bosnia died sovereign dynasty father arranged marry maria serbia april marriage meant unite bosnia serbia fight expanding ottoman_empire failed regard ruling serbia merely months surrendered ottomans fled father court father death ascended kingdom existence increasingly threatened ottomans desperately tried secure help pope king hungary monarchs neighbouring countries confident come aid refused deliver customary tribute provoked invasion cost life marched bosnia meeting little effective resistance captured beheaded execution marks fall ottoman_empire like kings bore stephen predecessors exception uncle took stephen accession claim throne serbia rulers adopted hand appears baptized stephen occasions predecessors referred christian names stephen called simply suggesting case true uncle reason listed uncle stephen albeit rarely family born known sons named son died adolescent father son king stephen younger brother contested rule cousin king stephen politically inactive struggle brother cousin enabling family lead quiet life period ottoman state tried weaken bosnia encouraging internal divisions changed ailing childless king stephen decreed succeed king died shortly november father ascended throne legal status parents marriage ambiguous mother described father common law wife marriage ended unwilling recognize queen requested wife noble birth granted pope raised member converted later stated baptized roman_catholic_church child taught latin letters married catherine half brother named half sister named catherine marriage ottomans conquered constantinople annexed remnants byzantine_empire adversary rear ottomans able freely campaign european states including neighbouring desperately tried ensure help case ottoman invasion entered negotiations duke milan marriage illegitimate daughter duke serbia died power vacuum ensued having left daughters sons nominally succeeded older brother stephen stephen authority challenged blind considered unfit rule took advantage serbia weakness recapture eastern towns lost stephen father george shortly entered peace negotiations widow abandoning prospect son marriage daughter duke milan came agreement helen marry eldest daughters year old helen assume government serbia hungarian king agreed arrangement interest create strong zone realm ottoman_empire uniting considered hungary vassal states diet hungary confirmed right serbia january duly set serbia narrowly escaped imprisonment ottoman raid royal residence arrived capital eastern orthodox holy week ascended serbian throne march regent arrived head army ensure command town fortress assumed difficulties marriage helen took place april sunday following easter following presumably catholic ceremony bride known maria assumed title despite fact title hereditary tied specific territory grant byzantine emperor possible mother law member byzantium imperial family believed right grant title absence emperor week wedding exiled wife deposed uncle serbia king events letter sent duke milan claiming title granted son agreement likely hungarians supporters mother law pleased accession serbian throne clear onset reign serbia short lived ottoman sultan considered violation rights ottomans considered serbia vassal state promptly launched attack june consideration trying defend aware withstand attack surrendered fortress june ottoman proceeded annex rest serbian state empire year following fall town pope termed gateway fled bosnia wife laws seeking refuge court father king hungary accused selling ottomans pope believed hungarians investigation appears come conclusion sell fortress pope repeat claim ottoman serbian sources supposed betrayal allegation unlikely based fact serbian born byzantine greek scholar maintained innocence pointed strength ottoman army agree serbs unhappy rule convinced ottoman prevail grant religious tolerance hungarians went meet presented keys city accession coronation father died summer 16th century croatian chronicler wrote king died july precisely murdered order brother consent son contemporary source records king murdered historians generally discarded claim ascended throne difficulty appointed father heir designate brief reign ensured uncle contest succession land new monarch assumed title inherited king bosnia maritime lands croatia western lands regardless fact serbia ottoman croatia lost hungary government allow refuge case ottoman attack immediately accession set resolve disagreements royal family order strengthen position relations year old strained father lifetime guaranteed retain title privileges father wrote venetian officials king taken mother having died time ascended throne kingdom powerful nobleman engaged ending conflict father appears claiming crown adolescent grandson catherine son half brother probably aware bosnia needed strong mature monarch took advice peace finally ensuring nobility absolute support king focused improving bosnia economy stronger reign ensuring state collect profit trade pope proclaimed saint gregory defender bosnia request november sent crown coronation feast days later newly appointed crowned coronation marked time monarch received crown rome exemplified religious persecution established active correspondence acquired character true catholic state end ottoman invasion conflict broke sought ottoman help revolt king papal prepared imminent ottoman attack king count hungarian aid pope recognition sovereign independent hungary insulted surrendering place seemingly paying considerable sum money castles promising cancel tribute ottomans encouraged commitment help possibly fatal decision june pope wrote diary relying knows hope king refused tributes ancestors long pay ottomans stormed town enemy built confluence fear hungarians according invited ottoman ambassador treasure house showed money set aside tribute informed use fight ottoman attack live exile enraged pope recounts hearing conquer kingdom destroy summoned blamed sultan commanded nicholas hungary seek immediate action ottomans help arrived bosnia hungary failed carry promises refused king pleas spring gathered army men prepared march bosnia despair turned sultan tried moment year long truce claimed present ottomans envoys thinking king request truce granted tried warn army set right envoys fortresses fell rapidly fled family possessions ottoman army leadership laid siege sultan joining following day believing withstand siege years planned assemble army counting foreign aid sent wife possessions took rest capture death contrary expectations fell days king realized choice refuge neighbouring croatia pursued caught ottoman army reportedly pass city fortress king hiding walls local man revealed whereabouts return money day long siege fortress ensued eager capture promise king harm surrendered sent document freedom food supplies ammunition running short decided surrender garrison turn brought uncle year old cousin captured king sought sultan sent orders commanders surrender enabling command seventy towns week intention life summoned king brought document issued declaring sultan bound promise servant knowledge demonstrate validity elderly took sword beheaded hand recorded stephen execution king uncle cousin took place field known emperor field assessment legacy buried hill near europe stunned fall completely weeks death country quick submission said consequence poor cooperation accurate attribute people low morale general belief conquest inevitable additionally diverse aware like neighbouring country overrun hungary ottomans enjoy far freedom religion far higher taxes case resistance strong claim adherents betrayed kingdom half siblings taken constantinople converted islam queen catherine left unsuccessfully campaigned restoration kingdom bosnia ceased ottoman_empire years death widow queen maria spent rest life empire croatian excavated bones settlement close known king tomb found skeleton adult male direct evidence remains folk tradition evidence led conclusion bones placed glass coffin housed monastery
Stephen Tomašević of Bosnia