User talk:Zoupan/Nikola Altomanović

Nikola Altomanović (Никола Алтомановић; 1366–76) was a Serbian magnate who nominally served Emperor Uroš V (r. 1355–71) as župan (count), independently ruling a large province that included parts of western Serbia, northern Montenegro, and eastern Herzegovina. He was an able military leader, clashing with Bosnia, Ragusa and other Serbian nobility, especially after Uroš V's death (the Fall of the Serbian Empire), when the magnates fought eachother for power.

Early life
Altoman, his father, served Emperor Stefan Dušan (r. 1331–55) as župan (count) and Emperor Uroš V as veliki župan (grand count), and belonged to the powerful Vojinović family. His uncles were Miloš and Vojislav. His mother Vitoslava (or Ratoslava) was the daughter of vojvoda (general) Mladen. Nikola is believed to have been born in ca. 1347 or 1348.

His father Altoman, the second son of magnate Vojin who held Gacko, is mentioned in 1333 as a lord in the vicinity of the Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik). Altoman later governored a province in the northern part of the Serbian state, in the Gruža valley.

Life
The oldest data on Nikola dates to November 1366. In July 1367 he is mentioned as ruling the place of Rudnik. It is unclear where his province lay, but it is believed that it was northeast of Vojislav's lands inherited by widow Goislava, Nikola's aunt. That year the young Nikola started expanding towards the Adriatic Sea, beginning with his aunt's territory. By late 1368 he had taken over the province, which alarmed the Republic of Ragusa, but Nikola assured that he had no intent on taking Ragusan territory. Instead, Nikola aimed at Tvrtko I of Bosnia, from which ranks Sanko Miltenović left and switched over to Nikola.

The two new neighbours, Ragusa and Nikola, did not have good relations since the start. Ragusa pushed for that Sanko leave Nikola's ranks and settle with Tvrtko I, their ally. Ragusa sent their agent who was to present Sanko's standing with Nikola as dangerous, "because the triumph of that Nikola is only temporary and will never last long, while the Bosnian Banate is indeed everlasting". At first refusing, Sanko eventually made peace with Tvrtko, according to Mavro Orbini (1563–1614) and Giunio Resti (1671–1735) who claimed that Sanko fell in battle (he was last mentioned alive in July 1370) while leading a Bosnian army aiding Ragusa against Nikola. Details about the conflict between Nikola and Tvrtko are lacking. By August 1370 the two had made peace; Ragusa hoped for, but was not included in the treaty.

In fall 1370, Nikola had turned against Ragusa, sending his vojvoda Radin Dubravčić to devastate the area. Nikola demanded three years payment of the Tribute of St. Demetrius (paid to the Serbian ruler) but was rejected, as was earlier done. His army devastated the surroundings of Ragusa (Dubrovnik), and as fall 1370 was harvesting season, the damage was great. During the campaign, in late 1370, Lazar Hrebeljanović took over Rudnik, Nikola's most important and richest city. Nikola continued devastating the Dubrovnik area in spring 1371. Ragusan merchants that were found in Nikola's province were imprisoned. Hungarian king Louis I demanded that Nikola release the Ragusan prisoners, but as Nikola had a friend at the Hungarian court, Nicholas I Garai, this was a drawn out process. Some 4,000 ducats were extorted from the prisoners, while the total damage was estimated at 30,000 ducats, according to Ragusa. Eventually, in May 1371, Garai was sent to intervene, but this came late, as the Ragusans claimed that many of the prisoners had died, while the rest had paid for their release.

As Nikola's men also began to threaten Ragusa at sea, the Republic had a warship (a galley) commanded by a Nicholas sent from Ancona to the Bay of Kotor on 20 May 1371. The mission was to penetrate to Risan and kill all Nikola's men captured at sea, but to avoid clashing with Kotor at all costs. Kotor had recently came under Hungarian protection and had earlier been accused by Ragusa of being in an alliance with- and acquiring weapons to Nikola. On 30 May Ragusa sent the necessities needed by the warship commander to attack. Meanwhile, the Serbian magnates Vukašin Mrnjavčević and Đurađ Balšić plotted against Nikola. They were allies to Lazar Hrebeljanović and Ban Tvrtko, and were perhaps instigated by the Ragusans. Nikola learnt of their plans and tried to make truce with Ragusa. Although talks were made and conditions set up, they were never finalized, as Vukašin's forces closed in. On 20 June, Vukašin and his son Marko stood with an army outside Scutari, from where they planned to attack Onogošt (Nikšić). Đurađ Balšić asked Ragusa of transportation to Nikola's territory, and Ragusa agreed, furthermore reporting that Ragusan ships would transport Balšić's troops there, maintain safe passage, and if necessary transport them back. Ragusa asked Balšić not to clash with Kotor, as to avoid complains to Hungary.

Despite the great danger, Nikola was saved, by chance, by the Ottomans who threatened the lands of Vukašin and his brother despot Uglješa. Vukašin drew back his forces, and in July the state of affairs in the littoral was the same as before. Nikola's men continued to obstruct Ragusan maritime trade, and Ragusa again sent the Anconan warship with the same mission. In August, Ragusa feared for Ston and begged Ivan Nelipčić for help. The end of 1371 brought great change in the Serbian lands, as Vukašin fell at Maritsa (26 September) while fighting the Ottomans, and some two months later Uroš V died (on 4 December). Now, with the loss of Serbian central power, Ragusa sought to normalize relations with Nikola, who still held a very important province for Ragusan land trade. At the beginning of 1372 peace talks continued, and were finalized by springtime, Ragusa conceding to Nikola's main demand, the "Serbian income". The borders were opened, and trading relations renewed. On 27 October 1372, Ragusa paid Nikola the Tribute of St. Demetrius, 2000 perpers; this was the first instance of it being paid to a magnate. Likewise, Nikola was paid the salt customs, 900 perpers.

Possessions
At his height, his province extended from Dubrovnik to Rudnik, including important mining centres in Podrinje (Crnča) and the middle of Serbia (Rudnik). His holdings were the largest extent of lands achieved by members of the Vojinović family.