Pavao Šubić Bribirski

Pavao I Šubić Bribirski (died on May 1, 1312), a Croatian leader and member of the Šubić noble family. Pavao was the most powerful Croatian noble at the end of 13th and beginning of the 14th century.

The date of his birth is unknown. The first mentions of his name occurs in 1272. Pavao held the title of "Count of Bribir", from which he took his name, Bribirski. Pavao became ban of Croatia in 1273 and reigned until his death. He united large parts of Dalmatia and Slavonia, once ruled by the native Croatian kings, and also, in 1299, Bosnia to the Drava river. Although he did not have himself crowned, he was the de facto sovereign ruler of these territories. He also issued his own money. Pavao took the title of "Lord of the all Bosnia" ("totius Bosniae dominus").

During a civil war between the Árpád and Anjou dynasties for the crown of Hungary and Croatia, he supported Charles I. Charles I named him, in 1292, as master of lands between the Gvozd and Neretva rivers. In Dalmatia, he appointed his brothers as commissars of Dalmatian cities. He gave Split to his brother Mladen, and Šibenik, Nin, Trogir and Omiš to his brother Giorgio.

In a war with the Venetian Republic, Pavao captured Zadar from them in 1311. This was the height of his power.

References

* [http://povijest.net/content/view/380/50/ Povijest.net]