на Тесалију // Београдски историјски гласник 13 (2022) 63-76 [The Thessalian Campaign of king Milutin].](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/97466651/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](The Vita of King Stefan Uroš II Milutin, preserved in three different redactions, contains intrig... more The Vita of King Stefan Uroš II Milutin, preserved in three different redactions, contains intriguing notices of the king’s campaign against the “Wallachian land”, which was allegedly conquered, plundered and left in desolation. The notices are frequently omitted in the scholarly works dealing with Milutin’s anti-Byzantine campaigns of the late thirteenth century. The “Wallachian land” undoubtedly refers to Thessaly, and based on the text of the Vita, the campaign can be broadly dated between 1285 and 1289. Chronologically, it coincided with the death of the lord of Thessaly, sebastokrator John Doukas (also called John Angelos), who died before March 1289. It can be supposed that the campaign occurred at the time when Thessaly experienced internal instability, following the demise of Milutin’s former ally and father-in-law. The last years of the reign of sebastokrator John are shrouded in obscurity, and no other source is referring to the campaign. However, although the king’s Vita presumably exaggerated the success of Milutin’s armies in Thessaly, the historicity of the campaign should not be doubted. It indicates that, contrary to the prevalent scholarly opinion, Milutin’s fullscale offensive against Byzantium did not stop in 1284, and that the warfare continued until the late eighties of the thirteenth century when the threat embodied in the lords of Braničevo on the northeastern borders forced the Nemanjić king to deploy his military resources to another front and probably to abandon some of his conquests to the South. This continuation of the Serbian offensive is circumstantially confirmed by a contemporary inscription in a Slavic codex, written in 1286, containing a reference to Milutin as “ruling in the Greek lands”. Although the king’s Thessalian campaign did not have a lasting legacy, it was the ominous announcement of the later expansion of
his grandson Stefan Dušan, when this region was conquered and incorporated into the Nemanjić state.
![Research paper thumbnail of Монголска инвазија и смрт Ивана Асена II: један занемарени извор // Историјски часопис 70 (2021), 15-29 [The Mongol Invasion and Death of John Asen II: a Neglected Source]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/78612524/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](This paper discusses a passage from the poem De triumphis ecclesiae by John of Garland, a medieva... more This paper discusses a passage from the poem De triumphis ecclesiae by John of Garland, a medieval intellectual and professor in Paris, compiled in ca. 1252, and referring to the Mongol invasion and the death of the enygmatic “leader of Thrace”. In the text, it is concluded that the enigmatic person, mentioned by the author, is the Bulgarian ruler John Asen II (1218-1241). Along with the writings of Cistercite monk Alberic of Trois-Fontaines, chronicler Philippe Mouskes and Byzantine historian George Akropolites, the poem of John of Garland is the fourth source in which the death of the Bulgarian ruler is recorded. Besides, it is the only text in which the death of John Asen II is associated with the Mongol invasion.
![Research paper thumbnail of Марија де Кајо, сестра краљице Јелене // Између Подунавља и Средоземља. Тематски зборник посвећен проф. др Синиши Мишићу поводом његовог 60. рођендана, ур. К. Митровић - А. Узелац, Пожаревац - Ниш 2021, 187-206 [Maria de Cayeux, Sister of Queen Jelena]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/68036676/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Maria de Cayeux, sister of Jelena of Serbia, was frequently and wrongly named Maria de Chaurs by ... more Maria de Cayeux, sister of Jelena of Serbia, was frequently and wrongly named Maria de Chaurs by contemporary historians. On the basis of a number of documentary sources from Angevin archives in Naples, the archive of Ragusa, as well as from Pontiers in Picardy, the article discusses her ancestry, marriage, offspring, and other details from her life that have escaped the attention of researchers so far. Maria’s parents were John Angelos of Syrmia and countess Matilda of Pozhega. In 1253 or 1254, she married Anselm (Anseau) de Cayeux, son of the namesake regent of the Latin empire and Nicaean princess Eudokia. The complication that arose from the fact that spouses were in third and fourth degree of consanguinuity, recorded by the documents from the Papal chancery, helps to establish beyond any doubt the lineage of both Maria and Anselm.
