Ban

Ban, a Persian title meaning 'lord,' 'master,' or 'keeper,' and brought into Europe by the Avars. Formerly, it was bestowed on some of the military chiefs who guarded the eastern boundaries of the Hungarian kingdom, and was therefore synonymous with the German Markgraf. The ban, who was appointed by the sovereign, but not for life, and whose appointment had to be ratified by the national diet, had originally very extensive powers. In political, judicial, and military affairs, he was the supreme authority within his Banat. The most important banats were those of Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Bosnia, Machow, and Szörény, afterwards formed into the double banat of Dalmatia and Croatia. In 1849, Croatia, Slavonia, and Dalmatia were transformed into Austrian crownlands, and the ban made wholly independent of Hungary; but in 1868 Croatia and Slavonia were reunited with Hungary. One of the Hungarian ministers superintends the affairs of the 'Kingdoms of Croatia and Slavonia,' while there is a special local administration for internal affairs. The head of this administration is called the Ban.