Dinjčić noble family

The first known representative of Dinjčić is the župan Dinjica. He appears in the charter of King Tvrtko I of Bosnia from 10 April 1378, by which the king confirms the charter of the previous bans of Bosnia. Župan Dinjica is mentioned again with his brothers in one Dubrovnik document from 1380, but his brothers were not named. The area ruled by Dinjčići is located in the valley of Jadar. Župan Dinjica is succeeded by the knez Dragiša Dinjičić, probably his son. Dragiša Dinjičić is known for his active participation in the conspiracy to murder Bosnian Grand Knyaz Pavle Radinović, perpetrated by the Grand Duke of Bosnia, Sandalj Hranić, in the hunt on Parena Poljana, not far from Kraljeva Sutjeska on 22 August 1415. This event provoked open hostility among the Bosnian nobility. At the following stanak, King Ostoja was blamed for this event, as well as Dinjčići, for whom an arrest was ordered. King Ostoja escaped arrest, so was Dragiša, who will later, when King Tvrtko II ascend the Bosnian throne, as the king's man often appear at his charters among the first witnesses.

In the campaign of King Stephan Tvrtko II for the occupation of the rich mines of Srebrenica, the Dinjičićs were actively engaged. They besieged the town of Srebrenica with the king's army in the autumn of 1425. During the siege, reinforcements arrived for the Serbs, so the Bosnian army had to withdraw. In the retreat, the Dinjičićs looted the suburbs of Srebrenica and caused damage of 50,000 ducats. The Serbian despot Đurađ Branković's army reoccupied Srebrenica and the surrounding towns as a result of this withdrawal.

Knez Dragiša Dinjičić had two brothers, Pavle and Kovač, and a son Pokrajac, who is mentioned in a Dubrovnik document from 1426. Not much is known about Dragiša's brother Pavle, he is mentioned in two charters, one from March 1424 and the other from February 24, 1428. Kovač is mentioned in the charters of King Ostoja, in the charter of March 5, 1419, where he was titled as a duke (vojvoda). Vojvoda Kovač had three sons, Petra, Tvrtko and Ivaniš. They also had the title of duke.

The most prominent member of the dynasty was duke Petar Dinjičić. On July 27, 1440, he was accepted as a citizen of Dubrovnik. In the Christian coalition against the Ottomans, he sided with the despot Đurađ Branković. The Christian coalition was led by the Hungarian king, Ladislaus I, the Transylvanian lord John Hunyadi and despot Djuradj. The army numbered 25,000 Hungarian and 8,000 Serbian cavalry, including 700 of Peter's cavalry. He captured Srebrenica in 1443 with the despot Đurađ. Sometime later, Peter, however, left the despot. There is no closer information about this event, but it is known that in 1455, on the order of King Tomaš, he attacked Srebrenica. There he was killed by Đurađ's army, and one document records this event with the words:

Petra was succeeded by his brother Tvrtko, who ruled župa of Jadar as a knez from 1439 to 1462. He has been mentioned as a duke ever since. In the campaign of 1458, King Tomaš captured Srebrenica and the eleven of surrounding fortresses, and the Dinjičićs gained four. Duke Tvrtko Kovačević was killed in a raid by the Ottomans in 1463. The last brother Ivaniš went to Dubrovnik together with his family. Two other Dinjičićs are mentioned in Dubrovnik, Žarko and Vukić, who are believed to be, most likely, Ivaniš's sons.

After the withdrawal of the Ottoman army, Vlatko Hercegović broke into Podrinje, and occupied several towns in the former holdings of ​​Dinjičićs. According to Dubrovnik records, part of the Dinjičić family then returned or intended to return to their ancestry. From the Ottoman cadastral census of 1485, the Vilayet of Kovač is mentioned.

• Dinjica

• Dragiša
• Pavle
• Kovač

• Petar
• Tvrtko
• Ivaniš

The family coat of arms is described in every iteration of the Illyrian Armorials, such as Fojnica Armorial at page 59. It depict a dragon motif above the helmet, in the crest. It also belongs to the Kovačević branch, which is evident from the comments.[1][2][3]

• Rudić, Srđan (2006). Властела Илирског грбовника. Београд: Историјски институт САНУ.
• Ćirković, Sima (1964a). Историја средњовековне босанске државе. Београд: Српска књижевна задруга.
• Šabanović, Hazim (1959). Bosanski pašaluk: Postanak i upravna podjela. Sarajevo: Naučno društvo Bosne i Hercegovine.