The couple had at least two children. Older child was a daughter Evа, probably named in memory of her paternal grandmother. She was bethroted to Dreaux de Beaumont, marshall of the Angevin Kingdom in 1269, and she probably married him next year. The son, named Anselm after his father, was a younger child. Anselm de Cayeux died in the beginning of 1274, as a vicar-general of the Angevin kingdom of Albania. Soon afterwards, Maria and her son left for Ponthiers in Picardy, to the family domains of her deceased husband. Maria spent at least two years in northern France (1275–1277) and she returned to Naples before June 1280.
Maria was born in Hungary. After entering the marriage, she probably lived in Constantinople until 1261 and the liquidation of the Latin Empire. Her presence is also recorded in the Angevin Kingdom, both in Naples and Albania, in France, and after 1280 in medieval Serbian lands, where she spent her last years as the lady of Dulcigno (Ulcinj, modern Montenegro). Her last mention in the sources is dated in 1288, when, according to a later tradition, she helped the foundation of several Franciscan monasteries in Zeta, together with her sister, queen Jelena. The notices about her origin, marriage and turbulent life are yet to be placed in the context of complex diplomatic relations between the various European and Mediterranean powers in the second half of the thirteenth century, in which she played noticeable role.
![Research paper thumbnail of "Краљица Европа" // Београдски историјски гласник 12 (2021) 19-35. [Europa Regina]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/78701146/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](The article deals with the series of anthropomorphic maps from the sixteenth century, representin... more The article deals with the series of anthropomorphic maps from the sixteenth century, representing Europe in female form, and nowadays collectively known as Europa Regina. The first such map was conceived by Johann Putsch from Innsbruck (Ioannes Bucius Aenicola, 1516–1542), as a visual companion to his poem Europa Lamentans, dedicated to archduke and king Ferdinand I Habsburg and his brother Charles V. It has been thought that the earliest version of the Putsch map was the one printed in 1537 in Paris. However, in 2019 the existence of an earlier copy, kept in the Retz museum, Lower Austria became widely known. This copy was printed in 1534, together with the poem Europa Lamentans and the special dedication to Ferdinand. Curiously enough, the map from 1534 was mentioned by German theologian Johann Sigismund Mörl in the late eighteenth century, but it nonetheless remained unnoticed until recently. The representation of Europe as a woman became widely popular at the end of the sixteenth century when new adaptations of Putsch maps appeared: a more detailed one, by Matthias Quad and Johann Bussemacher printed in Cologne (1587), and two smaller and simplified ones, in editions of Heinrich Bunting’s Travel book through Holy Scripture (1587) and Sebastian Münster’s Cosmography (1588) respectively.
Besides the description of these maps, their authors and publishers, the article also deals with their representation of southeastern parts of European continent. It is proposed that Putsch, in addition to the Ptolemaic Geography, was familiar with the Tabula Hungariae by Lázár deák, printed in 1528, or a very similar map. Namely, the same inscriptions, identifying Serbia with Moesia Superior and Bulgaria with Moesia Inferior, appear both on Lázár’s map of Hungary and Putsh map of Europe. The edition by Quad and Bussemacher contains several interesting additions, including the enigmatic town of Polawizo, near Adriatic Coast, which is identified as Podgorica, modern capital of Montenegro. The map from Munster’s Cosmography is also intriguing from the local point of view, as it contains only three cities: Paris, Constantinople and Belgrade, thus symbolically presenting the modern capital of Serbia as one of the main strongholds of Europe and its identity.
![Research paper thumbnail of Немањићка Зета у делима западних путописаца и хроничара // Осам векова Српске православне цркве у Црној Гори, ур. Д. Бојовић, Ниш: Центар за црквене студије, 2021, 47-63 [Zeta in the Nemanjić age as seen by Western Travellers and Chroniclers]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/65639679/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](
The Tatar view of Medieval Europe is an insufficiently researched topic. In the decades that foll... more The Tatar view of Medieval Europe is an insufficiently researched topic. In the decades that followed the Mongol invasion of Central Europe in 1241–1242, the accounts of Western travelers and chroniclers remain the sole material from which glimpses of the Jochid perspective of the Western world may be discerned. Nonetheless, fragmentary sources at our disposal reveal that the Jochids used Western travelers and envoys to learn more about the Christendom. In this way, the image of Louis IX as the leader of the Christian world was firmly entrenched among the Jochids by the early second half of the thirteenth century. It is attested by Berke’s mission sent to Paris in 1260, and also by testimony of William of Rubruck, recorded several years earlier. According to the Flemish Franciscan author, Batu’s son Sartak, who regarded Louis IX to be “the chief ruler among the Franks”, had heard about the French king from an earlier envoy from Constantinople, Baldwin of Hainaut. The report of Rubruck and other sources at our disposal indicate the importance of the rather neglected Jochid relations with the Latin empire of Constantinople as a channel through which the Tatars gathered valuable reports about the political conditions in the West.
