Bosnian Crusade

Bosnian Crusade
	Part of the Crusades
Date	1235–1241
Location	Bosnia, possibly also Slavonia and Zachlumia
Result	Bosnian Victory
Territorial; changes	Hungarian occupation of peripheral parts of Bosnia reversed after the war
Belligerents
Kingdom of Hungary	Banate of Bosnia
Commanders and leaders
Coloman of Hungary	Matej Ninoslav

The Bosnian Crusade was fought against unspecified

Coloman, the crusaders succeeded in conquering only peripheral parts of the country. They were followed by Dominicans, who erected a cathedral and put heretics to death by burning. The crusade came to an abrupt end when Hungary itself was invaded by the Mongols during the Mongol invasion of Europe

. The crusaders were forced to withdraw and engage their own invaders, most of them perishing, including Coloman. Later popes called for more crusades against Bosnia, but none ever took place. The failed crusade led to mistrust and hatred for Hungarians among the Bosnian population that lasted for centuries.

Background

Several crusades were called against Bosnia, a country long deemed infested with heresy by both the rest of

kings of Hungary over Bosnia. In effect, however, the independence of both the Bosnian Church and Banate of Bosnia continued to grow.^[1]

At the height of the

dualist.^[3] In 1221, the concern finally prompted Pope Honorius III to preach a crusade against Bosnia.^[2] He repeated this in 1225, but internal problems prevented the Hungarians from answering his call.^[1]

Honorius III's successor,

Matthew Ninoslav abandoned an unspecified heresy, but this did not satisfy Gregory.^[1]

Conflict

In 1234, Pope Gregory IX issued another call for crusade, and this time Hungary readily responded. While it is possible that the Bosnians had failed to align their church with Rome, the crusade actually served as a perfect excuse for the Hungarians to expand their authority.

Slavic lands, or even to actual Slavonia. The fact that the Bishop of Bosnia was informed, however, makes it clear that Bosnia itself was targeted. The action seems to have been taken against Bosnians in general as only "heretics" are mentioned; it is implied in one source that the crusade was directed against dualists.^[4]

Active fighting began in 1235, but the Hungarian army only reached

burned at the stake, but do not appear to have discovered anything about the nature of the heresy. The crusaders then either reached as far south as Zachlumia or intended to do so.^[1]

Then, in 1241, the

war of conquest sanctioned as a crusade.^[5]

Aftermath and legacy

The threat of new religious persecution in Bosnia reappeared within a few years of the war. Pope Innocent IV began urging the Hungarians to undertake another crusade in late 1246 and 1247, and they appeared willing. Matthew Ninoslav argued that he only associated with heretics to defend Bosnia against Hungarian invaders.^[1] He appears to have convinced Innocent,^[1] who suspended the crusade in March 1248.^[4]

A crusade against Bosnia was preached again in 1337–38 and 1367, by popes

Ottoman conquest of Bosnia in 1463^[1] and lasted beyond it.^[4]