The medieval period in the history of Serbia began in the 6th century with the Slavic migrations to Southeastern Europe , and lasted until the Ottoman conquest of Serbian lands in the second half of the 15th century. The period is also extended to 1537, when Pavle Bakić , the last titular Despot of Serbia in Hungarian exile, fell in the Battle of Gorjani .
189-478: At the time of settling, Serbs were already transitioning from a tribal community into a feudal society. The first Serbian state with established political identity was founded by prince Vlastimir in the mid-9th century. It was followed by other Serbian proto states, unstable due to the constant clashes with the Bulgarians , Hungarians and Byzantines , and by the conflict between Rome and Constantinople regarding
378-504: A patriarchal cross and a Greek inscription that reads: "Strojimir" and "God, Help Serbia" . A street in Novi Sad is named after Vlastimir ( Ulica Kneza Vlastimira ). Stefan Lazarevi%C4%87 Stefan Lazarević ( Serbian Cyrillic : Стефан Лазаревић , c. 1377 – 19 July 1427), also known as Stefan the Tall ( Serbian : Стефан Високи , romanized : Stefan Visoki ),
567-677: A three-year-war , in which the Bulgarian army was devastated and driven out. Vlastimir then turned to the west, expanding well into the hinterland of Dalmatia. He is the eponymous founder of the Vlastimirović dynasty , the first Serbian dynasty . The prince ( archon ) that led the Serbs to the Balkans and received the protection of Heraclius (r. 610–641), known conventionally as the Unknown Archont ,
756-409: A Frankish vassal, Duke Trpimir I of Croatia , in 846/848, who defeated the strategos . Vlastimir was succeeded by his three sons about 851. Vlastimir had three sons and one daughter: Vlastimir's three sons successfully fought off an onslaught by Boris I of Bulgaria in 853 or 854 (shortly after the death of Vlastimir ), when they captured 12 great boyars and the commander himself, Vladimir ,
945-596: A Hungarian local nobleman Kisa attacked a domain in Bosnia of certain Ciaslavus (Časlav) with which some scholars identify Časlav from DAI , but it is highly disputable. Supporting scholars date the event, known as the Magyar–Serb conflict , sometime between 950 and 960. Vlastimir Vlastimir ( Serbian Cyrillic : Властимир , Greek : Βλαστίμηρος ; c. 805 – 851) was the prince of Serbia from c. 830 until c. 851. Little
1134-507: A Serbian bishopric was founded . The Christianization is evident in the tradition of theophoric names found in the next generation of Serbian monarchs ( e.g. , Petar Gojniković , Pavle Branović ). The three branches of Vlastimir's sons continued a succession war over the decades. The Bulgars under Boris I were persuaded by Moravian Prince Rastislav to attack Louis the German of East Francia . The Bulgar-Slav campaign ended in disaster, and
1323-687: A campaign against the Wallachian voievode Mircea I (1386–1418). In this campaign, Stefan personally led the Serbian heavy cavalry , while Serbian nobles Marko (1371–1395), Constantine Dragaš and Konstantin Balšić led their forces. Bayezid's forces crossed the Danube and the battle of Rovine took place on 17 May 1395, near present-day Pitești , with a Wallachian victory. In the battle, Marko and Dragaš were killed, and Bayezid annexed their lands. According to Constantine
1512-607: A civil war between his sons for throne. From Bursa, Stefan and his brother Vuk Lazarević went to Constantinople, which was relieved after several years of Ottoman blockade. John VII Palaiologos (who ruled in place of his absent uncle Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos ) awarded Prince Stefan in August 1402 the high Byzantine title of Despot , which in Byzantine hierarchy was just beneath the Imperial. In addition, Stefan married Helen Gattilusio ,
1701-596: A concept of spreading the religion. Though records mention no Christianization attempts toward the Serbs specifically, there are writings regarding the, more or less successful missionary attempts among the Bavarians and Thuringians , the neighboring Germanic tribes which were conquered by the Franks in the 6th century. Though the DAI asserts that already during the reign of Emperor Heraclius
1890-489: A direct Serbian involvement. The defeat of the Bulgarians, who had become one of the greater powers in the 9th century, shows that Serbia was an organized entity, fully capable of defending its borders, and possessing military and administrative organization. It is not known whether Serbia at the time of Vlastimir had a fortification system or developed military structures in which the župan had clearly defined roles. After
2079-569: A joint command and thus poorly coordinated on the battlefield. Also, they were both unfamiliar and ignorant of the Ottoman army's war methods. After initial Crusader success, the Ottomans initiated a counterattack that ended after the entry of the Hungarian knights in battle, which began to suppress them. In this turning point of the battle, the Serbian heavy cavalry led by Stefan Lazarević himself broke through
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#17328592911802268-577: A little later she settled permanently in Stefan's castle, in Belgrade . It is interesting to note that a group of imprisoned Serbs were taken to Samarkand where they were employed on construction works. On the other hand, Timur's forces had already left Asia Minor in 1403, and Timur himself died in early 1405, during his expedition to China. In the Ottoman Empire , Bayezid's capture, and then his death, brought on
2457-514: A number of years, Višeslav was born who fathered Radoslav , who fathered Prosigoj , who fathered Vlastimir . There are no dates in this genealogy, but some can be extrapolated. The first archon arrived during the 610-626 period, and died (long time?) before the Bulgar invasion which occurred in 680. Historian Konstantin Jireček in his History of the Serbs I , page 69, estimates the rule of Višeslav,
2646-625: A peace was signed in 855. The following year, the Byzantine army, led by Michael III and caesar Bardas , recaptured Philippopolis ( Plovdiv ), the region of Zagora and the ports around the Gulf of Burgas on the Black Sea. In 863, the Byzantines invaded the Khanate once again, during a period of famine and natural disasters. Boris I was forced to sign a peace and to convert to Christianity, in return for which he
2835-457: A relatively strong state. There is no data of the activities of Vuk Branković during this period. It is certain that after the Battle of Kosovo he was sought to expand his area ( among other things, he has conquered the part of Polimlje ) and he used the same title that was used before him by Prince Lazar (lord of Serbs and Podunavije ). However, by early May 1390, he felt threatened and he asked
3024-730: A result of the Byzantine-Bulgarian rivalry, in which Serbia was an Imperial ally. It was not unlikely that the Emperor had a part in it; as he was at war with the Arabs, he may have pushed the Serbs to drive the Bulgaria from western Macedonia, which would benefit them both. According to J. Bury, this alliance would explain Malamir's action. Zlatarski supposes that the Emperor offered the Serbs complete independence in return. According to Porphyrogenitus,
3213-721: A sense of camaraderie with the forces of Timur. This allowed the Timur's forces to break Bayezid's left wing and encircle his center, where was located the Sultan with his janissaries (around 10,000 ). On the right wing, there were Bayezid's vassals, among whom were Đurađ Branković and his brother Grgur, Stefan's brother Vuk, and Stefan himself, who was also a commander of the right wing. He fought bravely, which caused admiration from Timur. Prince Stefan and his knights, which according to chronicler Duka and several contemporaries, were 5000 heavily armed men with spears, including cavalry, repeatedly attacked
3402-665: A short stay in Lesbos. Their first stop was Zeta , ruled by Đurađ II Balšić , the husband of Stefan's sister Jelena. Đurađ II received them at his capital in Ulcinj , after which Stefan began organizing the army for a confrontation with Branković. Stefan's mother gathered an army in Serbia, while at the same time Branković and Ottoman troops took control of roads in Kosovo to prevent the return of Stefan. In late October, Stefan's army from Bar , moved across
3591-532: A small geographical area, usually a river valley or a basin with the villages in it, bounded by the surrounding hills. The unit was called župa and the local chieftain who administered it was called župan . Župans, in turn, were subordinated to the knez or prince ( archon , ἄρχων in Greek; dux in Latin). The knez was the supreme elder and ruler of the entire people while župans were intermediaries between him and
3780-606: A small military elite which managed to organize other already settled and more numerous Slavs. Historical source which reappeared in the 9th century mention Serbs as a people "which is said to be holding the large part of Dalmatia", but Dalmatia in the Roman sense, as a region between the Adriatic on the south, the Sava on the north and the Drina (or Ibar ) on the east, but according to John (Jr.) Fine ,
3969-563: A vassal of the Ottoman, while in the territorial sense, regain Thessaloniki and a number of cities on the coast of the Bosphorus and Black Sea. One of the provisions of this contract referred to Stefan, although he probably did not take part in its conclusion. Stefan kept his former possessions, but had to still pay tribute and send the Sultan support militarily, although he was not obliged to lead them himself. The Kingdom of Hungary at that time
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#17328592911804158-847: A western and eastern branch, of parallel streams, roughly divided in the Timok – Osogovo – Šar line. Apart from the Serbs and the Croats, some of the Slavic tribes which settled the Balkan peninsula included: According to archaeological evidence in Serbia, mainly along Morava River Basin (which was settled by Bulgarian-Slavic tribes of Timočani, Eastern Obotrites and Moravians), the Slavs may have reached it earlier than thought, between late 6th and early 7th century, according many findings of fibulae and Slavic pottery at Roman forts, but "no grave has been found so far to be related to
4347-462: A while, those same Serbs decided to return to their [home]land and the emperor dispatched them. After they crossed the Danube, however, they changed their mind and sent out a note to the Emperor Heraclius, through the strategos of Singidunum, that they want him to give them another land to settle. And since the modern Serbia and Paganija and the so called land of Zachlumia and Travunija and