![Research paper thumbnail of Улога Срба у логистици Барбаросиног крсташког похода // Војно-историјски гласник 1 (2020) 9-31 [The role of Serbs in the Logistics of Barbarossa's Crusade]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/66137699/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Only recently, scholars have turned their attention to the logistic problems of the crusading exp... more Only recently, scholars have turned their attention to the logistic problems of the crusading expeditions during their passages through Central and Southeastern Europe. The logistics of Barbarossa’s expedition to the East, is particularly importantin this aspect, as it was not only the biggest, but also the most meticulously planned crusade endeavor of the twelfth century, in terms of supplies, finances and trade on the road. In this article, the research focus is on the preparations of Barbarossa’s expedition and the role of the Serbian side in its plans, organization and supply.
During his stay in Karakorum, Franciscan traveler William of Rubruck met Parisian born mastersmit... more During his stay in Karakorum, Franciscan traveler William of Rubruck met Parisian born mastersmith William Buchier. Rubruck recorded that Buchier was captured in Hungary, during the Mongol invasion, by a half-brother of the Great khan Möngke (1251–1259), in a city called ‘Belegrave’. So far, the identification of the Mongol commander who had captured William Buchier largely remained out of the interest of the researchers. The city where he had been taken captive was frequently, and erroneously, identified as Belgrade, capital of modern Serbia. This article is dedicated to the subject who was the half-brother of Möngke that captured William Buchier, and where and when it happened. On the basis of the Rubruck’s report and other western and oriental sources related to the Mongol military campaign in central Europe, it is concluded that Buchier was captured by prince Böchek in Alba Iulia (Gyulafehérvár, Bălgrad), modern Romania, in the early spring of 1241.
Хрватске или Аустрије (Алба Јулија уместо Ђулафехервар; Звољен уместо Зољом; Гисинг уместо Немету... more Хрватске или Аустрије (Алба Јулија уместо Ђулафехервар; Звољен уместо Зољом; Гисинг уместо Неметујвар). У регистру су за сва ова места дати вишејезични називи у оригиналној транскрипцији. ИЗВОРИ Често понављана максима, приписана Винстону Черчилу, иако несумњиво старијег датума, каже да историју пишу победници. Међутим, историје монголских освајања нису писали монголски победници, већ арапски, персијски, кинески или европски аутори, који су потицали из редова побеђених. 1 Упадљиви изузетак од овог правила представља спис Тајна историја Монгола (Monggol-un Niguča Tobčiyan). Реч је о летопису Чингисовог клана Борџигин, састављеном у години пацова (1240. или 1252. године), испрва на ујгурском писму, али сачуваном у транскрипцији на кинеском алфабету. У њему су описани монголски походи током епохе Чингиса и његовог наследника Огедеја (1229-1241), али су обавештења о њиховој европској кампањи врло кратка и узгредна. 2 Далеко више података о томе забележено је у делима персијских и кинеских службеника Монголског царства. На првом месту, ту је Џувејни ('Alā' al-Din Ata Malik Juvayni, 1226-1283), гувернер Ирака током монголске епохе и аутор Историје освајача света (Tārīkh-i Jahāngushāy), која обухвата време до 1260. године. 3 На њега се надовезује Рашид ад-Дин (Rashīd al-Dīn Faḍlullāh Hamadānī, 1247-1318), преобраћеник у ислам јеврејског порекла, лекар, чиновник и историчар, који је по налогу монголских владара у Персији саставио обимни Историјски компендијум или Зборник летописа (Jāmiʿ al-tawārīkh), прву истинску светску историју. 4 Кинеска историографска компилација-Јуанши (Yuan Shi), редигована у другој половини 14. века, такође садржи важна обавештења о западном походу, сачувана у биографијама Чингисових наследника-Огедеја (1229-1241), Гујука (1246-1248), Менгкеа (1251-1259), монголског војсковође Субедеја и појединих других личности. 5 У казивањима свих ових извора који чине корпус "званичних монголских наратива" присутне су тзв. "про-толуидске тежње", односно изражена наклоност према потомцима најмлађег 1
Приказ књиге/Рецензия/Reviewed in: Colloquia Russica 7 (2017) 485-490 (N. Mika); Világtörténe... more Приказ књиге/Рецензия/Reviewed in:
Colloquia Russica 7 (2017) 485-490 (N. Mika);
Világtörténet 39/4 (2017) 663-665 (S. Szmutkó);
Золотоордынское обозрение 5/1 (2017) 226-229 (D. Radičević)
Војноисторијски гласник 1 (2016), pp. 195-198 (М. Алексић);
