Balaton principality
| Balaton Principality | ||||||||||
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 Realm under Koceľ
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| Capital | Mosapurc (Zalavár) | |||||||||
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| Government | principality | |||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | |||||||||
| • | Established | 846 | ||||||||
| • | Disestablished | 875 | ||||||||
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| Today part of |
 Hungary Croatia Slovenia Serbia Austria
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The Balaton Principality (Slovak: Blatenské kniežatstvo,Slovene: Blatenska kneževina) or Principality of Lower Pannonia, was a Slavic principality, vassal to the Frankish Empire, or according to others a comitatus (county) of the Frankish Empire, led initially by a dux (Pribina) and later by a comes (Pribina's son, Kocel). It was one of the early Slavic polities (Kocel's title was "Comes de Sclauis" - Count of the Slavs) and was situated mostly in Transdanubia region of modern Hungary, but also included parts of modern Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Austria.
At the beginning of the 9th century, many Carantanians were moved as settlers in Balaton Principality/Lower Pannonia, which was referred in Latin sources as Carantanorum regio or "The Land of the Carantanians". Carantanians/Alpine Slavs were the ancestors of present-day Slovenians. The name Carantanians (Quarantani) was in use until the 13th century.
The Slavic settlement of Pannonia started in the late 5th century after the fall of the Hunnic tribal union. In the late 6th century the Slavs in the territory became subjects of the Avar tribal union (Avar Khaganate). Trouble by internal conflicts as well as external attacks by the Frankish Empire (led by Charles the Great) and the Bulgarian Khanate (led by Khan Krum), the Avar polity collapsed by the early 9th century. Initially, Lower Pannonia lay between the Drava, Danube and Sava rivers, whilst Upper Pannonia lay north of the Drava river. Collectively, the southeastern Slavic marches of the Carolongian empire were called the Eastland (Plaga Orientalis). During the first two decades of the ninth century, Lower Pannonia was ruled by Slavic Prince Ljudevit Posavski, a Frankish vassal. After his rebellion, Louis removed the lands from the Friuliun Duke and placed them under his son's (Louis the German) Bavarian sub-kingdom and the river Raab became the new border between Upper and Lower Pannonia, with the core and the name of Lower Pannonia moving north of the river Drava. The turmoils did not end, as in 827, the Bulgarians invaded much of Lower Pannonia, but were then pushed back by Louis the German the following year.
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