SOMETIME IN LATE 1471, probably during the diet of the estates of the Kingdom of Hungary held that September, Matthias Corvinus, the bearer of the Holy Crown and “liberator” of a significant territory pertaining to the Kingdom of Bosnia which had been captured by the Ottomans in the spring of 1463, bestowed the title of king of Bosnia upon Nicholas Újlaki (Miklós Újlaki), a Hungarian baron and a powerful opponent of Matthias during his early rule. Differences in national historiographies and general historiographical disinterest in this question have produced an image of Nicholas's Bosnian rule as rather ephemeral and marginal, while simultaneously diverting scholarly interest towards problems designated as more (nationally) important. Thus, apart from some passing references elsewhere, only two scholars have addressed this issue in papers that differ in length, methodology, and results, owing to different dates of writing.

Here I focus on the preconditions which allowed for the bestowal of kingship upon Nicholas and the distinct steps which led towards its acquisition. Specifically, using a conceptual framework inspired by frontier studies I contextualize the bestowal in the socio-political characteristics of the period between 1458 and 1471, that is a context which ascribed a certain political and social role to the regnum Bosnae, the territory and its appertaining socio-political assets controlled by Matthias after 1463/ 64.

Setting the Possibilities

After the bulk of the victorious Ottoman troops left Bosnia in the summer of 1463, Matthias Corvinus, for debatable and not yet sufficiently investigated reasons, initiated a counterattack to recapture several important Bosnian fortresses that controlled the territory neighbouring Hungary proper, especially Jajce, then considered to be the capital of the Kingdom of Bosnia. Despite various other anti-Ottoman actions conducted by the local nobility, most notably the members of the Kosača family, Matthias succeeded in acquiring the leading position in such activities by embracing the papal crusading policy and by constructing around him an alliance which included the Republic of Venice as well as the Bosnian nobility already involved.