Београдски историјски гласник 7 (2016) pp. 131-133 (М. Милојевић);
Историјски часопис 64 (2015) pp. 437-443 (С. Рудић)
Crkvene studije, 2025
During the latter half of the thirteenth and the early half of the fourteenth centuries, a series... more During the latter half of the thirteenth and the early half of the fourteenth centuries, a series of conflicts emerged between the Nemanjić rulers and their Hungarian neighbors. This article offers a new perspective on the origins of these conflicts, which, as recent research suggests, began in late 1265 – early 1266 when King Uroš I attacked Further Srem/Szerém (Mačva/Macsó). The article argues that the conflicts arose from a dynastic dispute over the land of Further Srem, which was the patrimony of Queen Jelena, the royal consort of Uroš I and daughter of John Angelos, the lord of Srem.
Palman of Letinberch earned his reputation as the leader of Teutonic mercenaries who served King ... more Palman of Letinberch earned his reputation as the leader of Teutonic mercenaries who served King and Tsar Stefan Dušan of Serbia (1331-1355). His achievements are documented in various sources, including multiple documents from the archives of Dubrovnik and Venice, the correspondence between Stefan Dušan and Pope Innocent VI, accounts from French soldier and diplomat Philippe de Mézières, and Byzantine Emperor and writer John VI Kantakouzenos. These sources offer an opportunity to explore Palman's turbulent career, spanning around three decades (ca. 1333-1363). They reveal that Palman was not only a mercenary commander involved in the Serbian-Byzantine conflict but also a resourceful and skillful diplomat, who played a critical role in Dušan's negotiations with the Habsburgs and Papal Curia. This article examines Palman's career in detail and sheds light on his mercenary company.
The Mongol invasion of 1241–42 left strong political, social and demographic consequences in Medi... more The Mongol invasion of 1241–42 left strong political, social and demographic consequences in Medieval Hungary. The conquerors heavily devastated the eastern parts of the kingdom, but some parts of the country west of the Danube also suffered. According to the generally accepted opinion in historiography, the region of modern Srem (Szerém), or medieval Marchia, situated between the Danube and the Sava rivers was devastated twice: first by the Cumans in the early spring of 1241 who fled the country after the murder of their leader Cuthen and then by the Mongols...
The Vita of King Stefan Uroš II Milutin, preserved in three different redactions, contains intrig... more The Vita of King Stefan Uroš II Milutin, preserved in three different redactions, contains intriguing notices of the king’s campaign against the “Wallachian land”, which was allegedly conquered, plundered and left in desolation. The notices are frequently omitted in the scholarly works dealing with Milutin’s anti-Byzantine campaigns of the late thirteenth century. The “Wallachian land” undoubtedly refers to Thessaly, and based on the text of the Vita, the campaign can be broadly dated between 1285 and 1289. Chronologically, it coincided with the death of the lord of Thessaly, sebastokrator John Doukas (also called John Angelos), who died before March 1289. It can be supposed that the campaign occurred at the time when Thessaly experienced internal instability, following the demise of Milutin’s former ally and father-in-law. The last years of the reign of sebastokrator John are shrouded in obscurity, and no other source is referring to the campaign. However, although the king’s Vita presumably exaggerated the success of Milutin’s armies in Thessaly, the historicity of the campaign should not be doubted. It indicates that, contrary to the prevalent scholarly opinion, Milutin’s fullscale offensive against Byzantium did not stop in 1284, and that the warfare continued until the late eighties of the thirteenth century when the threat embodied in the lords of Braničevo on the northeastern borders forced the Nemanjić king to deploy his military resources to another front and probably to abandon some of his conquests to the South. This continuation of the Serbian offensive is circumstantially confirmed by a contemporary inscription in a Slavic codex, written in 1286, containing a reference to Milutin as “ruling in the Greek lands”. Although the king’s Thessalian campaign did not have a lasting legacy, it was the ominous announcement of the later expansion of
his grandson Stefan Dušan, when this region was conquered and incorporated into the Nemanjić state.
