Banate of Severin

The Banate of Severin (Hungarian: Szörényi bánság; Romanian: Banatul Severinului) was a medieval state roughly corresponding to the historical region of Oltenia in Romania.^[1] It was founded by Prince Béla of the Kingdom of Hungary in 1228, primarily to serve as a defensive borderland protecting the Kingdom's southern frontiers against Bulgaria.^[2] Its history was closely intertwined with the local Vlach population,^[3] and after the rise of Wallachia in the early 14th century, much of the banate's territory was incorporated into the new principality by 1330.^[4]

Banate of Severin Szörényi bánság (Hungarian) Banatul Severinului (Romanian)
Banate of Kingdom of Hungary
1228–1330
Map of the banate in the 13th century
History
• Established	1228
• Disestablished	1330
Succeeded by Wallachia
Today part of	Romania

Map of the banates of Hungary and Severin in the 13th century

Map of the Romanian principalities and Severin Banovina in the 14th century

Territory

The Banate of Severin was a march (or a border province) of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary between the Lower Danube and the Olt River (in present-day Oltenia in Romania).^[5][6][7] A charter of grant, issued on 2 June 1247 to the Knights Hospitallers, mentioned the Olt as its eastern border.^[5] The Knights received the "Land of Severin" (Terra de Zeurino),^[8] along with the nearby mountains, from Béla IV of Hungary.^[5][9] The king had described the same region as a "deserted and depopulated" land in a letter to Pope Gregory IX on 7 June 1238.^[10] Modern scholars assume that either the Hungarian conquest of the territory or confrontations between Bulgaria and Hungary had forced the local population to flee^{[clarification needed]}.^[10] Historian László Makkai says, the population began to increase by the end of the 1230s, because Béla requested the pope to appoint a bishop for Severin.^[11]

The 1247 charter of grant also mentioned that "Cumania" bordered the Land of Severin from the east.^[12] The same diploma listed two Vlach (or Romanian) political units—the kenezatus of John and Farcaș—which were subjected to the Hospitallers on this occasion.^[13][5][6] A third kenezatus, which was ruled by Voivode Litovoi, was not included in the grant, but it was left to the Vlachs "as they had held it".^[12][6][14] However, Béla gave the Hospitallers half of the royal revenues collected in Litovoi's land, with the exception of the revenues from the "Land of Hátszeg" (now Țara Hațegului in Romania).^[15][16] Alexandru Madgearu says, the diploma shows that Litovoi's kenezatus bordered the Land of Severin to the north, thus the banate must have only included southern Oltenia in the middle of the 13th century.^[7] The kenezatus of Voivode Seneslau, which was located to the east of the Olt, was fully excluded from the grant.^[13]

The bans initially had their seat at the fortress of Szörény (now Drobeta-Turnu Severin in Romania).^[17][18] After Szörény was lost in the late 13th century, the fort of Miháld (now Mehadia in Romania) was the center of the province.^[18] In addition to Miháld, the banate included Orsova (now Orșova in Romania) and the Romanian districts along the upper course of the Temes (Timiș) river.^[17][18]

History

Kaloyan of Bulgaria occupied the region between the rivers Cerna and the Olt around 1199.^[7] The Kingdom of Hungary was also expanding southwards over the Carpathian Mountains in the early 13th century, which gave rise to conflicts between the two countries.^[18][19] The Cuman tribes dwelling to the east of the Olt as far as the river Siret agreed to pay a yearly tribute to the kings of Hungary in early 1227.^[17] The Hungarians captured the Bulgarian fortress of Severin during a military campaign against Bulgaria in 1231.^[20]

In 1330 the Banate was conquered by Basarab the First, and most of it remained in the jurisdiction of Wallachia for the next centuries. The Hungarians continued to maintain a degree of influence in the Wallachian Courts, and some small sections in the north and east of the Banate were directly incorporated into the Kingdom of Hungary.

Bans of Severin

List of bans

Thirteenth century

Term	Incumbent	Monarch	Notes	Source
c. 1226–c. 1232	Buzád Hahót	Andrew II	He styled himself "former ban" in 1233. His close relationship with Andrew II's son, Béla, Duke of Transylvania, suggests that he was the ban of Severin (instead of being the ban of Slavonia).	[21]
c. 1233	Lucas	Andrew II		[22]
1235	Pous Csák	Béla IV	Also Master of the treasury and ispán (or head) of Bács County	[22]
c. 1240	Osl Osl	Béla IV		[22]
c. 1243	Stephen Csák	Béla IV		[22]
c. 1260	Lawrence, son of Kemény	Béla IV	First rule.	[22]
c. 1262	Stephen	Béla IV	He is only mentioned in a non-authentic charter.	[22]
c. 1263	Lawrence	Stephen V (king junior)	Also Master of the treasury of Stephen V.	[22]
c. 1268	Alexander, son of Drugh	Stephen V (king junior)		[22]
c. 1268	Ugrin Csák	Stephen V (king junior)	First rule.	[22]
c. 1270	Lawrence, son of Kemény	Stephen V	Second rule. Also ispán of Doboka County.	[23]
c. 1270	Panyit Miskolc	Stephen V		[23]
1271–1272	Lawrence, son of Kemény	Stephen V	Third rule. Also ispán of Doboka County.	[23]
1272	Albert Ákos	Stephen V		[23]
1272–1274	Paul Gutkeled	Ladislaus IV	First rule. Also ispán of Valkó and Doboka Counties.	[24]
1274–1275	Ugrin Csák	Ladislaus IV	Second rule.	[23]
1275	Paul Gutkeled	Ladislaus IV	Second rule.	[24]
1275–1276	Mikod Kökényesradnót	Ladislaus IV		[23]
1276	Ugrin Csák	Ladislaus IV	Third rule.	[23]
1277–1278	Paul Gutkeled (?)	Ladislaus IV	He is only mentioned in non-authentic charters. Third rule.	[24]
1279	Lawrence, son of Lawrence	Ladislaus IV	First rule.	[23]
1291	Lawrence, son of Lawrence	Andrew III	Second rule, but he may have continuously held the office from 1279 to 1291	[23]

Fourteenth century

Term	Incumbent	Monarch	Notes	Source
1335–1341	Denis Szécsi	Charles I	Also master of the stewards.	[25]
1342–1349	Stephen Losonci	Charles I, Louis I		[25]
1350–1355	Nicholas Szécsi	Louis I	Also ispán of Keve and Krassó Counties.	[25]
1355–1359	Denis Lackfi	Louis I	Also master of the horse, and ispán of Keve and Krassó Counties.	[25]
1359–1375	Vacant.			[25]
1375–1376	John Treutel	Louis I		[25]
1376–1387	Vacant.			[25]

See also

• Banat of Craiova
• Țara Amlașului
• Țara Făgărașului