Lost my republic after losing doge elections. Bug or WAD?

[Zak Preston]

We were playing a large MP campaign from CM start, and my adult heir has died from depression at pretty young age. My doge had been holding a couple of feudal (with castles capitals) counties in Slavonia. When he died in a couple of months, my new heir has become the count of Slavonia under the kingdom of Venice and has switched his government form to feudal. Basically my mansion, all trade posts and so on are gome and I'm stuck in dirt-poor Croatian lands. It's also worth mentioning that I didn't have any towns or grand cities (republican counties) under my control.
Is it a bug or is it working as intended? I need to know, because if it's a bug it should be fixed by editting the savegame.

 

[Sergeant Flutter]

Well, since your heir controlled counties, maybe the game counted him as a Count (Feudal) under a Merchant Republic, so when he inherited the entire thing became a kingdom?

 

[Zak Preston]

Well, since your heir controlled counties, maybe the game counted him as a Count (Feudal) under a Merchant Republic, so when he inherited the entire thing became a kingdom?

my heir didn't control anything, but when my character died, his heir has inherited feudal duchy of Slavonia

 

[Sergeant Flutter]

my heir didn't control anything, but when my character died, his heir has inherited feudal duchy of Slavonia

I think this is a bug then. But there may be some incredibly obscure mechanic.