4536-473: Is known of her death or burial; and, most unusual, she did not appear in any of the post-1402 fresco portraits of Stefan". Luttrell concludes "Maybe she was too young for the marriage to be consummated, and perhaps she stayed on Lesbos and never traveled to Serbia; possibly she died soon after her marriage." Stefan Lazarević was born, probably, in 1377 in Kruševac , the capital of his father, Prince Lazar . After
4725-680: Is known of his reign. He held Serbia during the growing threat posed by the neighbouring, hitherto peaceful, First Bulgarian Empire , which had expanded significantly toward Serbia. At the time, the Bulgarian Empire and the Byzantine Empire were at peace by treaty, and although the Byzantine Emperor was overlord of the Serb lands, he was unable to aid the Serbs in a potential war. Presian I of Bulgaria eventually invaded Serbia, resulting in
4914-602: Is nevertheless a war waged without major battles and a clear winner. In the negotiations on concluding a peace as a mediator intervened and Despot Stefan himself, but they were unsuccessful, although guided by a number of occasions. He was first in May 1406 mediated by the Venetians, then in June 1407 when he was with his sister Mara and Niketa Thopia supposed to guarantee that the Balša III fulfill
5103-491: Is when the first Christian names appear among the Serbs. Prince Mutimir , who ruled c. 850-891 named his son Stefan Mutimirović , while his nephew was named Petar Gojniković . Serbs who were relocated to Gordoserba in the Asia Minor were probably already Christianized by the end of the 7th century, as they had their bishop and were presumably part of the army of "selected peoples" (Christians) in 692. From this period originates
5292-491: The Merehani as the people that bordered the Franks furthest away. They lived in the valleys of the present-day Morava river basin , and were still unconquered by the Bulgarians. However, after 845, Bulgaria added these Slavs to their societas ; they are last mentioned in 853. The Byzantines were also active in the hinterland of Dalmatia, to the west of Serbia; the strategos of the cities of Dalmatia came into conflict with
5481-540: The Battle of Kosovo on 15 June 1389, where his father was killed, Stefan became the new Serbian prince, but before he became of age the state was ruled by his mother, Princess Milica. In the battle of Kosovo in 1389, both rulers were killed, the Serbian Prince Lazar and Ottoman Sultan Murad I , a rare occurrence in history. (Murad I was the first and the last Ottoman ruler who was killed on the battlefield). He came to
5670-668: The Byzantine–Bulgarian war of 894–896 , which was continued as the Byzantine–Bulgarian war of 913–927 . This affected Serbia a lot. One of the most important moments in this second war was the Battle of Anchialus , held on 20 August 917, when Simeon defeated the Byzantines. Peter apparently leaned on the Byzantine side. Right before the battle, on the bank of the Neretva river, he met with Leo Rhabdouchos , Byzantine strategos of Dyrrachium . Michael Višević , ruler of Zachlumia, who held good personal relations with Simeon, dispatched this to
5859-546: The Christianization with the Byzantines getting the upper hand in the 9th century. By the second-half of the 10th century Principality of Serbia , enlarged but unconsolidated, prone to the internal tribalism and foreign attacks, collapsed leaving Serbian lands to the plunderers. Serbian statehood moved to Duklja , which at one point reunited almost all Serbian lands, but the Byzantines successfully sidelined it. The stable, unified, and continuous Grand Principality of Serbia
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6048-479: The Dinarides and reached the Adriatic coast, but a closer reading of the DAI suggests that Constantine VII's consideration about the Serbian ethnic identity of the population of Pagania , Travunia and Zachlumia is based on 10th century Serbian political rule and does not indicate ethnic origin, neither a small group of people led by " Unknown Archon " could settle a large territory and they most probably arrived as
6237-762: The Gargano Promontory , close to Sipont, where they set their tent camp. They confronted the Lombards ' duke Aiulf I , killing him. They were then approached by the Aiulf's adopted younger brother Radoald who "spoke their language", confusing the Slavs long enough to defeat them and expel them from the Apennine Peninsula . Unlike some later attacks on modern Italian soil, it is unknown which specific Slavic tribe conducted this excursion. However, with some other data (Italian monks claim that Slavs acknowledged paramount rule of
6426-547: The Order of the Dragon . At the same time (1403 or early in 1404) Stefan attacked lands of Branković around river Sitnica , and then began to attack the areas under Ottoman control, in which it might have had and Hungarian military support troops. It is not known exactly from which cities and regions has managed to push the Ottomans, but it is thought that his offensive was directed toward eastern Serbia, and Kosovo. After these successes, he
6615-612: The Peter's Church in Ras, built in the 7-9th century. The oldest phase of the construction of the Church of Saint Apostles Peter and Paul (Bijelo Polje) [ sr ] in Bijelo Polje (Montenegro) was moved also to the 8th century after the recent re-examination of the construction works and stone ornaments, and was enhanced or finished in the 12th century. Remains of the 8th-century churches, before
6804-531: The Republic of Ragusa to facilitate his safety, if it comes in a quandary, which could be linked with the Ottoman detachments who helped Stefan during the summer to suppress the Hungarians from their state. But there is no evidence that there was some hostility between Stefan and Vuk Branković. There was recorded in the sources that Vuk attended in formal transfer of Prince Lazar's holy body from his capital Priština to
6993-541: The Royal Frankish Annals by Einhard , that recorded Serbs (in 822) who controlled great part of Dalmatia (" ad Sorabos, quae natio magnam Dalmatiae partem obtinere dicitur "). It was the oldest historical record which mentioned the name Serbs and gave some details about them. In contemporary historiography and archaeology, the narratives of De Administrando Imperio have been reassessed as they contain anachronisms and factual mistakes. The account in DAI about
7182-696: The Trullan Council , held in Constantinople in 692, bishop Isidore of Gordoserba was mentioned, which is the possibly first mention of the Serbian name in the south of Europe. Prior to the migration to the south, while still living in the Polabian region, Serbs may be among the first Slavic people who came in contact with Christianity. In the 7th century, they became part of the Merovingian kingdom , which not only had Christianity as an official religion but also had
7371-646: The White Croatia ". The emperor also describes how the Serbian tribe was divided in two, with one group migrating to the Balkans: As two brothers inherited the rule over the Serbs after their father, one of them, taking a half of the people with him, migrated over to Heraclius, emperor of the Romans, who took him in, and gave him the settling location in the Theme of Thessalonica , which is since then called Servia . But, after
7560-441: The "emperors in Constantinople" ( Heraclius and his son Heraklonas ) about the constant harassment by the Slavs, which prompted the emperors to issue an order to the "Goths and Slavs" to leave the town alone, which they complied to. The 8th century History of the Lombards by Paul the Deacon tells about the Slavic flotilla which attacked the town of Sipont in Italy in 642 (or 646). The Slavs arrived with "many ships", landed on
7749-479: The Avars in their, mostly destructive enterprises, into the Byzantine territory. They destroyed and conquered one by one city and fortress which constituted the Danubian Limes , northern border of the empire, like Sirmium (582) and Singidunum (modern Belgrade , 584). In 584 and 586 the Slavs already besieged Thessaloniki , on the Aegean Sea , raided Dalmatia in 597 while the entire limes collapsed by 602. The decisive phase followed, mostly from 610 to 626, when
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7938-422: The Balkans and allied with the more numerous Slavs living in the region, forming an independent and well organized political entity, the First Bulgarian Empire in 681. The major expansion of Bulgaria began in the first half of the 9th century when they attacked Constantinople and conquered numerous Slavic tribes on the Balkans ( Guduscani , doubtful, and Timočani , which fled to the Frankish controlled areas in
8127-418: The Balkans during the reign of Emperor Heraclius (r. 610–641); however, some scholars consider that the Serbian tribe was not part of some later migration, as usually held by historiography, rather than migrating with the rest of early Slavs from Eastern Europe (with Đ. Janković theorizing even earlier presence of the Serbs and Antes in the Danube region). For the first two centuries after the settlement, from
8316-436: The Bulgarian Empire, and sought, together with the Danubian Obotrites and Guduscani , protection from Holy Roman Emperor Louis the Pious (r. 813–840), and met him at his court at Herstal . The Timočani migrated into Frankish territory, somewhere in Lower Pannonia, and were last mentioned in 819, when they were persuaded by Ljudevit to join him in fighting the Franks. The Danubian Obotrites stayed in Banat , and resisted
8505-466: The Bulgarian emperor, accusing Petar of collusion with the Byzantines. He also reported that the Byzantines are bribing Peter in order for him to cooperate with the Hungarians in the joint attack against Bulgaria. This was used by Simeon to start the Bulgarian–Serbian wars of 917–924 . Bulgarian army which attacked Serbia was headed by Pavle Branović , son of blinded Bran. Despite that safety was granted to Petar because of his close relations with Simeon, he
8694-412: The Bulgarians until 824, when nothing more is heard of them. The khan sent envoys to the Franks and requested that the precise boundary be demarcated between them, and negotiations lasted until 826, when the Franks neglected him. The Bulgarians answered by attacking the Slavs that lived in Pannonia, and subjugated them, then sent ships up the Drava river, and, in 828, devastated Upper Pannonia, north of
8883-476: The Bulgarians wanted to continue their conquest to the west and force the Serbs into subjugation. Presian I (r. 836–852) launched an invasion into Serbian territory in 839, which led to a war that lasted for three years, in which the Serbs were victorious; the defeated Presian lost a large number of his men, made no territorial gains, and was driven out by Vlastimir's army . The Serbs held out in their easily defensible forests and gorges, and knew how to fight in