This paper discusses a passage from the poem De triumphis ecclesiae by John of Garland, a medieva... more This paper discusses a passage from the poem De triumphis ecclesiae by John of Garland, a medieval intellectual and professor in Paris, compiled in ca. 1252, and referring to the Mongol invasion and the death of the enygmatic “leader of Thrace”. In the text, it is concluded that the enigmatic person, mentioned by the author, is the Bulgarian ruler John Asen II (1218-1241). Along with the writings of Cistercite monk Alberic of Trois-Fontaines, chronicler Philippe Mouskes and Byzantine historian George Akropolites, the poem of John of Garland is the fourth source in which the death of the Bulgarian ruler is recorded. Besides, it is the only text in which the death of John Asen II is associated with the Mongol invasion.
Maria de Cayeux, sister of Jelena of Serbia, was frequently and wrongly named Maria de Chaurs by ... more Maria de Cayeux, sister of Jelena of Serbia, was frequently and wrongly named Maria de Chaurs by contemporary historians. On the basis of a number of documentary sources from Angevin archives in Naples, the archive of Ragusa, as well as from Pontiers in Picardy, the article discusses her ancestry, marriage, offspring, and other details from her life that have escaped the attention of researchers so far. Maria’s parents were John Angelos of Syrmia and countess Matilda of Pozhega. In 1253 or 1254, she married Anselm (Anseau) de Cayeux, son of the namesake regent of the Latin empire and Nicaean princess Eudokia. The complication that arose from the fact that spouses were in third and fourth degree of consanguinuity, recorded by the documents from the Papal chancery, helps to establish beyond any doubt the lineage of both Maria and Anselm.
The couple had at least two children. Older child was a daughter Evа, probably named in memory of her paternal grandmother. She was bethroted to Dreaux de Beaumont, marshall of the Angevin Kingdom in 1269, and she probably married him next year. The son, named Anselm after his father, was a younger child. Anselm de Cayeux died in the beginning of 1274, as a vicar-general of the Angevin kingdom of Albania. Soon afterwards, Maria and her son left for Ponthiers in Picardy, to the family domains of her deceased husband. Maria spent at least two years in northern France (1275–1277) and she returned to Naples before June 1280.
Maria was born in Hungary. After entering the marriage, she probably lived in Constantinople until 1261 and the liquidation of the Latin Empire. Her presence is also recorded in the Angevin Kingdom, both in Naples and Albania, in France, and after 1280 in medieval Serbian lands, where she spent her last years as the lady of Dulcigno (Ulcinj, modern Montenegro). Her last mention in the sources is dated in 1288, when, according to a later tradition, she helped the foundation of several Franciscan monasteries in Zeta, together with her sister, queen Jelena. The notices about her origin, marriage and turbulent life are yet to be placed in the context of complex diplomatic relations between the various European and Mediterranean powers in the second half of the thirteenth century, in which she played noticeable role.
