Banat (Hungarian: Bánát or Bánság, German: Banat) is a region in Southeastern Europe divided among three countries: the eastern part belongs to Romania (the counties of Timiş and Caraş-Severin), the western part to Serbia-Montenegro (the Serbian Banat, mostly included in the Vojvodina, except for the small part of it, which is included in Central Serbia.) and a small northern part to Hungary (Csongrád county). It is the part of the Pannonian plain bordered by the Danube in the south, the Theiss (Tisza, Tissa, Tisa) in the west, the Mureş (Maros) in the north and the Southern Carpathians in the east. Its historical capital is Timişoara, in the County of Timiş, Romania.
The term Banat in general means a frontier province governed by a ban.
There were several banats in Kingdom of Hungary, which disappeared during the Turkish wars, as the banat of Dalmatia, of Slavonia, of Bosnia and of Croatia. But when the word is used without any other qualification, it indicates the Timişoara banat, which strangely acquired this title after the peace of Passarowitz (1718), though it was never governed by a ban.
Geography
Romanian Banat
Map of
Romania with Romanian Banat highlighted
On 29 July 1929, the existing counties formed the Timiş Province: Timiş-Torontal, Caraş- Severin, Arad, and Hunedoara.
On 6 September 1950, instead of the province, was enforced the Timişoara Region (formed by today's counties Timiş and Caraş-Severin).
In 1956, the southern half of the existing Arad Region was incorporated to Timişoara Region. In December 1960, Timişoara Region was named Banat Region.
Starting 17 February 1968, a new territorial division was made in Romania and today's Timiş, Caraş-Severin and Arad counties were formed.
The Romanian Banat is mountainous in the south and southeast, while in the north, west and south-west it is flat and in some places marshy. The climate, except in the marshy parts, is generally healthy. Wheat, barley, oats, rye, maize, flax, hemp and tobacco are grown in large quantities, and the products of the vineyards are of a good quality. Game is plentiful and the rivers swarm with fish. The mineral wealth is great, including copper, tin, lead, zinc, iron and especially coal. Amongst its numerous mineral springs, the most important are those of Mehadia, with sulphurous waters, which were already known in the Roman period as the Termae Herculis (Băile Herculane). (Note that a region of Romania that is called Banat includes some areas that are mountainous and are not parts of Banat as a whole nor of the Pannonian plain.)
Serbian Banat
The Serbian Banat (Western Banat) was part of the old Torontál and Temes counties of Austria-Hungary after 1860. Center of Torontal county was Zrenjanin.
The region was County of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes between 1918 and 1922, and in 1929 it was incorporated into Dunavska banovina (Danubian Banat), which was province of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
Between 1941 and 1944 Serbian Banat was occupied by the Axis powers, and it formally was part of Serbia, but in fact it was separate autonomous region ruled by German minority. Since 1945 Serbian Banat (together with Backa and Srem), is part of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina.
In Serbia, banat is mostly plain. Wheat, barley, oats, rye, maize, hemp and sunflower are grown, and mineral wealth consists of oil and natural gas. A known tourist destination in Banat is Deliblatska Pescara .
The districts of Serbia in Banat are:
See also Geographical regions in Serbia and Montenegro
Hungarian Banat
Consisted of a small northern part of the region incorporated into Csongrád county.
History
The Banat was inhabited since ancient times by Dacians, it was conquered by Romans in 106. Emperor Aurelian retracted the Empire's border to south of the Danube, leaving behind the local romanized population.
During the early medieval migrations, Slavs settled today's Banat in the 6th century. In the 9th century territory of present day Banat was part of Bulgaria. Gesta Hungarorum speaks of a duke called Glad, ruler in the territory of Banat, who came from Vidin. His descendant was Ahtum, the last ruler, who opposed to the establishment of Hungarian Kingdom. Ahtum was Orthodox Christian.
The region was conquered by the Kingdom of Hungary in the 11th century, and was divided into the counties Torontál, Temes, Krassó and Szörény .
It was conquered by the Turks in 1552, and became a Turkish Elayet (province) named Elayet of Temesvar. In 1594 Serbs in Banat started large uprising opposing Turkish rule.
In the 17th century, parts of the Banat were captured by Austria. In 1716, Prince Eugene of Savoy conquered the last parts of Banat from the Ottomans. It received the title of Banat after the peace of Passarowitz (1718), and remained separate province of Austria under a military administration until 1751, when Maria Theresa introduced a civil administration. Banat province of Austria was abolished in 1778. The southern part of the Banat remained part of the Military Frontier (Banat Krajina) until it was abolished in 1871.
During the Turkish rule the district was nearly depopulated, and allowed to lie almost desolate in marsh and heath and forest. Count Claudius Mercy (1666-1734), who was appointed governor of Temesvár in 1720, took numerous measures for the regeneration of the Banat. The marshes hear the Danube and Theiss were cleared, roads and canals were built at great expense of labour, German artisans and other settlers were attracted to colonize the district, and agriculture and trade encouraged. Maria Theresa also took a great interest in the Banat, colonized the land belonging to the crown with German peasants, founded many villages, encouraged the exploitation of the mineral wealth of the country, and generally developed the measures introduced by Mercy.
In 1779 the Banat was incorporated into Hungary (which was province of Austria), and the three counties Torontál, Temes and Krassó were recreated. After the revolution of 1848-1849, the Banat (together with Srem and Backa) was separated from Hungary and made into a part of distinctive Austrian crown land known as the Vojvodina of Serbia and Tamiš Banat (German Woiwodschaft Serbien und Tamisch Banat), but in 1860 this province was abolished and again incorporated into Hungary.
After 1871, the former Military Frontier was reincorporated into the Banat. Krassó and Szörény were united into Krassó-Szörény in 1881.
In 1918 (confirmed by the Treaty of Trianon 1920), most of the Banat became part of Romania (Krassó-Szörény completely, 2/3 of Temes, a small part of Torontál). The southwestern part (most of Torontál, 1/3 of Temes) became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Yugoslavia). A small area near Szeged became part of newly independent Hungary. The territory of Banat is presently in the Romanian counties Timiş, Arad and Caraş-Severin, the Serbian autonomous province of Vojvodina and Belgrade City District, and the Hungarian county Csongrád.
Symbols
The traditional heraldic symbol of the Banat is a lion, which is nowadays present in both the Coat of Arms of Romania and of Vojvodina.
Last updated: 10-23-2005 04:30:26