9072-461: The Bulgarians, managed to briefly capture the city of Dostinika, but was ultimately defeated and killed by Peter. During his reign, Petar kept good relations with both the Byzantine emperor Leo VI the Wise (ruled 886–912) and the emperor Simeon I of Bulgaria , second son of late emperor Boris, (893-927). He was connected with Simeon by the peace treaty but also with the custom of kumstvo . Strains between Bulgarian and Byzantine empires resulted in
9261-412: The Byzantine efforts to weaken the Bulgarian-Frankish alliance against the Great Moravia and cultural turning of the Bulgarians to Rome. The Serbian army led by Mutimir and his brothers was again victorious, capturing the leader of the Bulgarian army, and Boris' son and heir, Vladimir of Bulgaria and 12 boyars . This pressured Boris to reluctantly agree to a peace treaty. As a guarantee that his son and
9450-418: The Byzantine emperor), the well equipped attack on the Lombards, main opponents of the Byzantine Empire in Italy, points to the close connections between the Slavs and the Byzantines and the Byzantine overall influence, corroborating the DAI s claim that Serbs settled in the Balkans in accordance with the Byzantine emperor. Through linguistical studies, it is concluded that the early South Slavs were made up of
9639-416: The Byzantines and Bulgarians, signed in 815, was still in effect. According to Constantine VII, the Serbs and Bulgaria had lived peacefully as neighbours until the invasion in 839 (in the last years of Theophilos). It is not known what exactly prompted the war, as Porphyrogenitus gives no clear answer; whether it was a result of Serbian-Bulgarian relations, i.e. , the Bulgar conquest to the southeast, or
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#17328592911809828-473: The Christianization process was finished, include localities of Bilimišće ( Zenica , previously thought to be late-Roman church from the 5th or the 6th century), Dabravine ( Visoko ), Mali Mošunj ( Vitez ), Lepenica ( Kiseljak ), but also in the vicinities of Stolac , Ljubuški , Livno , Glamoč , Foča , Breza (all in modern Bosnia) and Imotski (Croatia). However, though active during this period, many of them may be pre-Slavic, Roman churches. Either through
10017-411: The Crusader lines fell apart and a carnage ensued. One of the participants in the battle, Johann Schiltberger , described the Serbian attack: When all of (Turkish) warriors were killed, King was attacked by another unit consisting of cavalry. When the Turkish sultan saw king's attack, he was about to flee the battlefield, but the Duke of Rascia (Serbia), known as the despot, seeing this, rushed to help
10206-400: The Danube. Nicopolis, which had a large Ottoman garrison, was besieged. The siege broke the blockade of Constantinople, forcing Bayezid to send troops towards the Danube, joining forces with Stefan Lazarević's heavy cavalary near Plovdiv . A great battle took place on 25 September 1396 in which the Crusader forces were completely destroyed. Although numerically superior, the Crusader army lacked
10395-427: The Drava. There was more fighting in 829 as well, and by this time, the Bulgarians had conquered all of their former Slavic allies. The Bulgarian state had a general policy of expansion in which they would first impose the payment of tribute on a neighboring people and the obligation of supplying military assistance in the form of an alliance (societas), leaving them internal self-government and local rulers, and when
10584-412: The Franks (819–822). According to the Royal Frankish Annals , written in 822, Ljudevit went from his seat at Sisak to the Serbs, who controlled a great part of Dalmatia . In the east, the Bulgarian Empire grew strong. In 805, khan Krum conquered the Braničevci , Timočani and Obotrites , to the east of Serbia, banished their tribal chiefs, and replaced them with administrators appointed by
10773-433: The Governance of the Empire", DAI ), compiled by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus , mentions that the White Serbs relocated from the land of Bojka , also called the White Serbia . Historiography can't pinpoint for sure where that is, but the general consensus is that it was around the region of Bohemia ( Boihaemum = Bojka) and Saxony . After a death of the Serbian prince, his two sons took over
10962-553: The Hungarian King Sigismund and with recognition directly Bayezid I supreme power gain independence in lands of Prince Stefan. The exact course of further events is not precisely known, but it is evident that Stefan knew of the plot, having known of it via Mihajlo. He invited Duke Novak, who had estates in Toplica (probably the lands around Kuršumlija ) and in Hvosno (the village of Crkolez near Peć ), to his castle and killed him. After that Belocrkvić, who had estates around Rudnik , and his family (wife and four daughters) fled to
11151-537: The Hungarian King Sigismund. Veliko Tarnovo was besieged and Bulgaria devastated; the Bulgarian ruler Ivan Shishman was Stefan's brother-in-law. After this, many Bulgarian scholars sought refuge in neighboring Christian countries, among which were Serbia. At the end of 1393 and early 1394, Bayezid I began gathering his Christian vassals at Serres . Byzantine sources tell that among the vassals were Stefan, Emperor Manuel II (1391–1425), his nephew John VII (1390) and his brother Theodore I of Morea (r. 1383–1407), and
11340-429: The Hungarian lines and surrounded King Sigismund, attacking the Hungarian banner troops of Nicholas II Garay. Garay's troops were dispersed, which had a decisive influence on the course of the battle, because some of the Crusaders thought that Sigismund had died and that the battle was lost, while the Hungarian commanders convinced Sigismund that the battle was practically lost and that it was better to withdraw. After that,
11529-412: The Isaurian began to transfer regions and cities to the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople , including some parts of the Balkans. Despite this, the division wasn't as sharp as it will become after the East–West Schism in 1054. The most important material testimony of the Christianization of the Serbs and other Slavs is the oldest known Christian temple among in Serbian lands,
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#173285929118011718-563: The Ottomans retained strategic locations under their direct rule. In addition, the Ottoman forces marched into Hungary and plundered its southern parts, especially Zemun (which was devastated) and Sremska Mitrovica (which was burned down, and its population displaced). The Ottomans continued the offensive in the Balkans in January 1398 and attacked Bosnia . The leader of the action was one of Bayezid's sons, Musa Çelebi , and Prince Stefan joined them with Serbian extra squads. This campaign, besides looting Bosnia, did not achieve any success, and
11907-462: The Ottomans, and Priština, which we know that in March the same year, was part of the state of Stefan Lazarević. Great changes of events in Asia Minor and Southeastern Europe were caused by an invasion of the Tatars under the leadership of Tamerlane , one of the great conquerors in world history. His invasion into Asia Minor forced Bayezid I to gather his forces and try to confront him in battle, which took place 28 July 1402, near from Angora (Ankara,
12096-417: The Philosopher in his Life of Stefan Lazarević , before the battle Marko said to Dragaš: "I pray God to help the Christians and that I will be among the first dead in this war." The Ottoman forces then took over Vidin , and reinforced by Serbian detachments during the summer of 1396 marched into Banat , after attacking the lands of Vuk Branković and conquering a large part of it with Priština . However,
12285-521: The Roman historians Tacitus and Pliny the Elder and by Claudius Ptolemy , under the name Veneti in the 1st and 2nd century AD. In the 6th century, Byzantine author Procopius and Gothic historian Jordanes mention them as Sclaveni . By this time, the Slavs already settled in the wide areas of central and eastern Europe, reaching lower and central Danube regions and invading Byzantine territories from Thrace , throughout Illyricum , up to Pannonia and Dalmatia . De Administrando Imperio ("On
12474-417: The Serbian lord Constantine Dragaš . It is believed that Bayezid I planned to kill the vassals at the meeting and take their lands. He gave the order to kill them, but it was not done immediately, then he changed his mind, after which some of them went home, while the rest of them completed the conquest of Thessaly and Thessaloniki (12 April). During the autumn of 1394, Bayezid started gathering forces for
12663-554: The Serbian throne is inherited by the son , i.e. , the first-born, though on one occasion there is a triumvirate in his enumeration of monarchs. The DAI's account about the Serbian ethnic settlement and establishment of several future principalities by the 10th century is considered as highly disputable: Serbia (roughly the later province of Rascia , including Bosnia ; part of Zagorje - "hinterlands"); and Pagania , Zachlumia , Travunia (including Kanalitai ) and Dioclea (part of Pomorje - "maritime"). Višeslav ,
12852-400: The Serbs ( civitas , or city-states). Ljudevit then fled to the Croatian domain, but was soon murdered. During the 822 uprising, Serbs supported the rebellion, thus siding against the Frankish Empire and indirectly supporting the Byzantines, but it is unknown to which extent they participated in the skirmishes between two empires in the 8th and the 9th century. In 680 the Bulgars settled on
13041-476: The Serbs during his reign ( Bulgar–Serb War (839–842) ) in order to "subdue them". Unlike the tribes on the east, Vlastimir decided to stand the ground and not to lead Serbs to the west. Aside from the Bulgarians, he was surrounded by the Franks on the entire north, west and southwest side, including the vassal Zachlumia. He tried to strengthen his position by connecting with the subordinated Travunija, marrying his daughter into Travunija's ruling family. However, after
13230-419: The Serbs in 924, but were defeated. Both commanders were killed and their heads, so as the confiscated weapons, were sent to the Byzantine emperor as the trophies. Later that year Simeon sent much larger army. Among the soldier was Klonimir's son, Časlav Klonimirović. In front of the much larger Bulgarian army, Zaharija fled to Croatia. The Bulgarian Empire summoned Serbian župans to gather and accept Časlav as