The article deals with the series of anthropomorphic maps from the sixteenth century, representin... more The article deals with the series of anthropomorphic maps from the sixteenth century, representing Europe in female form, and nowadays collectively known as Europa Regina. The first such map was conceived by Johann Putsch from Innsbruck (Ioannes Bucius Aenicola, 1516–1542), as a visual companion to his poem Europa Lamentans, dedicated to archduke and king Ferdinand I Habsburg and his brother Charles V. It has been thought that the earliest version of the Putsch map was the one printed in 1537 in Paris. However, in 2019 the existence of an earlier copy, kept in the Retz museum, Lower Austria became widely known. This copy was printed in 1534, together with the poem Europa Lamentans and the special dedication to Ferdinand. Curiously enough, the map from 1534 was mentioned by German theologian Johann Sigismund Mörl in the late eighteenth century, but it nonetheless remained unnoticed until recently. The representation of Europe as a woman became widely popular at the end of the sixteenth century when new adaptations of Putsch maps appeared: a more detailed one, by Matthias Quad and Johann Bussemacher printed in Cologne (1587), and two smaller and simplified ones, in editions of Heinrich Bunting’s Travel book through Holy Scripture (1587) and Sebastian Münster’s Cosmography (1588) respectively.
Besides the description of these maps, their authors and publishers, the article also deals with their representation of southeastern parts of European continent. It is proposed that Putsch, in addition to the Ptolemaic Geography, was familiar with the Tabula Hungariae by Lázár deák, printed in 1528, or a very similar map. Namely, the same inscriptions, identifying Serbia with Moesia Superior and Bulgaria with Moesia Inferior, appear both on Lázár’s map of Hungary and Putsh map of Europe. The edition by Quad and Bussemacher contains several interesting additions, including the enigmatic town of Polawizo, near Adriatic Coast, which is identified as Podgorica, modern capital of Montenegro. The map from Munster’s Cosmography is also intriguing from the local point of view, as it contains only three cities: Paris, Constantinople and Belgrade, thus symbolically presenting the modern capital of Serbia as one of the main strongholds of Europe and its identity.
The Tatar view of Medieval Europe is an insufficiently researched topic. In the decades that foll... more The Tatar view of Medieval Europe is an insufficiently researched topic. In the decades that followed the Mongol invasion of Central Europe in 1241–1242, the accounts of Western travelers and chroniclers remain the sole material from which glimpses of the Jochid perspective of the Western world may be discerned. Nonetheless, fragmentary sources at our disposal reveal that the Jochids used Western travelers and envoys to learn more about the Christendom. In this way, the image of Louis IX as the leader of the Christian world was firmly entrenched among the Jochids by the early second half of the thirteenth century. It is attested by Berke’s mission sent to Paris in 1260, and also by testimony of William of Rubruck, recorded several years earlier. According to the Flemish Franciscan author, Batu’s son Sartak, who regarded Louis IX to be “the chief ruler among the Franks”, had heard about the French king from an earlier envoy from Constantinople, Baldwin of Hainaut. The report of Rubruck and other sources at our disposal indicate the importance of the rather neglected Jochid relations with the Latin empire of Constantinople as a channel through which the Tatars gathered valuable reports about the political conditions in the West.
Only recently, scholars have turned their attention to the logistic problems of the crusading exp... more Only recently, scholars have turned their attention to the logistic problems of the crusading expeditions during their passages through Central and Southeastern Europe. The logistics of Barbarossa’s expedition to the East, is particularly importantin this aspect, as it was not only the biggest, but also the most meticulously planned crusade endeavor of the twelfth century, in terms of supplies, finances and trade on the road. In this article, the research focus is on the preparations of Barbarossa’s expedition and the role of the Serbian side in its plans, organization and supply.
During his stay in Karakorum, Franciscan traveler William of Rubruck met Parisian born mastersmit... more During his stay in Karakorum, Franciscan traveler William of Rubruck met Parisian born mastersmith William Buchier. Rubruck recorded that Buchier was captured in Hungary, during the Mongol invasion, by a half-brother of the Great khan Möngke (1251–1259), in a city called ‘Belegrave’. So far, the identification of the Mongol commander who had captured William Buchier largely remained out of the interest of the researchers. The city where he had been taken captive was frequently, and erroneously, identified as Belgrade, capital of modern Serbia. This article is dedicated to the subject who was the half-brother of Möngke that captured William Buchier, and where and when it happened. On the basis of the Rubruck’s report and other western and oriental sources related to the Mongol military campaign in central Europe, it is concluded that Buchier was captured by prince Böchek in Alba Iulia (Gyulafehérvár, Bălgrad), modern Romania, in the early spring of 1241.
