House of Nemanjic
Encyclopedia
The Nemanjić was the most important dynasty of Serbia in the Middle Ages, and one of the most important in Southeastern Europe. The royal house produced eleven Serbian monarchs between 1166 and 1371. It's progenitor was Stephen Nemanja, who descended from a cadet line
of the Vukanović dynasty (1101–1166). After Stephen (Stefan) Nemanja, all monarchs used Stefan as a personal name, a tradition adopted for the royal pretensions. The monarchs began as Grand Prince
s, and with the crowning of Stephen II in 1217, the realm was promoted to a Kingdom, and the Serbian Church was established. In 1346, Stephen Uroš IV Dušan was crowned Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks [and Albanians and Bulgarians], and the Archbishopric of Serbia was elevated to a Patriarchate
. In 1371, with the death of child-less Uroš the Weak (r. 1355-1371), the fall of the Serbian Empire
was ensured; provincial lords obtained the rule of the past provinces, and the Nemanjić survived only through maternal lines in several Serbian houses.
, as Slavs in the vicinity of the Byzantine Empire, lived in so-called Sklavinia ("Slav lands"), territories initially out of Byzantine control and independent. In the 8th century, the Vlastimirović Dynasty established the Serbian Principality. In 822, Serbia "stretched over the greater part of Dalmatia", and Christianity was adopted as state-religion in ca 870. In the mid 10th century the state had emerged into a tribal confederation that stretched to the shores of the Adriatic Sea
by the Neretva
, the Sava
, the Morava
, and Skadar. The state disintegrated after the death of the last known Vlastimirid ruler – the Byzantines annexed the region and held it for a century, until 1040 when the Serbs under the Vojislavljević Dynasty
(Vlastimirović branch) revolted in Duklja
(Pomorje
). In 1091, the Vukanović Dynasty
(Vojislavljević branch) established the Serbian Grand Principality
, based in Rascia
(Zagorje). The two halves were reunited in 1142.
In 1166, Stefan Nemanja
takes the throne, marking the beginning of a prospering Serbia, henceforth under the rule of the Nemanjići (Vukanović branch).
Serbia reached its height of power during the Nemanjići. The Serbian Kingdom was proclaimed in 1217. Direct result of this was the establishment of the Serbian Orthodox Church
in 1219. In the same year Saint Sava
published the first constitution
in Serbia — St. Sava's Nomocanon.
Stefan Dušan proclaimed the Serbian Empire
in 1346. During Dušan's rule, Serbia reached its territorial, political and economical peak, proclaiming itself as the successor of the Byzantine Empire
, and indeed was the most powerful Balkan state of that time. Tsar Dušan enacted the known Dušan's Code, an extensive constitution
, and opened new trade routes and strengthened the state's economy. Serbia flourished, becoming one of the most developed countries and cultures in Europe. Medieval Serbia had a high political, economic, and cultural reputation in Europe. The Serbian identity has been profoundly shaped by the rule of this dynasty and its accomplishments, with the Serbian Orthodox Church
who assumed the role of the national spiritual guardian.
Before his sudden death, Stefan Dušan tried to organize a Crusade with the Pope against the threatening Turks. He died in December 1355 at the age 47. He was succeeded by his son Uroš, called the Weak, a term that might also apply to the state of the empire which slowly slided into a feudal anarchy. This was a period marked by the rise of a new threat: the Ottoman Turk sultanate
which spread from Asia to Europe. They conquered Byzantium
and then the other states in the Balkans
.
Cadet branch
Cadet branch is a term in genealogy to describe the lineage of the descendants of the younger sons of a monarch or patriarch. In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets – titles, realms, fiefs, property and income – have...
of the Vukanović dynasty (1101–1166). After Stephen (Stefan) Nemanja, all monarchs used Stefan as a personal name, a tradition adopted for the royal pretensions. The monarchs began as Grand Prince
Grand Prince
The title grand prince or great prince ranked in honour below emperor and tsar and above a sovereign prince .Grand duke is the usual and established, though not literal, translation of these terms in English and Romance languages, which do not normally use separate words for a "prince" who reigns...
s, and with the crowning of Stephen II in 1217, the realm was promoted to a Kingdom, and the Serbian Church was established. In 1346, Stephen Uroš IV Dušan was crowned Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks [and Albanians and Bulgarians], and the Archbishopric of Serbia was elevated to a Patriarchate
Patriarchate
A patriarchate is the office or jurisdiction of a patriarch. A patriarch, as the term is used here, is either* one of the highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, earlier, the five that were included in the Pentarchy: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem, but now nine,...