13419-426: The Serbs mentions that they requested from the Byzantine commander of present-day Belgrade to settle in the theme of Thessalonica , which was formed ca. 150 years after the reign of Heraclius which was in the 7th century. For the purposes of its narrative, the DAI formulates a mistaken etymology of the Serbian ethnonym which it derives from Latin servi (serfs). The DAI mentioned that the Serbs from Polabia settled
13608-510: The Serbs settled only a small, isolated and mutually distant river valleys, karst fields and fertile basins. Those patches of the territory had fertile land, suitable for the agriculture, while the barely accessible, some mountain regions remained uninhabited. By the 7th century, the Serbs scattered all the way south to the Peloponnesus and other regions of Greece, while the emperor Heraclius originally settled them around Thessaloniki. However,
13797-467: The Serbs were Christianized and that the process was performed by the priests from Rome , it took some time before the new religion spread through the entire population. Other reports confirm that the church missionary activities were organized among the South Slavs already from the late 7th and mid-8th century. The process was mostly finished by the late 9th century during Byzantine Emperor Basil I which
13986-463: The Serbs were not mentioned during first Siege of Thessalonica (617) and second Siege of Thessalonica (676–678) , indicating the Serbs did not live in the area before and after that date. Emperor Justinian II possibly resettled some Serbs from the surroundings of Thessaloniki to Bithynia , in Asia Minor , in 688–689, and there they founded the town/district of Gordoservon . Among the participants of
14175-411: The Slavs raided the inland of the Balkans, destroying large cities and ravaging the area between the Danube on the north and south of Greece , including the repeated sieges of Thessalonica in 616 and 618, and of Constantinople itself in 626. Only defeat at Constantinople stopped the raids and pacified the situation on the peninsula, but by that time large portions of the Balkans were already inhabited by
14364-644: The Slavs with a degree of certainty" and "the date when the Slavs started settling in Illyricum remains a question". In the Danube Basin of Serbia ( Vojvodina ) thirteen sites show that the earliest presence of Slavs in that area could be dated to the late second-half of the 6th century or later (with radiocarbon dating of 7-8th century), and possibly served as foederati protecting the Byzantine border fortresses. The sites have paralles with findings from both Central and Lower Danube and Sava Basin, with analogies showing that
14553-527: The Slavs. Around 640, the Avar-Slavic party raided the city of Salona on Dalmatian Adriatic coast, capturing Christian residents and numerous religious artifacts, including relics of the Saint Domnius and Saint Venantius of Salona . Pope John IV sent abbot Martin to buy off the prisoners and relics, whose account on the event survived. At the same time, citizens of the neighboring Spalatum complained to
14742-512: The State Assembly with the support of Serbian Patriarch Spyridon (1379–1389), decided on the conclusion of peace and acceptance of the supremacy of the sultan Bayezid I, after which they began negotiations with the Ottomans, who ended by concluding peace, before the middle of year 1390. Details of making this decision are not closely familiar, but it is certain that peace was made before the death of Patriarch Spirydon, 18 August 1389. According to
14931-541: The Sultan Bayezid in Bursa . The consequences of this peace were immediately visible because already in summer 1390, Serbian forces reinforced with extra Ottoman detachments, recaptured the lost cities, and probably in part of these operations the Ottomans took Golubac . Stefan militarily supported various Ottoman campaigns while Bayazid I in return supported Stefan against his nobles and his restoring of Serbia which would become
15120-555: The Turkish sultan, with 15,000 people and many other knights, and his men crushed king's banner and broke it. According to some, Serbian forces were hidden in a grove on the left wing of Bayezid forces, making a sudden attack on the Hungarians probably from the side. A significant role was played by Stephen II Lackfi and Mircea I, because they withdrew from the battlefield with their forces just before Stefan's attack, leaving Sigismund without support. They had probably dealt with Stefan before
15309-437: The battle, its participants and circumstances were enshrined and immortalized in folk poetry and literature. It transcended the historical importance, reaching a spiritual level by the 19th century, and turned Kosovo into the "Jerusalem of the Serbs". Despite the defeat, Serbia endured for another 70 years, experiencing a territorial and cultural revival under Despot Stefan Lazarević (1389-1427). Serbian resistance continued until
15498-533: The battle. Sigismund managed to escape by a fisherman's boat to the Venetian ships in the Danube. It is possible that Stefan left enough time for him to board the boat; Stefan saving Sigismund may be one of the causes of Stefan's later induction into the Order of the Dragon (as the first and foremost). There were disastrous consequences for the Balkan Christians after the defeat at the Battle of Nicopolis . Vidin
15687-434: The biggest culprit, according to Stefan's biographer, was a very bad winter, and some of the soldiers and prisoners returned to their lands. Some of the nobility tried to take advantage of Stefan's campaign to oust him from throne. Their leaders, Dukes Novak Belocrkvić and Nikola Zojić with help of Voivode Mihajlo , tried to show the failure of the invasion of Bosnia to Bayezid I, as a result of Stefan's connection with
15876-415: The bulk of their forces, commanded by Vuk, were defeated in the battle with the army led by Đurađ Branković. Victory in Battle of Tripolje , enabled Stefan to regain his throne and influence in Serbia, which was further strengthened in the coming years. However, the fight with Branković had not ended and in a sense, further complicated by the conflict that arose between Stefan and Vuk. His younger brother in
16065-480: The burial was mainly cremation and later biritual. Outside of Serbia, in lands which were settled by early Serbs (and other Slavs), main remains of the Slavic culture and social organization, from the 7th to the 9th century, includes several localities around Doboj and in the Drina river valley, in modern Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially the large settlement near the village of Batković . The settlement had furnaces for
16254-410: The capital of Turkey). In this battle Ottoman forces suffered defeat, Bayezid I and one of his sons, Musa Çelebi , were captured and the following year Bayezid died in captivity. One of the main reasons for the Ottoman defeat was due to the desertion of Turkic and Tartar cavalry from Anatolia , which prior to the beginning of the battle defected to Timur's side, unhappy with Bayezid's rule and due to
16443-456: The central government. In 815, the Bulgarians and Byzantines signed a 30-year peace treaty . In 818 during the rule of Omurtag (814–831), the Braničevci and Timočani together with other tribes of the frontiers, revolted and seceded from Bulgaria because of an administrative reform that had deprived them much of their local authority. The Timočani left the societas (association, alliance ) of
16632-401: The combined Serbian-Ottoman attacks, while simultaneously trying to provide a strong base for the fight against the Ottomans and eventually expand to the south. The negotiations were most likely initiated by King Sigismund, and he sent emissaries to Stefan, among whom was his close associate of Florentine origin, Filippo Scolari . The objective of this delegation had been successful, and led to
16821-471: The conclusion of an agreement between the two rulers in late 1403 or early 1404. Under its provisions, Stefan accepted vassal relations to Sigismund, and received from him Mačva and Belgrade. With these new lands, including the Golubac Fortress , Stefan had strengthened his northern border, now delineated by the Sava and Danube rivers. As now a close ally to Sigismund, Stefan was among the first knights of
17010-434: The conclusion of peace, Prince Stefan pledged to send extra squads to the Ottoman sultan and pay tribute, and he and his brother Vuk Lazarević had to appear annually at the Sultan's Palace to confirm the allegiance to Bayezid I. In addition to these common vassal obligations, Bayezid I married youngest daughter of Prince Lazar and Princess Milica, Olivera, which, her brother and the new prince, Stefan, personally had to take to
17199-438: The conflict in Serbia, the year 1409 had several significant events that influenced the change of situation in the Balkans. Süleyman made peace with the Venetians in June, to whom they pledged to pay an annual tribute, as well as surrendering their former possessions in the area of Skadar and Zeta . His brother and rival in the struggle for power, Musa Çelebi moved to Europe and began to gather around him supporters and allies in
17388-415: The country of Balšić and Venetian lands, from Shkoder to Kosovo. Avoiding the main roads controlled by his opponents, Stefan's forces arrived at Gračanica 21 November near Tripolje, in the following battle the forces of Branković, strengthened by Ottoman detachments, were defeated. Stephen broke his army in two, with orders sent by his mother, before the battle, and his opponents did the same. Most of
17577-644: The dates in the calendar of the Roman Catholic Church - St. Vitus' Day ( Vidovdan ), Michaelmas ( Miholjdan ), Theodore the Studite ( Mratindan ). Confirmation of the early missionary work by Rome, already in the 7th century, are writings of Pope Agatho and Thomas the Archdeacon . This wasn't unusual, as, following the ancient rules, this region of the still unified church was administered by Rome. This began to change after 732, when Byzantine emperor Leo III
17766-579: The daughter of Florentine master of Lesbos Francesco II Gattilusio . These events are evidence of Stefan's new commitment as vassal to King Sigismund. While the Lazarević brothers were in Constantinople, they entered in open conflict with the Branković family . Đurađ Branković was imprisoned at the city dungeon on his return to Constantinople, on Stefan's command. The reason for this is unknown, and many later chroniclers, such as Mavro Orbini , claim that Đurađ