![Research paper thumbnail of Ходочасник из Ирске на источној обали Јадрана почетком XIV века // Историјски часопис 69 (2020) 61-80 [A Pilgrim from Ireland on the Eastern Adriatic in the Early Fourteenth Century]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/65472375/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](The article deals with the report of Franciscan Simon Fitzsimmons who, accompanied by friar Hugh ... more The article deals with the report of Franciscan Simon Fitzsimmons who, accompanied by friar Hugh Illuminator, undertook a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1323. In his report, Simon dedicated due attention to the cities and lands on the eastern Adriatic coast that he went through. Although this source is not unknown in Serbian historiography, it seems to have remained on the margins of research. The paper presents the only preserved manuscript of this source, its critical editions, and sheds light on the personality of the author and contents of the manuscript. A part of the text, dealing with Simon's and Hugh's voyage from Venice to Durazzo in the second half of August 1323, is given in Serbian translation, with critical commentaries.
During the last several decades, political and military influence of the Golden Horde in European... more During the last several decades, political and military influence of the Golden Horde in European Southeast has been recognized as an important topic. However, despite the increased interest in the modern scholarship, some important aspects of the Tatar military activities in the region were left on the margins so far. This article not only provides the overview of Tatar campaigns, but also focuses on several neglected topics, including the assessment of strength of the Tatar armies and the season of the year during which their campaigns usually occurred. Despite the exaggerated numbers frequently present in the sources, it may be assessed that even in the most important campaigns, the Tatar contingents numbered no more than two to four thousand people. In the mass migrations from the Pontic steppes to the Balkans, caused by internal strifes in the Golden Horde and taking place in the beginning and at the very end of the fourteenth century, the number of the refugees was several times higher. However, in these migrations participated not only warriors, but their families as well. The author concludes that from the military point of view, the importance of the Tatar armies did not lie in their numerical strength. It was rather their ability to conduct campaigns in late autumn and winter months, outside of the usual campaign season, which made them desirable allies, or dreaded adversaries.
![Research paper thumbnail of Татары в Дунайско-Днестровском междуречье во второй половине XIV в. // Золотоордынское обозрение 7/3 (2019) 416-433 [Tatars in the Danube-Dniester Interfluve in the Second half of the 14th Century]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/60757306/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](The Tatars in the Danube-Dniester interfluve lost their political and military supremacy over the... more The Tatars in the Danube-Dniester interfluve lost their political and military supremacy over the neighboring lands during the age of the so-called Great Turmoil in the Golden Horde. The external pressure from the Hungarian Kingdom, Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Principality of Moldavia led to the gradual reduction of their territory to the area that included Budjak (the southwestern tract of Ukraine and south Moldova) and northern Dobrudja. Nonetheless, the Tatars in the West of the Dniester, remained independent and continued to play a significant role in the regional events. There are also indications that they continued to recognize the authority of the khans of the Golden Horde until the end of the fourteenth century. Some of these facts are either unrecognized or neglected in contemporary historical studies.
![Research paper thumbnail of Каталански најамници Стефана Душана // Војноисторијски гласник 1 (2019) 9-27 [Catalan Mercenaries of Stephen Dushan]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/62462976/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](The presence of mercenaries from the lands of the Crown of Aragon in the service of Nemanjić rule... more The presence of mercenaries from the lands of the Crown of Aragon in the service of Nemanjić rulers has been recognized in historical researches long ago. However, due to the fragmentary nature of the source material, their role has been presented as a mere curiosity. It was limited to their participation in the Battle of Velbužd in 1330, in which allegedly some 1,000 “Celts” fought on the Serbian side, according to Byzantine historian Nikephoros Gregoras. These “Celts” have been equated with the notices from the archive of Dubrovnik dating from 1330‐1331, in which the mercenaries from the lands of the Crown of Aragon are mentioned in the service of the Serbian king.
The role of Catalans in the Serbian lands during the following years has not been recognized or properly evaluated. At the time when he stayed at the Serbian court in 1342–1343, Byzantine pretender John VI Kantakuzenos mentioned certain “Latins” in the service of Stephen Dušan (1331‐1355). They were in fact the Catalans, who switched sides and joined Kantakuzenos after he and the Serbian ruler parted ways. The leader of this mercenary group was Joan de Peralta, who as Kantakuzenos states, entered his service while he was among the Serbs. He performed important tasks and remained loyal to Kantakuzenos until his downfall in 1354. Peralta probably originated from the namesake noble family, whose members had the title of the counts of Caltabellotta and distinguished themselves in the Aragonese possessions in Sicily and Greece.
