Tepčija

Tepčija (Serbian Cyrillic: тепчија) was a court title of Croatia,[1] Serbia and Bosnia in the Middle Ages. The functions and position in the court is unclear.[2][3] It was first mentioned in Croatia in the second half of the 11th century, and later in Serbia in the first half of the 13th century, and in Bosnia during 13th and 14th century.[2] The title-holder took care of the country's feudal estates.[4] There were two or three[5] levels in title, the veliki tepčija (grand), "tepčija" and mali tepčija (lower).[6] "Veliki tepčija" took care of the royal estates.[7] Tepčija had a similar office to that of the kaznac ,[7] and cared of all major feudal estates bar that which belonged to the Court. "Tepčija" had executive authorities. His servants were called otroci (sing. otrok).[8]

Tepčija Gradislav and his wife, Treskavac Monastery.

The Serbian court hierarchy at the time of king Stefan Milutin (r. 1282–1321) was as follows: stavilac, čelnik, kaznac, tepčija and vojvoda, the supreme title.[9] In the Dečani chrysobulls of king Stefan Dečanski (r. 1321–31), the court dignitaries present at the Dečani assembly were the kaznac, tepčija, vojvoda, sluga and stavilac.[10]

List

Serbia

• Obrad (fl. 1230s), veliki tepčija, served Stefan Vladislav.[11]
• Dobravac (fl. 1280), served the countess of Hum.[12]
• Kuzma (fl. 1306), served Stefan Milutin.[13]
• Hardomil, served Stefan Milutin.[14]
• Vladoje (fl. 1326), served Stefan Dečanski.[13]
• Mišljen (fl. 1330), veliki tepčija, served Stefan Dečanski.[13]
• Gradislav (fl. 1337–45), served Stefan Dušan.[14]
• Stepko Čihorić (fl. 1340s), served Stefan Dušan.[15]

Bosnia

• Radonja (fl. 1240), served Matej Ninoslav
• Vučin
• Rados(l)av (fl. 1326–29), served Dabiša.
• Milat (fl. 1359), served Tvrtko in Hum.
• Batalo (fl. 1391–1404), lord of the župa (county) of Lašva
• Sladoje

References

1. Сима Ћирковић, Раде Михальчић. Лексикон српског средњег века (in Serbian). Knowledge, 1999. p. 738.
2. Dragoslav Janković; Vinodol (1961). Istorija države i prava feudalne Srbije, XII-XV vek. Naućna knjiga. p. 55.
3. Šarkić 1996, p. 65.
4. Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti (2007). Glas. p. 23.
5. Istorijski glasnik: organ Društva istoričara SR Srbije. Društvo. 1976.
6. Mandić 1986, pp. 52–72.
7. Ćirković & Mihaljčić 1999, p. 733.
8. Историски гласник: орган Историского друштва НР Србије. Научна књига. 1975. p. 25.
9. Blagojević 2001, p. 211.
10. Šarkić 1996, p. 66.
11. Blagojević 2001, p. 25.
12. Blagojević 2001, p. 28.
13. Blagojević 2001, p. 26.
14. Blagojević 2001, p. 27.
15. Blagojević 2001, p. 33.

Sources

• Blagojević, Miloš (2001). Državna uprava u srpskim srednjovekovnim zemljama (in Serbian). Službeni list SRJ.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Ćirković, Sima; Mihaljčić, Rade (1999). Лексикон српског средњег века (in Serbian). Knowledge. ISBN 9788683233014.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Dinić, Mihailo; Ćirković, Sima (1978). Српске земље у средњем веку: историјско-географске студије (in Serbian). Српска књижевна задруга.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Mandić, Svetislav (1986). Velika gospoda sve srpske zemlje i drugi prosopografski prilozi (in Serbian). Srpska književna zadruga. ISBN 9788637900122.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Purković, Miodrag (1985). Srpska kultura srednjega veka (in Serbian). Izd. Srpske pravoslavne eparhije za zapadnu Evropu.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Šarkić, Srđan (1996). Srednjovekovno srpsko pravo (in Serbian). Matica srpska.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Further reading

• Blagojević, M. (1976). "Тепчије у средњовековној Србији, Босни и Хрватској". Istorijski glasnik. 1–2: 7–47.