17955-524: The daughter of Francesco II of Lesbos . According to Konstantin the Philosopher , Stefan first saw his wife on Lesbos , where Francesco II offered him a choice among his daughters; the marriage was arranged "with the advice and participation" of Helena's sister, Empress Eirene . Surprisingly, there is no mention of Helena after her marriage to Stefan; this led British historian Anthony Luttrell to remark that "apparently there were never any children; nothing
18144-405: The destruction of Serbian state and society was by the Bulgarians, considered that "at this point, fortifications were temporarily abandoned". Časlav recognized the supreme authority of the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, who became his mentor and protector. The emperor helped Časlav to restore Serbia, including the heavy financial aid. Časlav repopulated Serbia returning some of
18333-693: The development of mining in Serbia, which had been the main economic backbone of the Serbian Despotate . At the time of his death, Serbia was one of the largest silver producers in Europe. In the field of architecture, he continued the development of the Morava school . His reign and personal literary works are sometimes associated with early signs of the Renaissance in the Serbian lands. He introduced knightly tournaments, modern battle tactics, and firearms to Serbia. He
18522-488: The early 7th century on, there are almost no historical records about the Serbs, and the region in general, as even in the entire Byzantine Empire almost no contemporary chronicles or historical works survived. But in this period the process of resettling of the Serbs in the central region of the peninsula was finished. They inhabited the narrow valleys in the watersheds of Lim , Tara , Piva , Ibar , West Morava , Upper Drina and Upper Bosna . Certain groups possibly crossed
18711-404: The early medieval Serbian Principality is recorded in the DAI . The emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus assembled it from 948 to 952 for his son and heir Romanos II . The aim was to warn the young prince on the problems which might occur during his reign. The Serbs are mentioned in the total of 8 chapters, from 29 to 36. The most important is the chapter 32, which is titled "About the Serbs and
18900-411: The eastern or western border, with the latter more probable localization. They were not mentioned afterwards, possibly because of remote location, lost importance or became desolated after Bulgarian Samuel 's conquest in the end of the 10th century. It is considered that Destinikon was the ecclesiastical centre and capital of early medieval Serbia. There's no consensus in the scholarship whether Stari Ras
19089-473: The eldest one. Presian's son and successor, Boris I of Bulgaria , decided to avenge his father, and attacked Serbia again, instigating the Bulgar–Serb War of 853 , though the warfare is variously set by the historians in 854, 858, 863–864, 870 or even in the 880s. The war was also part of the larger skirmish in the region, which included the Bulgarian expansion in the direction of the central Danube Valley and
19278-625: The end of the thirty-year-truce, Malamir (or Presian) invaded the regions of the Struma and the Nestos , and Empress-Regent Theodora (r. 842–855, the wife of Theophilos) answered by attacking Northern Thrace . A brief peace was concluded, then Malamir proceeded to invade Macedonia. Bulgaria also imposed rule on the Morava region, a frontier region with the Serbians; in 844, an anonymous Bavarian geographer mentions
19467-474: The enemy lines to rescue his master Bayezid I from hostile environments. He eventually succeeded in it, but Bayezid refused to withdraw, after which Stefan took with him his son Süleyman Çelebi and started to retreat towards Bursa under constant attacks of the hordes of Tatars . Byzantine chronicler Laonikos Chalkokondyles states that "the Serbs fought as real heroes, each worthy of praise", adding that "They attacked Tatars with great vigor, crushing them hard in
19656-435: The established Ostrvica and he became a monk, losing his possessions in Serbia but saving his life. It is also certain that their allegations reached Bayezid and in the second half of March, the Ottoman forces marched into Serbia. It is not known what they did in Serbia; there is no evidence of invasion of any of the neighboring countries. In the spring, Stefan's mother (nun Eugene) and nun Jefimija went to Bayezid, to smooth
19845-512: The fact that the major role in the Christianization of the Serbs had priests and missionaries from Rome, rather than from the closer Constantinople. This can also be seen in the earliest Christian terms in the Serbian language which came from the Latin language ( oltare from altare , altar), the earliest Christian toponymy and presence of several religious feasts and holidays which corresponded to
20034-487: The fall of Smederevo in 1459. Despite the claimed significance in which Turkish rule shaped national consciousness of the Serbs, the fall under the Ottomans was dubbed by the Serbian historians as “Turkish night”. The conquest severed continuity of economic, social and political development, and Serbia was cut off from the European cultural and political society where it was carving its own place. When development of Serbia and
20223-411: The fight", and about Serbian struggle there is evidenced toponym Srb-ghazi – Serbian winner, near Ankara . During the fight, Prince Stefan was wounded, while Gregory Branković was captured and later released. In the meantime, Bayezid was captured with his soldiers, his son Musa and his harem , where the Stefan's sister Olivera was. One of the reasons Stefan honored his vassal obligations to Bayezid
20412-466: The fighting by Sigismund I , whose forces were under the command of Philip de Skolarisa , late January through Kovin , joined to Serbia. His quick reaction testifies to the fact that Stefan and Sigismund were aware of Vuk's impending departure to Süleyman's side Ottoman attack. In early May, Sigismund went to Serbia, who was joined by Ban Jovan Morović from Mačva , but in June began Süleyman's new offensive. After fierce battles that were fought during
20601-612: The first Serbian ruler whose name is known, around 780. One of his two successors was in power in 822, as mentioned in the Royal Frankish Annals . The work deals with an episode concerning the Pannonian ruler Ljudevit Posavski . Under the Frankish attack he left his capital Sisak and fled over to the Serbs, for which is "said to be as holding the large part of (Roman) Dalmatia": Siscia civitate relicta, ad Sorabos, quae natio magnam Dalmatiae partem obtinere dicitur, fugiendo se contulit . However,
20790-478: The great-grandfather of Vlastimir and first Serbian monarch known by name, was a contemporary with Charlemagne (fl. 768–814). He directly held the hereditary lands of Tara , Piva and Lim . Constantine VI conquered the Sclaviniae ( slavdom - "slav area") of Macedonia , situated to the south, in 785. Radoslav , then Prosigoj, succeeded Višeslav, and they ruled during the revolt of Ljudevit Posavski against
20979-558: The hills. The war ended with the death of Theophilos in 842, which released Vlastimir from his obligations to the Empire. According to Živković, it is possible that the Bulgarian attack came after the failed invasion of Struma and Nestos in 846 (see next section): Presian may have collected his army and headed for Serbia, and Vlastimir may have participated in the Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars , which would mean that Presian responded to
21168-466: The inhabited cities (καστρα/kastra) of Destinikon (or Serbian Dostinika) (Δεστινίκον), Tzernabouskeï (Τζερναβουσκέη), Megyretous (Μεγυρέτους), Dresneïk (Δρεσνεήκ), Lesnik (Λεσνήκ), Salines (Σαληνές), while the "small land" (χοριον/chorion) of Bosnia (Βοσωνα), part of Serbia, had the cities of Katera (Κατερα) and Desnik (Δέσνηκ). Almost all of them, apart Salines and possibly Destinikon, are still unidentified. Serbian towns could have been located more to
21357-476: The knights was Stefan Lazarević, the founding charter of 13 December 1408. He was present at the ceremony in honor of knights, which was held in Buda, and the dragon symbol was present at his court. At that time, the late 1408, Stefan protested against his younger brother Vuk. The reason for his dissatisfaction was that Stefan did not want to share throne with him and give him part of the state administration. In turn, Vuk
21546-537: The land of Konavle remained desolate because of the Avars (who expelled the Romans from there which now inhabits Dalmatia and Dyrrachium ), the emperor settled Serbs in these lands, and they were subordinated to the emperor of the Romans, the emperor brought priests from Rome to baptize them and teach them to perform the pious duties in order, and displayed the Christian faith to them. Another source on early medieval Serbia are
21735-514: The lands in which they dwell today". The DAI drew information on the Serbs from, among others, Serbian sources. On the origin of the Serbs, the DAI says that "Serbs originate from the unbaptized Serbs, also called White Serbs, which live on the other side of the Turkey (i.e. Hungary ), in the land which they call Bojka, close to the Frankish Empire and the great Croatia, unbaptized, also known as
21924-497: The mentioning of "Dalmatia" in 822 and 833 as an old geographical term by the authors of Frankish Annals was Pars pro toto with a vague perception of what this geographical term actually referred to. In the contemporary Vita Hludovici that description of the Serbs is omitted. Ljudevit later killed the local župan who took him in and temporarily took over the rule in his župa, which is estimated to be either somewhere in western, central or eastern Bosnia . Some historians pointed to
22113-562: The middle of the 9th century". The settlements were unfortified and of small size, at the outskirts of ancient ramparts . Numerous finds give evidence to the conclusion that a good part of native Roman population remained and continued to live within and near those ramparts. After the Christianization, under influence of Byzantine and Bulgarian Empires, since the mid-9th century the settlements number increased and became fortified, also were re-settled ancient hillforts (more than 30%) but with reduced area size. No cemetery has been found, showing that
22302-518: The missionary works of Roman or Byzantine monks, local remnants of the Romanized people or the Byzantine population in the cities, the Christianization of the Serbs appears to be peaceful and voluntary, unlike the forceful practices of the Frankish Empire . Apart from the political implications - use of new religion for the strengthening of the central rule and concentration of the power in the hands of
