The Personnel of Royal and Noble Chanceries as Diplomats in Late Medieval Bosnia

Isailović, Neven (2019) The Personnel of Royal and Noble Chanceries as Diplomats in Late Medieval Bosnia. In: Reform and Renewal in Medieval East and Central Europe: Politics, Law and Society. Romanian Academy, Centre for Transylvanian Studies ; Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts ; School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London, Cluj-Napoca ; Zagreb ; London, pp. 197-234. ISBN 978-606-038-002-3

Text 13 The Personnel of Royal and Noble Chanceries as Diplomats in Late Medieval Bosnia (Reform and Renewal, 2019).pdf Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (374kB)

Abstract

Generally speaking, the majority of diplomats of Bosnian rulers and magnates did not come from the circle of professional scribes, especially those of domestic origin, but more than a few of them did participate in a variety of minor or major missions. On the other hand, with the spread of literacy, some homines and familiares, whose primary activities were to handle diplomacy and perform tasks and errands, engaged in a supplementary clerical activity by writing, when necessary, certain documents for their masters. Thus, scribal and diplomatic service began to overlap, which is especially evident in the case of the officials serving the family of Kosača in the mid-15th century. In such circumstances, vertical mobility between classes was also achievable – e.g. a distinguished scribe/diplomat could become a lesser noble or a high-ranking courtier. The primary reason for hiring scribes as couriers and diplomats was their literacy, which was crucial for any proper diplomatic relation between two or more political entities. Although the Middle Ages were very much the time of gesture, the words, especially in the late medieval period, became more powerful and trustworthy means of politics. Nobility may have continued to exercise greater authority in diplomacy than skilful clerks and non-noble officials, but certain experienced professionals among the latter proved to be essential in the period of the dusk of medieval Bosnian statehood

Actions (login required)

View Item