Stjepan (13th century – no later than 1301) is the oldest known member of the Hrvatinić noble family and as such is considered its progenitor. He is the father of Prince Hrvatin Stjepanić. It is assumed that he was the prince of Donji Kraji since the time of Ban Matej Ninoslav, i.e. since 1244, when this area was first mentioned in historical sources. As the Croatians were related by blood to the Princes of Bribir, speculation emerged that Prince Stjepan was related to them by marriage. Moreover, it was arbitrarily determined that Stjepan was a relative of Bosnian Ban Prijezda I, under whose reign the Hrvatinić family was strengthened. Also, almost nothing is known about his descendants, except for his son Hrvatin, who was called Stjepanić after his father. There is no precise date for Prince Stjepan’s death; however, he is listed as deceased in the charter of Ban Pavle Bribirski to Prince Hrvatin Stjepanić, dated February 2, 1301, so it is presumed he died a few years earlier.
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