22491-407: The modern village of Srb in the region of Lika in modern Croatia, as the possible location as in the medieval period it was a town, described in the early 14th century as having "Serbian seat and court, like in the old times", while others opposed it. Frankish chronicle makes a distinctions between the settlements ruled by the Croats (referring to them as castellis , or castles ) and those held by
22680-629: The monastery Ravanica late 1390 and early 1391, and is also known that in his court, during the year 1392, came Princess Milica . The conflict in the Serbian-Hungarian border, has continued over the next two years, and in their suppression Sigismund was involved, who has repeatedly visited the army of the Danube . In Summer 1392, he was crossed the river near Kovin and march to the city of Ždrelo near Valjevo , then retreated and tried to win Golubac . At
22869-543: The most important Serbian medieval ruler, who halted expansion of state in 1299 in order to consolidate it. Serbia peaked during the reign of king and later Emperor Dušan (1331-55). He expanded the state to encompass modern Serbia south of the Sava and the Danube , Macedonia , Montenegro , Albania , east Herzegovina , Epirus and Thessaly , organized Serbia after the Byzantine Empire, and introduced codified law . There
23058-424: The names of those early princes faded from the collective memory. In the DAI , the emperor basically gives the genealogy of the first Serbian ruling dynasty: After the " Unknown Archon " of the Serbs who fled over to the emperor Heraclius, in the time when Bulgaria was under the rule of the Romans, by the inheritance (rules) his son took over the rule, then his grandson and so other archons from his family line. After
23247-400: The need for this kind of relationship expired, they would terminate the self-government arrangement and impose direct and absolute power, integrating their neighbor fully into the Bulgarian political and cultural system. Vlastimir succeeded his father, Prosigoj, as the archon of Serbia. According to Živković, the date of Vlastimir's accession was around 830. He united the Serbian tribes in
23436-518: The new archon, but they were all captured and sent to Bulgaria. In the next few years, 925 and 926, Bulgarians completely ravaged Serbia. Part of the population was enslaved and taken to Bulgaria , while some managed to escape to Croatia or to the Byzantine Empire. According to Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, the "country was left deserted". But situation changed after Simeon I the Great died in 927. His son and heir, Peter I of Bulgaria , changed completely
23625-459: The next year, Stefan tried to avoid the renewal of hostilities with the Ottomans. In 1403, Süleyman was in Gallipoli negotiating with a number of Christian states ( Byzantium , Genoa , Venice , Knights Hospitaller and Naxos ) in the Balkans to secure an agreement with them and start an offensive against his brothers in Asia Minor. The terms of the agreement were that Byzantium was to cease being
23814-405: The obligations, but peace was not concluded. A peace agreement was finally signed in June 1408th The and in it Stefan was mentioned as one of the guarantors of the signed contract, but it did not come into effect and the conflict continued. In December 1408, Hungarian King Sigismund founded the Order of the Dragon , gathering his supporters. The symbol of the order was a dragon, and the first among
24003-699: The ore melting and smithing workshops. Serbian archaeologist Đorđe Janković considered that the Serbian Danube ornamental ceramic pots' analogies northwest of the Carpathian Basin (in Moravia and Austria) are evidence of the Serbian migration from the nortwest to the Danube region with consent of the Byzantine Empire, but such hypothesis based on ceramics is not well substantiated as closer ceramic analogies exist in Lower Danube and Wallachian region. The history of
24192-462: The others will be freed, Boris asked for the Mutimir's sons to accompany the prisoners to the border. Mutimir sent his two younger sons, Bran and Stefan, while the eldest and heir to the throne, Pribislav , was precautionary kept at home. Pleased with the release of his son, Boris gave them "lush gifts", while the Serbian princes gave to Boris "two slaves, two falcons, two dogs, and 80 furs". Soon after
24381-476: The peace was reached with Bulgaria, the internal strife hit the ruling triumvirate. Mutimir, eldest and probably the most powerful in the state, expelled his brothers Strojimir (and his son Klonimir ) and Gojnik to khan Boris in Bulgaria, keeping only Petar Gojniković, Gojnik's son and his nephew. This happened between 863 and 873, when the pope John VIII in his letter addressed Mutimir only. However, Petar soon fled to Croatia. Strojimir remained in Bulgarian exile for
24570-463: The people who fled to the neighboring countries. Serbia prospered, keeping good relations with the Byzantines and the emperor constantly pointed out the good relations with Serbia in this period. The borders of Časlav's state are uncertain, possibly expanding into Bosnia. It is presumed his reign stopped or died in the 940s. According to semi-fictional late 13th century Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja ,
24759-458: The people. As in the other parts of the early medieval Europe, Serbian "state" did not mean by default a rule over the territory, but over the people. So, the Serbian political organization included only areas which were populated by the Serbs, excluding the vast uninhabited areas in between. That way, the borders of the "state" cannot be accurately determined. According to DAI , "baptized Serbia" (known in historiography also as Raška ), included
24948-564: The politics of his country, falling under the heavy Byzantine influence. This allowed for Časlav, who returned to live in Bulgarian capital Preslav as Serbia was turned into the badlands, to come to Serbia and restore the state. This happened "7 years later", but historians are not sure is it 7 years after the 924 expedition to Serbia or after 927 and Simeon's death, but it had to be by 933–934, at latest. DAI claims that he and his entourage of 4 encountered only "50 single men, without wives and children, who lived from hunting", it shows how thorough
25137-401: The practical independence of Travunia) strongly suggests that Vlastimir was a Christian ruler who understood very well the monarchal ideology that developed in the early Middle Ages. There is a possibility that the marriage took place before the conflict with Bulgaria, which makes another theory likely: that Bulgaria reacted to Vlastimir's rising political position, particularly given that he had
25326-496: The presence of Serbs in this area is disputable since the Byzantine sources were limited to the southern coast, but it is possible that among other tribes existed a tribe or group of small tribes of Serbs. According to Živković, the usage of the term Dalmatia in the Royal Frankish Annals refers both to the land where Serbs ruled as well as to the lands under the rule of Croat duke, but doesn not necessarily mean settlement of
25515-578: The realm of simply translating Byzantine works and established a unique Serbian civilization. Political and cultural growth was followed by economic growth. Agriculture developed; and while silver, tin and copper had been mined during the Roman era , mining vastly expanded in this period. Trade boomed as well utilizing old Roman roads. The apex was short-lived. Dušan's death was followed by disintegration of state under rival family branches and local leaders. The last emperor, Uroš , died in 1371. The major pretender to
25704-554: The reign of Byzantine emperor Justinian I (527–565), defensive structures in the region were reinforced. In 535, the newly founded city of Justiniana Prima became center of the Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima , with metropolitan jurisdiction over all provinces of the Diocese of Dacia . At the beginning of the 7th century, region was invaded by Avars and Slavs , thus ending the Byzantine rule. The Slavs in general were mentioned by
25893-582: The relations between them. They returned to Serbia prior to 23 May and managed to ensure that Stefan is received by Bayezid and justify himself before the sultan. In addition, they brought from Bursa the relics of St. Petka , which were most likely placed in the castle church in Kruševac , Lazarica . Bayezid is reported to have held Prince Stefan in high esteem, bestowing upon him a respect which he did not always accord his other Christian vassals, or even his own sons. Later, Bayezid married Stefan's sister. When some of Stefan's nobles complained to Bayezid that he
26082-533: The rest of Europe in the 15th and the 19th century are compared, it shows the enormous erosion and falling behind. During the 6th century, at the beginning of the early medieval period, territory of later Serbia was controlled mainly by the Byzantine Empire (southern and central regions), and also by Byzantine neighboring rivals, the Gepid Kingdom and the Ostrogothic Kingdom (northern regions). During
26271-735: The rest of his life. Boris married him to a Bulgarian noblewoman and they had a son, Časlav Klonimirović . Mutimir's eldest son, Pribislav, succeeded to the throne after his father's death in 891. This was an opportunity for the descendants of the Mutimir's brothers to take over the Serbian throne. Already in 892 Petar Gojniković returned from Croatia, expelled all three Mutimir's sons to Croatia - Pribislav, Bran and Stefan - and began his rule which lasted until 917. In this period he suppressed two attempts for his dethronement. Petar defeated and blinded Bran who tried to overthrow him in 895 attacking from Croatia while in 897 he crushed Klonomir's attempt from Bulgaria to depose him. Klonimir, probably instigated by
26460-426: The right to confirm rulers in the neighbouring Serbian principalities with Byzantine sanction. Although Vlastimir's elevations of titles were merely symbolic, rather than a reflection of administrative-political relations, it does show that he had the right to act this way, which undoubtedly puts him at the head of all Serbian archontes — viz. , the leading ruler among the Serbian principalities. Soon after 846, with
26649-427: The rights of Orthodox churches in the area under the supreme authority of Venice and a host of other abuses of power. In this opposition became involved Stefan's nephew Balša III (1403–1421) which sought to restore the cities which his father, Đurađ Stracimirović Balšić , once transferred to Venice (1396), to protect from the Ottoman invasion. He asked for help from Süleyman in fighting, and from Duke Vuk Lazarević, but
