The Eparchy of Banat () is an eparchy (diocese) of the Serbian Orthodox Church covering Banat region in northeastern Serbia.
The episcopal see is located at the Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Vrà ¡ac. Its headquarters and bishop's residence, are also in Vrà ¡ac, both located at the Bishop's Palace.
During the Middle Ages, entire territory of modern Serbian Banat belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary, that had ambivalent attitudes towards the presence of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in its southern and eastern regions, depending on relations with the Byzantine Empire, and medieval Serbia. By the end of the 15th century, Serb presence in those regions was significantly enlarged by continuous migrations that were caused by Ottoman invasion of Serbian lands.
The Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Vrà ¡ac was one of several eparchies created on the territory of Banat during the 16th century under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Patriarchate of PeÃÂ. By the time of the accession of Serbian patriarch Makarije I (1557), much of the Banat region was already conquered by the Turks, who took over TimiÃÂoara in 1552.The region was organized as a Turkish eyalet (province) named the Eyalet of Temeà Âvar.
During the Ottoman rule in the 16th and 17th centuries, Banat was mainly populated by Serbs (also called Rascians) in the west and Vlachs (Romanians) in the east. In some historical sources the entire region was thus referred to as Rascia, and in others as Wallachia. Both Serbs and Romanians in Banat were Orthodox Christians.
At the beginning of the Austro-Turkish War (1593âÂÂ1606), in the spring of 1594, Serbs in Banat started an uprising against Turkish rule. The local Romanians also participated in this uprising. Rebels took Vrà ¡ac and various other towns in Banat and started negotiations with Prince of Transylvania. One of the leaders of the uprising was Serbian Orthodox Bishop Theodore.
During the Austro-Turkish War (1683âÂÂ1699), Serbian patriarch Arsenije III sided with Austrians and appointed Spiridon à  tibica as the new Bishop of Vrà ¡ac in 1694. Austrian troops took over parts of Banat, and the Eparchy of Vrà ¡ac was officially recognized as a diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church by charter of emperor Leopold I in 1695. Under the Treaty of Karlowitz (1699) the Banat remained under Turkish administration.
At the beginning of the Austro-Turkish War (1716âÂÂ1718), when Prince Eugene of Savoy took the Banat region from the Turks, Serbian Bishop of Vrà ¡ac was Mojsije StanojeviÃÂ. He sided with the Austrians and secured official confirmation. After the Treaty of Passarowitz (1718), the region became a Habsburg province and was renamed as the Banat of Temeswar.
The Eparchy of Vrà ¡ac at first went under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Belgrade. During the Austro-Turkish War (1737âÂÂ1739), Serbian Patriarch Arsenije IV sided with the Austrians and made his residence in Sremski Karlovci. The Eparchy of Vrà ¡ac remained under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Karlovci (after 1848 Patriarchate of Karlovci) until 1920, when a united Serbian Patriarchate was re-created.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the prominent Serbian bishops of Vrà ¡ac were Jovan ÃÂorÃÂeviÃÂ, who became Metropolitan of Karlovci in 1769, and Josif RajaÃÂiÃÂ, who became Metropolitan of Karlovci in 1842 and Serbian Patriarch in 1848.
During the World War I (1914âÂÂ1918), many Serbian priests and parish councilors of the Eparchy of Vrà ¡ac were persecuted, imprisoned or sent to concentration camps by the authorities of Austria-Hungary. The region of Banat was liberated and united with Serbia in 1918, becoming part of newly created Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia). The new border with Romania was established in 1919. The Eparchy of Vrà ¡ac was reorganized and renamed as the Eparchy of Banat in 1931.
During the World War II, the territory of the eparchy was occupied by forces of Nazi Germany from 1941 to 1944. German forces committed numerous atrocities against orthodox Serbs in Banat and also against local Jews and Gypsies. After the Liberation in 1944 and the establishment of new communist regime in Yugoslavia, the Eparchy of Banat was kept under constant political pressure, until the collapse of the communist one-party system (1988âÂÂ1990).
From the middle of 16th century up to the beginning of the 18th century, under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Patriarchate of PeÃÂ, bishops of Vrà ¡ac were styled as titular metropolitans, as was customary for all diocesan bishops. Later, under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Karlovci, diocesans of Vrà ¡ac were simply styled as bishops. Title was changed from "Vrà ¡ac" to "Banat" after territorial reorganization in 1931.