. In 1371, with the death of child-less Uroš the Weak (r. 1355-1371), the fall of the Serbian Empire
Fall of the Serbian Empire
Following the death of child-less Uroš the Weak, the Serbian Empire was left without an heir and the military commanders obtained the rule of the past provinces and districts , continuing their offices with titles such as gospodin and despot etc., given to them during the Empire...
was ensured; provincial lords obtained the rule of the past provinces, and the Nemanjić survived only through maternal lines in several Serbian houses.
Background
The SerbsSerbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
, as Slavs in the vicinity of the Byzantine Empire, lived in so-called Sklavinia ("Slav lands"), territories initially out of Byzantine control and independent. In the 8th century, the Vlastimirović Dynasty established the Serbian Principality. In 822, Serbia "stretched over the greater part of Dalmatia", and Christianity was adopted as state-religion in ca 870. In the mid 10th century the state had emerged into a tribal confederation that stretched to the shores of the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
by the Neretva
Neretva
Neretva is the largest river of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. It has been harnessed and controlled to a large extent by four HE power-plants with large dams and their storage lakes, but it is still recognized for its natural beauty, diversity of its landscape and visual...
, the Sava
Sava River
The Sava is a river in Southeast Europe, a right side tributary of the Danube river at Belgrade. Counting from Zelenci, the source of Sava Dolinka, it is long and drains of surface area. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia, along the northern border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and through Serbia....
, the Morava
Pomoravlje (region)
Pomoravlje , is a general term which in its widest sense marks valleys of any of three Morava rivers in Serbia: West Morava , Južna Morava and Great Morava . In the narrow sense, term is applied only to the Greater Pomoravlje...
, and Skadar. The state disintegrated after the death of the last known Vlastimirid ruler – the Byzantines annexed the region and held it for a century, until 1040 when the Serbs under the Vojislavljević Dynasty
House of Vojislavljevic
The Vojislavljević was the second Serb medieval dynasty, named after archon Stefan Vojislav, who wrestled the region from Byzantine hands in the 1040s...
(Vlastimirović branch) revolted in Duklja
Duklja
Doclea or Duklja was a medieval state with hereditary lands roughly encompassing the territories of present-day southeastern Montenegro, from Kotor on the west to the river Bojana on the east and to the sources of Zeta and Morača rivers on the north....
(Pomorje
Pomorje
Pomorje or Primorje is a term used in historical contexts to describe one of the two geographical divisions that constituted Serbia in the Middle Ages...
). In 1091, the Vukanović Dynasty
House of Vukanovic
The House of Vukanović was a medieval Serbian dynasty that reigned over Rascia and Zachlumia between late-11th century and mid-13th century. The house itself directly descended from the House of Vojislavljević, which ruled over medieval Serb lands. The dynasty was succeeded by its direct...
(Vojislavljević branch) established the Serbian Grand Principality
Serbian Grand Principality
The Serbian Grand Principality or Rascia was a medieval state that was founded in 1090, and ended with the elevation to Kingdom in 1217. During the reign of Constantine Bodin, the King of Duklja, Vukan was appointed to rule Rascia as a vassal, and when Bodin was captured by the Byzantines, Vukan...
, based in Rascia
Rascia
Rascia was a medieval region that served as the principal province of the Serbian realm. It was an administrative division under the direct rule of the monarch and sometimes as an appanage. The term has been used to refer to various Serbian states throughout the Middle Ages...
(Zagorje). The two halves were reunited in 1142.
