Porga of Croatia

Porga
Duke of Croatia
Reign	Second half of the 7th century
Father	Unnamed Croatian duke

Porga or Porin (Iranian pouru-gâo, translated as "rich in cattle") was one of the first dukes of the Duchy of Croatia.

According to Constantine VII (r. 913 to 959) in De Administrando Imperio during the reign of Emperor Heraclius (r. 610–641), the White Croats settled in the province of Dalmatia after being expelled by the Avars. The 31st chapter has 1.4: "These same Croats had the father of Ποργα (Porga) for their archon at that time". and 1.5: "The Emperor Heraclius ordered and brought priests from Rome, and made of them an archbishop and a bishop and presbyters and deacons, and baptized the Croats; at that time these Croats had Porga for their archon"., while the 30th chapter has 2.10. "From that time they remained independent and autonomous, and they requested holy baptism from Rome, so bishops were sent to baptize them in the time of their archon Πορίνου (Porinou)".

Scholars including Henry Hoyle Howorth believed that Porga was the son of one of five brothers who had left White Croatia. He also noted that his name was uncommon and not of Slavic origin. Czech historian Pavel Jozef Šafárik compared the name to Purgas, which was the name of a Mordvins chief mentioned in 1229. Howorth considered that the Croats were subject to "alien princes, perhaps of Avar descent."Franjo Rački considered that Porga could have been a foreign transcription of the Slavic name Borko.

According to the tradition included in DAI, the White Croats were led by five brothers Kloukas (Κλουκας), Lobelos (Λόβελος), Kosentzis (Κοσέντζης), Mouchlo (Μουχλώ), Chrobatos (Χρωβάτος), and two sisters Touga (Τουγά) and Bouga (Βουγά). The exact origin and derivation of their names are not completely known, but it is certain that these names are not of Slavic origin. It could have been transcribed from the Slavic name Borko.

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