Ancient History of Croats

The name Croat (Hrvat) is probably of Iranian origin. It was first mentioned in the second or third century A.D. near the Sea of Azov .
From here the Croats migrated to southern Poland . They inhabited the area around Cracow , where the so-called White Croatia was located.
They arrived in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula around the year 630. They defeated or assimilated the Illyro-Celtic tribes. Those tribes were already somewhat Romanized.
They freed themselves from the Avars and established two principalities. One was on the territory of the former Roman province of Dalmatia . The other was in the Pannonian region.

The first principality was known as the Coastal or Dalmatian Croatia, and the other as Pannonian or Sava Croatia . Besides these areas, the Croats also settled southern Dalmatia and the territory of today's Herzegovina and Montenegro . That territory was known as Red Croatia.
They also settled Bosnia , Istria and southern Hungary . Croats did not want to be a subject of assimilation so they did not stay there in a larger number.
The Roman population moved into the Byzantine cities on the coast or islands lik Split , Zadar and Trogir and to the islands of Rab and Krk. The Illyro-Roman population moved to the highlands. They later became known as Vlach stock-herders.
The Croats soon accepted Christianity. They became a part of Roman and Western Christian civilization.
In 812 the Franks (under Charlemagne) and the Byzantine Empire created spheres of interest, and the Croats fell under the Franks. The coastal cities came under the rule of Constantinople . A result of this division was the revolt of Ljudevit (Louis) who was the prince of Sava Croatia . He revolted against the Frankish state in 818. Borna, who was the prince of Coastal Croatia, supported the Franks.
A genuine war broke out. Ljudevit repelled the Frankish armies and defeated Borna.

This was how the Croats first entered the political stage of Europe with their two principalities.


Source: History textbook for grade 8
Traslation from Croatian: Matej Maticevic, Fran Decorti and Antonio Zarozinski (Croatia)