Brailo Tezalović


Brailo Tezalović was a merchant, nobleman and diplomat, who served Bosnian magnate Pavle Radenović and his family, with the titles of carinik and knez. Brailo was born into a merchant family from Prača in eastern Bosnia, the son of Mihoje and Vladija, and grandson of Radan. He had three younger brothers, Bogiša, Hval, and Vukosav. Brailo was first mentioned in a document dated to June 1392, then mentioned in February 1399 as a customs official of count Pavle Radenović in Ledenice. In the following years he was a diplomat in the service of the Pavlović noble family. Brailo Tezalović, Bogdan Muržić and Brajko Hvaonić, all from Prača, were the biggest merchants in Bosnia of their time. The main article of commerce was lead, likely mostly from the mine of Olovo. The debts of individuals in Bosnia were different and ranged around 100 ducats, but sometimes could cross over 1000 ducats ; Brailo, as the representative of another merchant from Prača, raised the credit to 2965 ducats. In 1411, Brailo is mentioned as the protovestijar of Pavle for the first time. Only in 1413, Brailo sent 11,5 wagons of lead to the Republic of Ragusa. He was first mentioned with the title of knez on 31 July 1421, and was inscribed as a witness in the charters of the Pavlović in 1427, 1432 and 1433. His importance at the Pavlović court is evident from the fact that the Ragusans viewed him as an especially important person in the discussions over the sale of Konavle; when the sale was finalized, Brailo received 500 ducats and a parcel of land from Ragusa. He was mentioned as deceased on 28 January 1446.
In ca. 1466, nine noblemen from Hum stated before the Ragusan government that they had "served and courted together with knez Brailo and his brother for lord vojvoda Pavle Radenović.