26838-538: The rule and divided White Serbs in two groups. One remained in White Serbia, while the other group migrated to the Balkans. Frankish Chronicle of Fredegar mentions Dervan , chieftain of the Serbs, in c. 631, who may be the first Serb mentioned by name in history. Dervan is considered to be the father or, more likely, brother of the nameless prince who led the White Serbs into the Balkans. Sclaveni raided and settled
27027-477: The ruler - there was also a cultural and spiritual dimension, which included acceptance of the basic cultural values and principles of the day, and the church was the founding stone of literacy and education in the Middle Age societies. The entire religious-cultural process spanned through three centuries. In those small, isolated areas, the Serbs formed their basic territorial and political units. Each unit comprised
27216-520: The ruling house of Travunia shows, in context, that his reputation among the neighbouring Serbian archontes and župani was on the rise, as well as the political importance and military strength of Serbia. It is possible that, prior to Vlastimir's reign, the Travunian župan sought to free himself from Serbia's influence, but that Vlastimir found the solution in the political marriage of his daughter to Krajina. The elevation of Krajina's title (which meant
27405-460: The same area by the Serbs, and was likely a reflection of the Franks' territorial aspirations towards the entire area of the former Roman Province of Dalmatia. In the contemporary Vita Hludovici that description of the Serbs is omitted. Though the described borders mark a large area, it is mostly a mountainous and inaccessible terrain, rugged with the high ranges of the Dinarides. Within this region,
27594-470: The same time, the area of Vuk Branković has been under Ottomans attack. In early 1392, they have occupied Skoplje and continued marching of the north, forcing Vuk by the end of the year to make peace with Bayezid and become his vassal. In 1393, Stefan became an adult and took over the throne, and his mother became a nun and withdrew to her endowment, monastery Ljubostinja . That same year, Bayezid I dealt with his Bulgarian vassals for their alleged links with
27783-477: The seal of the prince Strojimir , Mutimir's brother. The seal has a representation of a cross and the inscription Lord, help Strojimir ( ICE BOIΘ CTPOHMIP in Greek) around it. Pope John VIII addressed prince Mutimir in 873 and called in the letter for Mutimir that, "following the tradition of his ancestors", he submits his land to the jurisdiction of the new Pannonian bishop Methodius . Numerous arguments point to
27972-440: The son of Boris. The Bulgarians had sought to avenge the previous defeat of Presian in 842 . The two sides made peace, and possibly an alliance. The two younger brothers later revolted against Mutimir for undisclosed reasons. Mutimir sent them as prisoners, a guarantee of peace, to the court of Boris I at Pliska . After Mutimir requested that Emperor Basil I (867–886) baptize his lands, Constantinopolitan priests were sent and
28161-407: The southeastern part of Serbian Danube region most probably was settled by Slavs from Ipotești–Cândești culture . The number of Slavic and Pannonian Avars findings in Serbia generally are very small, could be traces of warrior excursions or acculturation, and only since second half of the 7th century "can be interpreted with considerable certainty as a model of Slavic colonisation". However, the area
28350-444: The summer 1403 left Serbia and headed to Süleyman, to ask him for help and force his older brother to cede part of the state administration. He was in fact told to stop by their mother, who followed him, but she failed to reach him before he arrived at the court of Süleyman. During his time at his court, she was able to reconcile the brothers prior to October 1404 and she succeeded in smoothing relations between Stefan and Süleyman. During
28539-568: The summer, Stefan withdrew and enclosed himself in Belgrade. He refused to conform with Süleyman, but was forced to negotiate with his brother, which practically led to the division of the country. Vuk was submitted to the administration of its southern part, which included the area south of the West Morava . He ruled on his own and accepted Süleyman suzerainty, as did the Branković family. In addition to
28728-403: The three years-long warfare, Presian didn't gain any territories and, additionally, lost the majority of its army. Vlastimir died c. 850 and Presijan in 852. Serbian throne was inherited by Vlastimir's sons, Mutimir, Strojimir and Gojnik . According to the conventional inheritance rules of the period, the state was probably administratively divided in three, but Mutimir held the "ruling right" as
28917-514: The throne in a specific time for the state of Lazarević, who found herself surrounded by powerful neighbors. On one side was Bayezid I , who withdrew after the Battle of Kosovo to consolidate his power among the Ottomans , while next door there was Vuk Branković, the husband of Stefan's sister Mara, who after the battle became the most powerful of Serbian aristocrats. The neighbor on the west was Bosnian king Tvrtko I (1353–1377 ban, king 1377–1391) which
29106-440: The throne of Serbia, due to an open conflict with Branković, who enjoyed the support of Süleyman. On the other hand, Hungary was in a deep internal crisis, and, until 1403, Sigismund was unable to return to the country and regain control, although the resistance of his opponent failed to break even after his return. It was therefore necessary for him to rely on a secure southern border, which had previously been constantly exposed to
29295-478: The title of despot from the Byzantines in 1402. Becoming a Hungarian ally in 1403–04, he received large possessions, including the important Belgrade and Golubac Fortress . He also held the superior rank in the chivalric Order of the Dragon. During his reign, there was a long conflict with his nephew Đurađ Branković , which ended in 1412. Lazarević also inherited Zeta , and waged war against Venice . Since he
29484-407: The troops were placed under the command of his brother Vuk and directed them against the forces commanded by Đurađ Branković, while he, with a smaller part of the army attacked the Ottomans. Forces under his command had won a victory, but the significance it played was small Caesar Uglješa Vlatković . He was still an Ottoman vassal, but he reported to Stefan with their war plan, and during the battle
29673-419: The unified throne was King Vukašin , but he died clashing with the Ottomans in 1371 . The next who appeared able to restore Serbia was Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović , ruler of the expanded Moravian Serbia . The major clash with advancing Ottomans occurred on 28 June 1389 at Kosovo Polje . Both rulers, Sultan Murad I and prince Lazar, were killed in the battle. Due to its importance, magnitude, and consequences,
29862-452: The vicinity. The Serbs most likely consolidated due to alarm at the advance of Bulgaria towards their borders—a rapid conquest of neighbouring Slavs —in self-defence, and possibly sought to cut off the Bulgarian expansion to the south (Macedonia). Emperor Theophilos (r. 829–842) was recognized as the nominal suzerain (overlord) of the Serbs, and most likely encouraged them to thwart the Bulgarians. The thirty-year-peace treaty between
30051-517: The victory Vlastimir's status rose. He went on to expand to the west, taking Bosnia , and Herzegovina ( Hum ). Vlastimir married off his daughter to Krajina , the son of a local župan of Trebinje , Beloje , in ca. 847/848. With this marriage, Vlastimir elevated Krajina's title to archon . The Belojević family was entitled to the rule of Travunia. Krajina had a son with Vlastimir's daughter, named Hvalimir , who would later on succeed as župan of Travunia. Vlastimir's intent to connect to
30240-513: The victory at Rovine sparked a great crusade in which forces from England, France, Germany, and other European countries joined Hungarian king Sigismund and Mircea I with the Venetian fleet, which was to enter the Danube from the Black Sea and support the army on the mainland. The crusader forces gathered in Hungary, after which they crossed the Danube and took Vidin. After that, the march continued down
30429-533: The west, Praedenecenti in c. 825, Merehani - all of which disappeared from history afterwards), so as the remnants of the Avars in the Pannonian plain. By acquiring the Morava Valley and Belgrade, they came in contact with the Serbs. Because of the ensuing Bulgarian-Serbian relations, the reign of prince Vlastimir can be determined with greater certainty. According to the DAI , Presian I , Khan of Bulgaria , attacked
30618-589: The western Balkans in the 6th and 7th century. Jointly with the Antes , another Slavic group, they conducted intrusions south of the Danube and Sava rivers into the Balkans, and the territory of the Byzantine Empire ruled by Justinian I (527-565), who reconquered several former territories of the Roman Empire . The arrival of the Avars in the Pannonian Plain in 567 pushed the proper invasion raids. The Slavs followed
30807-459: The year and Despot with present Charter confirmed the privileges that they previously enjoyed. It also represents the charter of Serbian ruler, which was issued after the 1387th in Dubrovnik. At the end of the month, a charter was issued to them from Stefan's sister Mara Branković with sons. This includes Dubrovnik provide benefits to its merchants throughout Serbia, but it is noticeable that Stefan
30996-560: The years is not known from historical sources. It is known that they were able, with the most money that Vuk Branković is left on the guarding in the Kotor and Republic of Ragusa, to recover some of the former countries. In early 1402, their area included parts of Kosovo , Polimlje , Sjenica and Brskovo , and since the spring of that year they became Bayezid's vassals, with the same responsibilities Prince Stefan had. Beyond their control remained Zvečan , Jeleč and Gluhavica , which were held by
31185-636: Was canonized by the Serbian Orthodox Church as Saint Despot Stefan of Serbia , and his relics are kept in the Koporin Monastery . Stefan was the son of the prince of Moravian Serbia , Lazar , and his wife Milica , member of an elder, but collateral branch of Nemanjić dynasty . Milica's father Prince Vratko was a direct descendant of Vukan , the eldest son of Stefan Nemanja . In addition to Stefan, they had seven other children. On 12 September 1405, Stefan married Helena Gattilusio ,
