[7][6] Jelena Mrgić reject existence of "Donji Kraji Slavonije" altogether, and reject previous etymological discussions among historians, such as Klajić, Jiriček and even Vego, and derives the name, similarly to Pavao Anđelić, from geography (altitude and topography) and political demarcation as a product of solely local Bosnian origin.

[9][10] During the reign of Hrvatinić family, since the beginning of 13th century, the territory of Donji Kraji included areas and župas around Sana river, Glaž, to Grmeč mountain on the west and to the middle course of the Vrbas river on the east, thus covering entire region of Sanica, and later included Uskoplje, Pliva, Luka, Vrbas, Zemljanik (Resnik), Vrbanja, Tribava (Trijebovo), Mel, Lušci and Banjica, and on occasions Dubica and sometimes even Usora.

[11] Vjekoslav Klaić by invoking primary sources and document from 1244, as well as Mrgić, placed the territory of Donji Kraji in northern Bosnia, west from zemlja Usora.

From the Bosnian Cyrillic scripts of the written monuments, we know that Lušci village was in the Donji Kraji but this place is not known today.

[14] By 1167, the Banate of Bosnia and parts of the Croatian Kingdom were captured by the Byzantine Empire,[15] including the Croatian-Hungarian župas of Pliva, Luka, and Vrbanja,[16][17] where the zemlja of Donji Kraji would later develop.

[15] The area of Donji Kraji was granted to Bosnian Ban Kulin by King Bela III for his assistance in the wars with the Byzantines.

[14] The first indirect mention of Donji Kraji was in 1230, when Ban Matej Ninoslav granted the right of tithe collection to the Bishop of Bosnia.

That was mentioned in a bull (decree) by King Bela IV of Hungary dated 20 July 1244, where he emphasized that it was previously granted by Matej Ninoslav.

[24][20] The eponymous founder of the Hrvatinić clan, Hrvatin Stjepanić who was also a blood relative of the Šubić family,[25] held the title of "Knez of Donji Kraji Bosanske zemlje" (transl.

[32] Hrvatin's sons sided with the Croatian nobles who revolted against Mladen II Šubić, who in 1312 also succeeded his father Paul I as the Ban of Bosnia since 1304.

[37] Thus, the charter confirmed Vukoslav his ancestral župas,[9] and in the following years, the Hrvatinići gained control over almost the entire territory of Donji Kraji.

[39] This trend of granting the brothers župas and towns continued in the last charter of Ban Stephen II in 1351, which confirms to Paul and Vuk, heirs of Knez Vukoslav, the inherited estates.

[40] Vukac Hrvatinić was granted župa Luka by a new Bosnian ban Tvrtko I in a charter issued in 11 August 1366 for his loyalty during battles he waged against Hungarian king Louis I.

[33] He was awarded administration of large territories on the Adriatic coast as his Viceroy in Dalmatia, and the title of Herceg of Split, grand Duke of Bosnia and Knez of Donji Kraji.

The reign of Peter was marked by improved connections with the Pope who has repeatedly taken the Knez of Donji Kraji for protection, pointing out that he is the only one among the schismatic Bosnian rulers who has maintained true faith.

The Ottomans caught up to the king's forces at the fortress of Ključ on the Sana, where they imprisoned him and brought him back to Jajce, where he was beheaded in front of Mehmed the Conqueror.

[53] In this period the Banate of Jajce covered the entire area of Donji Kraji, except the župa of Uskoplje, which then was under Ottoman rule.