Juraj Vojsalić

Juraj Vojsalić (before March 15, 1419 – after 1438) was the son of Vojislav Vukčić and the nephew of the Grand Duke of Bosnia and Split Herzog Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić. Observing his activity on the Bosnian political scene, it can be concluded that he was Hrvatinić who was the only worthy successor of his uncle Hrvoje. In historical sources, he appears for the first time in the charter of King Stjepan Ostojić, issued in Zvečaj on March 15, 1419, by which he confirmed the charters of his predecessors to the Ragusans. In the charter, Juraj appears as a witness from Donji Kraji and is titled as a prince, and he appears with the same title in the charter from 1420. However, already in 1421, in the charter issued by Stjepan Ostojić to the Ragusans, Juraj Vojsalić was referred to as a duke.

Juraj Vojsalić reappears in the sources during the reign of King Tvrtko II, in a very dynamic episode that is primarily marked by internal turmoil and conflicts. Namely, the opponents of King Tvrtko II, Sandalj Hranić, Radoslav Pavlović and the despot Đurađ Branković, brought to Bosnia in 1433 the counter-king Radivoj Ostojić, who also arrived with Ottoman troops. King Tvrtko II, having no other choice, retreated to Hungary with King Sigismund. In response, the Hungarian king took certain steps in order to restore his protégé to the throne. With the intention of dealing with the Ottomans and restoring Tvrtko II to power, Matko Talovac arrived in Bosnia with the Hungarian army. In the Hungarian military intervention in 1434, the towns of Jajce, Komotin, Bočac, Hodidjed and Vranduk, which were previously occupied by Ottoman units, were conquered. From a general perspective, this military campaign did not yield any serious results, so King Tvrtko II retreated together with the army of Matko Talovac, and it is reliably known that he stayed in Hungary the following year. And yet, the absence of a legitimate king did not help Radivoj Ostojić to secure the throne for himself. One charter of King Sigismund, issued on January 20, 1436, has been preserved, which confirmed the possessions of ten lords, who turned out to be relatives of Juraj Vojsalić and who together with Matko Talovac took part in military operations in Bosnia in 1434.

Precisely in this period, i.e. in 1434, Duke Juraj Vojsalić came into conflict with Duke Sandalj Hranić Kosača. Duke Juraj obviously supported King Tvrtko II, while Sandalj Hranić gave support and protection to Radivoj Ostojić, so the causes of this confrontation should be sought in the fact that they were on opposite sides. First, Sandalj attacked Juraj’s possessions north of the Neretva, but suffered a defeat. Then, in a counterattack, Duke Juraj succeeded in conquering part of western Hum and freeing the Radivojević nobles who were subject to Sandalj Hranić.

After exempting the Radivojevići from the rule of Duke Sandalj Hranić, Juraj Vojsalić issued a charter in Potkreševo on August 12, 1434, which, together with his sons, princes Petar and Juraj, confirmed their possessions, the towns of Vratar, Novi and Kruševac and the villages of Dragljan, Kozice, Hrašćane, Vrhdo, Zahođane, Zahode, Živogošće, Tučevi, Kotišina, Makar, Bast and Vinica. The aforementioned charter, according to the testimony of the witnesses referred to above, is of considerable importance in determining the extent of the territory under the rule of Juraj Vojsalić. Thus, it can be stated with confidence that he controlled almost all counties in Donji Kraji, western Hum and the region between these two areas, the towns of Glamoč and Livno. In addition, the fact that the charter was issued in Potkreševo clearly indicates that this settlement came under his rule, since it was previously in the hands of Sandalj Hranić and the counter-king Radivoj Ostojić.

Juraj Vojsalić’s conflicts with the Kosačas continued for Sandalj’s successor, Duke Stjepan Vukčić Kosača. Namely, after the death of Sandalj Hranić in 1435, King Sigismund appointed Matko Talovac as Slavonian ban and called upon, among others, Juraj Vojsalić to attack the possessions of Stjepan Vukčić. On that occasion Duke Juraj occupied Drijeva square where the Ragusans recommended their merchants and customs officials to him. However, soon there was a conflict with the Ragusans, where Juraj Vojsalić took away goods from their merchants in Drijeva, while the Ragusan fleet captured his men. Later, Juraj Vojsalić was forced to hand over Drijeva square to the Hungarian army.

Duke Juraj Vojsalić is mentioned for the last time in a letter sent to him by Matko Talovac in September 1438, after which all traces of him are lost in historical sources. He left behind two sons, princes Petar and Juraj.

Dubrovnik State Archives, Consilium Rogatorum Volume 5, foil 277 (16.5.1435)

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