31374-608: Was a Serbian ruler as prince (1389–1402) and despot (1402–1427). He was also a diplomat, legislator, ktetor , patron of the arts , poet and one of the founding members of the Order of the Dragon . The son of Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović , he was regarded as one of the finest knights and military leaders of his time. After the death of his father at Kosovo (1389) , he became ruler of Moravian Serbia and ruled with his mother Milica (a Nemanjić ), until he reached adulthood in 1393. Stefan led troops in several battles as an Ottoman vassal, until asserting independence after receiving
31563-461: Was a great patron of the arts and culture by providing shelter and support to scholars and refugees from neighboring countries that had been taken by the Ottomans. In addition, he was himself a writer, and his most important work is A Homage to Love , which is characterized by Renaissance lines. During his reign the Resava School was formed. On 1 August 1927, the 500th anniversary of his death, he
31752-490: Was a tight union of state and church which became autocephalous in 1219 under Saint Sava , and a patriarchate in 1346, rivaling the status of Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople . The rulers endowed numerous monasteries, like Mileševa , Peć , Morača , Sopoćani , Visoki Dečani , Gračanica , which are today monuments with an important symbolism for Serbs. The union accelerated cultural development and moved beyond
31941-449: Was able to make peace with Branković, and at the same time through his mother reconciled with Süleyman. Immediately after the takeover of Belgrade, Stefan started the reconstruction of its fortifications, which were destroyed by the Ottomans in 1397. In addition, he began work on the development of the city, which were carried out by the end of his reign, but in the beginning of 1405, Stefan was transferred his capital to it, which until then
32130-431: Was an ancestor of Vlastimir. The Serbs at that time were organized into župe , a confederation of village communities (roughly the equivalent of a county), headed by a local župan (a magistrate or governor). According to Fine, the governorship was hereditary, and the župan reported to the Serbian prince, whom they were obliged to aid in war. Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (r. 913–959) mentions that
32319-469: Was captured and sent to Bulgaria where he died imprisoned, while Pavle became the new ruler by the end of 917. At the beginning, Pavle ruled as a Bulgarian protégé . This prompted the new Byzantine emperor, Romanos I Lekapenos , to organize a party in 921 to overthrow Pavle. The campaign was headed by Pribislav's son, Zaharija Pribislavljević , who lived in Constantinople at the time, in the Romanos' court. He
32508-571: Was childless, he designated his nephew Đurađ as heir in 1426, a year before his death. On the domestic front, he broke the resistance of the Serbian nobles , and used the periods of peace to strengthen Serbia politically, economically, culturally and militarily. In 1412 he issued the Code of Mines , with a separate section on governing of Novo Brdo – the largest mine in the Balkans at that time. This code increased
32697-530: Was considered the legitimate successor of Nemanjić crown and he portrayed the Battle of Kosovo like his own victory over the Ottomans, while their possessions in the north bordering with Hungary, King Sigismund . On 7 July, three weeks after the battle, Sigismund sent his palatine Nicholas II Garay to negotiate with Vuk Branković about things that are in his and Serbian favor, where he confirmed in advance any agreements that they have achieved. Although both Nicholas and Vuk were married with sisters of Stefan, it
32886-443: Was defeated and Pavle sent him to Bulgaria as a prisoner. In 923 Pavle turned against his sponsors, the Bulgarians, so Zaharija was again dispatched against him, now by Simeon. This time he was successful, expelling Pavle and taking over the rule himself. But Zaharija soon switched back to his original allies, the Byzantines. Simeon sent an army to conquer the shifty archon. His troops, headed by Theodore Sigritsa and Marmais attacked
33075-557: Was destroyed, Athens was occupied (1397), the Despotate of Morea was devastated once again, the fall of Constantinople became practically inevitable, and the area of Vuk Branković was taken by the Ottomans . Vuk Branković was captured and soon died in captivity (1397). Most of his area was transferred to the control of Stefan Lazarević, a small portion (centered in Vučitrn ) was left to his wife Maria and his sons (Đurađ, Grgur and Lazar), while
33264-508: Was destroyed, as evidenced by a letter that arrived in February in Dubrovnik, from the merchants of the city. Dubrovnik people in Serbia were also instructed that, as citizens of the Republic, could call for its neutrality during the conflict, but they were also told not to harm Stefan's people, as well as in the case of attacks on towns where they were engaged in their defense. Stefan was assisted in
33453-544: Was established in the late 11th century by Vukan . While under the rule of Stefan Nemanja and his descendants, the Nemanjić dynasty , Serbia achieved its Golden Age which lasted until the 14th century, when as a powerful state ( kingdom from 1217 , empire from 1346 ), it dominated the majority of the Balkan peninsula . By the 14th century, Serbia was a fully developed feudal state. Foundations were set by King Milutin (1282-1321),
33642-608: Was gifted Zagora. The cradle of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church was founded about 870 in Pliska . On July 11, 2006, A golden seal of Strojimir , dated to 855-896, was acquired by the Republic of Serbia at auction in Munich , Germany , for 20,000 €, beating a Bulgarian bid of 15,000 €. The seller was an unknown Russian . The seal is of Byzantine handcraft (from Athens , Thessaloniki or Constantinople ), weighs 15.64 g, and has
33831-451: Was in Kruševac . In September of the same year, he married Helena Gattilusio , but only two months later, with his mother's death (11 November), Stefan remained without strong support. Nevertheless, the situation in Serbia have stabilized and start to grow in prosperity, as evidenced by the charter in Borač , 2 December of that year, issued from Dubrovnik ( Republic of Ragusa ). Negotiations about their shopping preferences are driven during
34020-436: Was in a crisis, King Sigmund I had lost the throne because part of the nobility was captured April 1401 in Buda . He was released in late 1401 and retired to Bohemia, where he spent the next year. Changed conditions in Southeast Europe in the early fifteenth century, led to a convergence of Despot Stefan and Hungarian king Sigismund . Stefan needed a strong ally who could help him get rid of Ottoman domination, but also stay on
34209-436: Was joined at his side. As a reward for this, Stefan gave him authority over Vranje , Inogoštem ( Surdulica ) and Preševo , which had previously belonged to his father and that area was connected to the Serbian despotate. Lazarević, having retreated after the battle in Novo Brdo , came into a verbal conflict with Vuk. The despot's younger brother accused him of ignorance of war casualties and his weak leadership skills, because
34398-427: Was located on the Serbian or Bulgarian side of the border, but newer research indicates that Ras since the mid-9th century was renovated, inhabited and controlled by the Bulgarians hence being "a frontier district of Bulgaria". The ruling princely line originated from the first archon who led the Serbs to the Balkans during the emperor Heraclius' reign. However, by the time of the emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus,
34587-441: Was not referred to the charter, even though her husband Vuk in their charters, always calling on those issued by Lazar of Prince Lazar. At the beginning of 1405 The great rebellion broke out in the local population in Skadar end against the Venetian rule. The reason for it lay in the arrogant and high-handed fashion of Venetian rule, which was manifested impounding the property, which were then shared to Venetian supporters, denying
34776-445: Was not uncommon at the time that strong neighbors, even relatives, to suppress the legitimate heirs to throne as juvenile. The outcome of these negotiations is not known, but already in the fall, Sigismund began an offensive against young Serbian prince Stefan. His forces have crossed the Sava River in October and early November were they occupied the fortresses of Borač and Čestin, near present day Kragujevac . In these circumstances,
34965-409: Was not well re-populated by the Slavs, and settlement patterns in the 8th and 9th century show "successive population inflows from the surrounding regions" (with significant Bulgarian influence). The findings indicating Slavic residence in Byzantine cities puts into question survival of local Roman population. The found coins indicate "renewal of life in the central Balkans from the middle of the 7th to
35154-477: Was planning to join Bayezid I's son Süleyman, who established his rule in the European part of the Ottoman Empire. This is probably true, as Đurađ, after escaping from prison in September, went to Süleyman and asked him for military aid against Lazarević. Stefan's return to Serbia was thwarted due to Ottoman hostility; the returning Serbian troops were killed on their way home near Adrianople . The two brothers and about 260 remaining soldiers embarked for Serbia, with
35343-529: Was plotting with the Hungarians against the Ottomans, Stefan first sent his mother to Edirne to plead his case with the sultan, and then went there himself. Both mother and son were received generously by Bayezid, and the embarrassing situation was resolved: I think of you as my eldest and favourite son, who stands before me in such honour as you? I am already growing old, and soon will die perhaps in battle or of illness – and then your time will come. The relationship between Prince Stefan and Branković family over
35532-410: Was probably disappointed to Stefan's connecting with Sigmund I and the West. He therefore went to Süleyman and asked him for military assistance against Stefan. In return, he promised to recognize his sovereignty, if he receives his own state and if Branković and his brothers joined him. At the beginning of 1409, Süleyman's Ottoman forces broke into Serbia at the battlefield of Kosovo and nearby Priština
35721-436: Was the desire to keep the Serbian-Ottoman Alliance strong under looming Hungarian pressure. Another was that Stefan's sister Olivera that was married to the Sultan. She was captured in the battle and later released, through an agreement that was signed between Stefan and Timur. It seems that a ransom wasn't paid, thanks to the great respect that Timur had for Olivera's brother Stefan, and she returned to Serbia (Spring 1403), and
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