Ban (title)

Ban was a title used in some Balkans states with various meanings over various periods of time.

Table of contents

1 Medieval 1.1 Bosnia and Wallachia 1.2 Croatia and Hungary 2 20th century 2.3 Yugoslavia

Medieval

Bosnia and Wallachia

Ban was title of medieval rulers of Bosnia and Wallachia. It is sometimes translated as viceroy but that is not accurate. It is thought that this word originates from Sarmatian "Bajan"; it also bears similarity with Khan. Teritory over which a ban rules is Banovina (in Bosnia) and Banat (in Serbia & Wallachia).

See also: Bans of Bosnia, Bans of Wallachia

Croatia and Hungary

Ban was also the title of province administrators in the kingdoms of Croatia and Hungary.

In Hungary, each of the provinces was called Banat. The title doesn't bear as much weight as the one used in Bosnia or Wallachia. Croatia was rarely referred to as a banat even though it was part of Hungary.

Croatia as a whole was governed by a ban as a viceroy between ca. 970 and 1225, when it was split between Slavonia and Croatia-Dalmatia and occasionally had two different bans until 1345/1476, when the institution of a single ban was resumed, and lasted until 1918.

See also: Bans of Croatia

20th century

Yugoslavia

Ban was also the title for province administrator in Kingdom of Yugoslavia; each of the provinces was also called Banovina. The weight of the title was not nearly similar to medieval one.