User:Veni.sponsa.samurai/Law for the Vlachs of Cetina (1436)

The Law for the Vlachs of Cetina was promulgated by Prince Ivan Frankopan on 18 March 1436, directed for the Vlachs residing in the parish of Cetina which outlined various ethnical privileges and conferred autonomy for the Vlachs to elect their own knyaz.

A transcription of the document is kept in the Monastery of Our Lady of Trsat in Rijeka, Croatia.

Transcription

"In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

We, Prince Ivan Frankopan, Prince of Krk, Prince of Modruš, Prince of Cetina and Prince of Klis and further Ban of Dalmatia and Croat give to see to every man whom it pertains by our open charter, that good and honest men came before us, the former loyal and true servants of Ban Ivaniš Ivanović, all the good Vlachs: Viganj Dubravčić, Ninoje Sanković, Tomaš Ročević, Matijaš Vukčić, Milić Ostojić, Dragić Prodanić, Blaž Kočić, Hrelja Golešević, Vukat Vojinović, Ivaniš Grobačić, Budanj Grubišić, Biloslav Dražević, Jelovac Draživojević, Radivoj Vitković, Bulat Kustražić, Ivan Poznanović and all the good Vlachs asking for their good and fair laws, which were during the former lord and Ban Ivaniš Ivanović and his father Prince Ivan. And We, seeing the right and suitable wanting of them welcomed them, the good men, former faithful servants of Ban Ivaniš, as our servants and the servants of our descendants, and we granted, gave and confirmed their just and good laws, the laws which were the best and most rightful for them and their former lord Ban Ivaniš and his father Prince Ivan, and which laws were used by their elders; and these are the good laws:

1. Firstly, that no prince forces himself upon them.
2. In agreement with us, they are free to change a prince whom they find detestable.
3. Those Vlachs that have villages are free to tax.
4. Those who do not have a villages, these are to go on horseback with shield and sword, but also with arrows and swords.
5. The ones who do not go to battle and are commanded, pay six libars, from this a tenth goes to the Vlach duke.
6. That their horses are not taken away for any wrongdoing.
7. That they do not go to battle from the feast of St. Stephen’s until the feast of St. Martin.
8. And when they go to battle, that two-thirds of the soldiers go, and a third follows them with flour and cows.
9. And that above them no Croat is duke, rather that one among them is duke who commands them and makes agreements with the Prince.
10. And that their court is beneath Sinj and that no Croat is prince or judge on their courts.
11. That the prince and judges are to visit two times a year the Vlach lands of the above mentioned.
12. And that no one is robbed by force, except what is declared by justice.
13. From every sentenced fine that a third is left, and the judge receives a tenth of the sentenced fine.
14. And from our earnings the prince also receives a tenth.
15. Who receives sentence in fines, a sheep is taken for a libar, and a cow for six libar.
16. That there is a deadline of twenty days to pay and return them, if he does not pay until then, it is forfeit.
17. That every village is to give a ram or a sheep of the feast of St. George, and a lamb and cheese by who is poor, and who does not have cheese is to give small coin.
18. And a ducat, by the law is worth seventy and four bolanča for those who have kulse (?) and thirty brav (?) and who is poor two ducat and imri (?) and in autumn on the feast of St. Martin they are to give by their law from every kulse a dinar the catunars and the courtier.
19. That in Cetina they pay no tax on their commerce.
20. That no one can be hanged for any wrongdoing.
21. And that the above mentioned men, the good catunars, keep half of the income made by their people, as it was during the former lord and Ban Ivaniš.
22. A Vlach can not sue another Vlach for one a hundred libar who himself does not have a hundred libar.
23. That a mercenary or stableman cannot sue his lord.
24. And that a Serb may not sue a Vlach, and a Vlach not a Serb.
25. And that he cannot (unreadable) nor witness nor jury, nor anyone who is not a officer.
26. And that he may not testify in court under four bolanča.
27. That they do not give tax for the mountain valley, neither in winter, nor there where they did not give during the time of Ban Ivaniš.
28. And that the Croats do not hold Vlachs, except one shepherd.

So, the Prince of the Vlachs and all the above mentioned good men, all the catunars tied their faith and their soul so that they will serve us and our descendants, and We promised to them and accepted with our lordly word that We wish to confirm all the above written laws and keep through the ages the just laws of them and their descendants, as long as they serve us justly and faithfully. And to this we gave them our open charter, because all the above mentioned good men catunars, with their brothers and their counties and their municipalities, promised and tied to us their faiths and souls, that Us and Our descendants they and their descendants will to serve with their heads, their treasure and all their power and not to leave us and our descendants against any men.

Written on Klis on the month of March on the 18th day of the year 1436 since the birth of Jesus Christ. And to all this written above we hold true and further what was said and given with good will."

See also

• Vlachs in the history of Croatia

References

Category:15th century in Croatia Category:History of Rijeka