Dubrovnik’s Balšić Family in the Second Half of the 14th Century

Abstract

The surname Balšić appears in Dubrovnik sources in the second half of the 14th and the first decades of the 15th century. Some Balšić family members were mentioned in the sources only once, and it was usually noted where they came from to the city of St. Blaise: Stipko Balšić from Mon tenegro, Nikola Balšić from Dračevica, and Nikola Balšić from Bijela. For some Balšić family members, it is difficult to determine whether they were from Dubrovnik or perhaps came from Zeta: Nikšićanin Balšić, Milodrug Balšić, and Miloš Balšić. As they are mentioned only once in documents, it is not pos sible to provide information about their specific place of residence. One of the most well-known rep resentatives of the Balšić family in Dubrovnik was Radul Balšić. His trading activity was documented through credits, lending, boat renting, trade networking, and acting as a guarantor. From his first mention in 1377 until 1415, his activity in Dubrovnik is shown in a chronological sequence. Radul was a butcher, a member, and at one time, the administrator of the Brotherhood of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of butchers in Dubrovnik. His intensive trading activity began in 1389. Balšić borrowed money alone, but most often he teamed up with his partner Dimko Tudorović (7 contracts, 2,292 perpers). During 1392, his trading business as a creditor with Dimko became more intensive, and they gave 5 loans totaling 387 ducats. This also demonstrates his successful trade networking and the trust he enjoyed in the city of St. Blaise. He traded in wooden beams, silver, grain, and ships. However, there is no mention in the documents that he conducted his trading activity in Zeta. Radul’s family is known through the male line, and he had two sons: Dživko and Đurko. The documents do not provide any information about whether the mentioned Balšić family members had any connection to the rulers of Zeta, so it is very difficult to identify their origins and whether any of them belonged to a common family. Perhaps their surname was derived from a father’s name. Radul’s story partially fills the gaps in the knowledge of Dubrovnik’s Balšić family and provides topics for further research work.