Matthew Ninoslav

Matej Ninoslav
Ban of Bosnia
His seal, dated 1240
Reign	Ban of Bosnia
Detail Titles and styles ban (duke)
Born	Bosnia
Father	Radivoje
Occupation	Vassal of the Kingdom of Hungary

Matej Ninoslav (died 1250) was the Ban of Bosnia in the period of 1232–50. Most of Bosnia was under the Kingdom of Hungary from 1235 to 1241. Ninoslav was also a Prince of Split in 1242–1244 during the local civil war. Ninoslav established control of most of Bosnia after the Hungarian withdrawal. Ninoslav continually defended Bosnia during the Bosnian Crusade that prosecuted its heretic population. He was succeeded by his cousin, Ban Prijezda, in 1254.

Before his rule, early in his life, Ninoslav was an opposer of the Bogumils, a faithful Hungarian supporter and a pious Catholic Christian. Entering his rule, Matej Ninoslav forcibly replaced his predecessor, Stjepan Kulinić with the help of the adherents of the Bogumil Bosnian Church, which caused good relations with Serbia to sour.

During his rule, Ninoslav served as a faithful Hungarian vassal, but was greatly underestimated during his reign. The Prenestine Bishop James, serving as the Pope's legate, finished a business in Hungary and came to Bosnia to influence Matej Ninoslav to give a statement that he will remain a Catholic, even though his ancestors were Bogomil heretics. The Roman Pope wrote a letter to Matej Ninoslav thus on 10 October 1233, guaranteeing his integrity and putting him under his protectorate:

Hugging you with true love, your person and your land of Bosnia. We accept under the protection of Saint Peter and Us with all the lands, that you rightfully hold, and We stand by you through the protection of this letter, as long as you remain in Catholic religion...