Principality of Nitra: Map & History
The Principality of Nitra also known as the Duchy of Nitra, was a West Slavic polity encompassing a group of settlements that developed in the 9th century around Nitra, in present-day Slovakia.
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The Principality of Nitra also known as the Duchy of Nitra, was a West Slavic polity encompassing a group of settlements that developed in the 9th century around Nitra, in present-day Slovakia. Its history remains uncertain because of a lack of contemporary sources. The territory's status is subject to scholarly debate: some modern historians describe it as an independent polity that was annexed either around 833 or 870 by the Principality of Moravia, while others say that it was under the influence of the neighbouring West Slavs from Moravia from its inception.
Modern Countries Once Part of Principality of Nitra
At its mapped extent, Principality of Nitra covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Principality of Nitra's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Principality of Nitra in Depth
Background
Modern-day Slovakia was dominated for centuries by Germanic peoples, including the Quadi and the Longobards, who were there until the middle of the 6th century. A new material culture characterized by handmade pottery, cremation burials and small, square, sunken huts that typically featured a corner stone oven appeared in the plains along the Middle Danube around that time. The new culture, with its "spartan and egalitarian" nature, sharply differed from the earlier archaeological cultures of Central Europe. According to Barford, a report by the Byzantine historian Procopius is the first certain reference to Early Slav groups inhabiting parts of present-day Slovakia.
Scholarly debates: the status and location of Pribina's Nitrava
According to a widely accepted interpretation of the Conversion, Pribina was initially the ruler of an independent polity which was centered on Nitra. For instance, Barford writes that Pribina "was apparently prince of Nitra". Pribina's assumed realm is described as the "first demonstrable Slavic state north of the middle Danube" by Lukačka. Lukačka also says that Pribina had a retinue and that most its members "certainly descended from the former tribal aristocracy" but some of them "could have come from the free strata of the mass of the people". Richard Marsina says that it "can hardly be unambiguously decided whether Pribina was a prince of a greater tribe or of two or three smaller joined tribes".
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Principality of Nitra (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Principality of Nitra: Key Facts
| Capital | Nitra |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 1100s |
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q837326 (CC0).
Principality of Nitra Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 26,600 km² in 834 CE.
Principality of Nitra: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Principality of Nitra exist?
Principality of Nitra is dated to 814 CE – 839 CE, in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of Principality of Nitra?
The capital of Principality of Nitra was Nitra.
How large was Principality of Nitra at its peak?
At its peak in 834 AD Principality of Nitra covered about 26,600 km².
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