![Research paper thumbnail of Лазар Светогорац - српски монах и часовничар између историје и мита // Београдски историјски гласник 10 (2019) 77-90 [Lazar the Athonite - Serbian monk and Clockmaker Between History and myth]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/61916889/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](This article deals with the enigmatic Serbian monk Lazar, who in 1404, at the behest of Grand Pri... more This article deals with the enigmatic Serbian monk Lazar, who in 1404, at the behest of Grand Prince Vasiliy I Dmitrievich of Moscow, cоnstructed first known mechanical public clock in Russian lands. While Lazar and his invention were not unknown in Serbian historiography, they were largely neglected and so far, they were usually presented as a mere historical curiosity. Although no proper historical research has been dedicated to the Athonite monk and his mechanical clock, in recent years they became an object of many pseudo-scientific papers, popular books and newspaper texts, leading to the emergence of many modern myths and misconceptions. The article provides a critical review of the source material preserved in the Russian chronicles of XV-XVII century related to Lazar and his mechanical clock, and aims to put their reports in the proper historical context.
![Research paper thumbnail of Konstantinopolis Latin İmparatorluğu’ndaki Kumanlar (Çev. E. Oğuz) // Oğuz-Türkmen Araştırmaları Dergisi 3/1 (2019) 268-290 [Cumans in the Latin Empire of Constantinople]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/60169039/thumbnails/1.jpg)
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The alliance concluded in Constantinople in the fall of 1239 between the Cumans and the Franks wa... more The alliance concluded in Constantinople in the fall of 1239 between the Cumans and the Franks was without precedent in the Western world. Together with the Cumans, the Frankish knights participated in a ceremony, performed according to nomadic customs. The ‘blood brotherhood’ was concluded between the two parties, and the alliance was consequently strengthened through the marital ties. Unlike Hungary, where the attempts to integrate the Cumans ended in failure due to the strong cultural and social differences between the newcomers and the local population, as well as internal instability, the Frankish elite in Constantinople was unanimous in its decision to compromise with the nomads, and there was no opposition to such an alliance. However, despite the fact that the Cumans were accepted in an exceptionally friendly manner, being held in high regard by the Frankish leadership and allowed to retain their customs, the alliance did not last long and was destined to be a failure. This was due to the complex internal and external factors such as the lack of resources for the sustenance of the immigrants, the Mongol threat that loomed over the Latin Empire, and the untimely death of the Cuman leader Iona in 1241, whose personal authority was a guarantee of the alliance.
Марко Алексић, Српске земље пре Немањића, од 7. до 10. века, Лагуна, Београд 2020, 381 стр.
Золотоордынская цивилизация, вып. 1-5, Академия наук Республики Татарстан, Институт истории им. Ш... more Золотоордынская цивилизация, вып. 1-5, Академия наук Республики Татарстан, Институт истории им. Ш. Марджани: Центр исследований золотоордынской цивилизации, Казань 2008-2012.
Rogerije iz Apulije, Carmen Miserabile, preveo i priredio M. Sardelić, Zagreb: Matica Hrvatska, 2... more Rogerije iz Apulije, Carmen Miserabile, preveo i priredio M. Sardelić, Zagreb: Matica Hrvatska, 2010, 190 str.
Golden Horde Review
and Serbia took part in this event. The working languages of the conference were English and Russ... more and Serbia took part in this event. The working languages of the conference were English and Russian. Presented papers dealt with various aspects of the history of Eurasian nomads, from the Early Middle Ages up to the seventeenth century. Among them, several have been related to the history of the Golden Horde. The proceedings of the conference are planned to be published in 2017, as a separate volume of the
![Research paper thumbnail of (Foreword) Марко Поло - Милион, Утопија: Београд 2011. [Marco Polo and his Travels - Foreword to the Serbian edition of Il Milione]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/22986322/thumbnails/1.jpg)
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