In 1166, Stefan Nemanja
Stefan Nemanja
Stefan Nemanja was the Grand Prince of the Grand Principality of Serbia from 1166 to 1196, a heir of the Vukanović dynasty that marked the beginning of a greater Serbian realm .He is remembered for his contributions to Serbian culture and...
takes the throne, marking the beginning of a prospering Serbia, henceforth under the rule of the Nemanjići (Vukanović branch).
Serbia under the Nemanjić dynasty
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
in 1219. In the same year Saint Sava
Saint Sava
Saint Sava was a Serbian Prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalous Serbian Church, the founder of Serbian law and literature, and a diplomat. Sava was born Rastko Nemanjić , the youngest son of Serbian Grand Župan Stefan Nemanja , and ruled the appanage of Hum briefly in...
published the first constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
in Serbia — St. Sava's Nomocanon.
Stefan Dušan proclaimed the Serbian Empire
Serbian Empire
The Serbian Empire was a short-lived medieval empire in the Balkans that emerged from the Serbian Kingdom. Stephen Uroš IV Dušan was crowned Emperor of Serbs and Greeks on 16 April, 1346, a title signifying a successorship to the Eastern Roman Empire...
in 1346. During Dušan's rule, Serbia reached its territorial, political and economical peak, proclaiming itself as the successor of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, and indeed was the most powerful Balkan state of that time. Tsar Dušan enacted the known Dušan's Code, an extensive constitution
Dušan's Code
Dušan's Code was enacted by Tsar Dušan in two state congresses: in May 21, 1349 in Skopje and amended in 1354 in Serres. It regulated all social spheres, so it can be considered a medieval Serbian constitution. The Code included 201 articles. The original manuscript is not preserved, but around...
, and opened new trade routes and strengthened the state's economy. Serbia flourished, becoming one of the most developed countries and cultures in Europe. Medieval Serbia had a high political, economic, and cultural reputation in Europe. The Serbian identity has been profoundly shaped by the rule of this dynasty and its accomplishments, with the Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
who assumed the role of the national spiritual guardian.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
which spread from Asia to Europe. They conquered Byzantium
Byzantium
Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
and then the other states in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
.
Rulers
- Stefan Nemanja also Stefan I, Nemanja (ca 1166-1199)
- Vukan II Nemanjić (1196–1208), elder son of Stefan Nemanja
- Stefan Prvovenčani (Stefan the Firstcrowned) also Stefan II, Nemanja (1199–1228), younger son of Stefan Nemanja
- Đorđe Nemanjić (1208–1243), Ruler of Zeta
- Stefan Radoslav (1228–1233)
- Stefan Vladislav I (1234–1243)
- Stefan Uroš I (1243–1276)
- Stefan Dragutin (1276–1282)
- Stefan (Uroš II) Milutin (1282–1321)
- Stefan Vladislav II (1321 - about 1325)
- Stefan (Uroš III) Dečanski (1321–1331)
- Stefan (Uroš IV) Dušan (Dušan the Mighty) (1331–1355), King of Serbia (1331–1346); Tsar of Serbs and Greeks (1346–1355)
- Stefan Uroš V (Uroš the Weak) (1355–1371), tsar
- Tsar Simeon-SinišaSimeon UrošSimeon Uroš Nemanjić, nicknamed Siniša , also known in Greek as Symeōn Ouresēs Palaiologos , was the Despot of Epirus from 1359 to 1366, and of Thessaly from 1359 until his death in 1370. He governed Epirus and Acarnania under his half-brother Emperor Dušan the Mighty Simeon Uroš Nemanjić,...
of EpirusEpirusThe name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
(1359–1370), son of Stefan Uroš III and the Greek Princess - Tsar Jovan Uroš of EpirusEpirusThe name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
(1370–1373), son of Simeon-Siniša; is the very last ruler of Epirus
See also
- List of Serbian monarchs
- House of VojislavljevićHouse of VojislavljevicThe Vojislavljević was the second Serb medieval dynasty, named after archon Stefan Vojislav, who wrestled the region from Byzantine hands in the 1040s...
- History of SerbiaHistory of SerbiaThe history of Serbia, as a country, begins with the Slavic settlements in the Balkans, established in the 6th century in territories governed by the Byzantine Empire. Through centuries, the Serbian realm evolved into a Kingdom , then an Empire , before the Ottomans annexed it in 1540...
- History of MontenegroHistory of MontenegroThe History of Montenegro begins in the early Middle Ages, into the former Roman province of Dalmatia that forms present-day Montenegro.-Illyria:...
- History of HerzegovinaHistory of HerzegovinaThe History of Herzegovina ranges from the first Slavic migrations to the region to the most recent Bosnian War.-Pre-Slavic history:See Illyrians...
- History of DalmatiaHistory of DalmatiaThe History of Dalmatia concerns the history of the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea and its inland regions, stretching from the 2nd century BC up to the present....
- Nemanjić family treeNemanjic family treeNemanjić family tree*Vukan / Stefan Vukan / Uroš I**Zavida, Prince of Zachumlia before 1145***Tihomir, Grand Prince of Serbia 1163-1166***Stracimir, Prince of West Morava 1163-after 1180s***Miroslav, Prince of Hum 1163–1190...
Sources
- John V.A. Fine. (1991). The early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the 6th to the Late 12th Century. The University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-08149-7
- John V.A. Fine. (1994). The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest. The University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-08260-4
- The Serbian Unity Congress - Serbian Medieval History.
- Fajfrić, Željko. Sveta loza Stefana Nemanje.
- Veselinović, Andrija & Ljušić, Radoš (2001). Српске династије, Platoneum.
- Ćorović, VladimirVladimir CorovicVladimir Ćorović was a 20th-century Serbian historian, member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts . He is best known for his many acclaimed works on the history of Serbs and Yugoslavia.-Early:...
(2005). ИЛУСТРОВАНА ИСТОРИЈА СРБА, Book II, Third Age, PolitikaPolitikaPolitika is a Serbian newspaper. It is considered the newspaper of record and is the oldest daily in the Balkans, having been founded on January 25, 1904 by Vladislav Ribnikar. It is currently being published by Politika Newspapers and Magazines , a joint venture between Politika AD and...
. - CD Chilandar by Studio A, Aetos, Library of Serb Patriarchate and Chilandar monastery, Belgrade, 1998
- Intervju - ДИНАСТИЈЕ и владари јужнословенских народа. Special Edition 12, 16 June 1989.
- Markuš, Jovan. Родослови династија из Зете и Црне Горе
External links
- Medieval Serbia - The Nemanjics
- Chilandar - Nemanjic Dynasty
- Serb Land of Montenegro - The Sacronist Nemanjic Dynasty
- Foundation for Medieval Genealogy - Serbia - Grand Zupan of Serbia, 1166-1217, Nemanjic dynasty, Chapter 3 - Kings of Serbia 1217-1346, Tsars of Serbia 1346-1371, Nemanjic dynasty
- Serbian Unity Congress - Serbian Medieval History. Nemanjic Dynasty: Stefan Nemanja, Stefan Prvovencani (the First-crowned), Stefan Uros I, Stefan Dragutin, Stefan Uros II Milutin, Stefan Uros III Decanski, Stefan Uros IV Dusan, Stefan Uros V
- Genealogy of the Nemanjiden
- Holy bloodline of Stefan Nemanja by Željko Fajfrić (SerbianSerbian languageSerbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
) - History of the Serb People (Third Age) by Vladimir ĆorovićVladimir CorovicVladimir Ćorović was a 20th-century Serbian historian, member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts . He is best known for his many acclaimed works on the history of Serbs and Yugoslavia.-Early:...
. Stephen Nemanya, The Latin Empire and the creation of the Serb Kingdom, Serbian interregnums, Western Orientation in Serbia, Serbia as the main Balkan power, Pressing the Bulgarians as the main Serbian rivals, Creation of a Serbian Empire, The Work of Tsar Dusan, The Fall of the Serbian Empire (SerbianSerbian languageSerbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
) - The Genealogies of the dynasties from Zeta and Montenegro by Jovan B. Markuš. The Nemanjics: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5 (SerbianSerbian languageSerbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
) - The Nemanjics (SerbianSerbian languageSerbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
)
