Serbian Empire
Encyclopedia
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 (Byzantines). Dušan the Mighty significantly expanded the state, stretching over half of the Balkan peninsula, also promoting the church to a Patriarchate. The Empire crumbled during Uroš V the Weak (hence his epithet). The Serbian Empire existed from 1346 to 1371, although nominally until 1402.
Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia
, before ascending the throne as king of all Serbs
, proved himself as a very skilled military leader in the Battle of Velbazhd, in which Serbia memorably defeated the Bulgarian Empire
. As his father was not an able conqueror, Dušan, with the help of Serbian nobility, removed his father from the throne, ordering his people to strangle him. The medieval Serbian state reached its apex in the mid-14th century, during the rule of Stefan Dušan
, who proclaimed himself in 1345 tsar in Serres
and was crowned in Skopje
on the 16th April 1346 as the "Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks" by the newly proclaimed Serbian Patriach
Joanikie II with the help of the Bulgarian Patriarch Simeon and the Archbishop of Ohrid, Nicholas.
Tsar Dušan enacted Dušan's Code
, a medieval constitution, in 1349 and 1354. The Code was based on Roman
-Byzantine law
and the first Serbian constitution
— St. Sava's Nomocanon (1219). It was a Civil
and Canon law
(based on the Ecumenical Councils) for the functioning of the state and church. The Serbian Empire flourished, becoming one of the most developed countries and cultures in Europe.
Tsar Dušan doubled the size of his former kingdom, seizing territories to the south, southeast and east at the expense of Byzantium
. He did not fight a single field battle, instead winning his empire by besieging cities. He was succeeded by his son Stefan Uroš V, called the Weak, a term that might also apply to the state of the empire, as it slowly slid into feudal anarchy. The combination of sudden conquest, backwards administration, and failure to consolidate his holdings led to the fragmenting of the empire. This is a period marked by the rise of a new threat: the Ottoman Turkish
sultanate gradually spreading from Asia
to Europe and conquering Byzantine
Thrace first, and then the other Balkans
states. Too incompetent to sustain the great empire created by his father, Stefan V could neither repel attacks of foreign enemies, nor combat the independence of his nobility. The Serbian Empire of Stefan Uroš fragmented into a conglomeration of principalities, some of which did not even nominally acknowledge his rule. Stefan Uroš V died childless on 4 December 1371, after much of the Serbian nobility had been slaughtered by the Ottoman Turks in the Battle of Maritsa
earlier that year.
under Uroš the Weak was to be of little resistance to the powerful Ottomans. In light of conflicts and decentralization of the realm, the Ottomans defeated the Serbs under Vukašin at the Battle of Maritsa
in 1371, making vassals of the southern governors, and soon thereafter, the Emperor died. As Uroš was childless and the nobility could not agree on the rightful heir, the Empire was ruled by semi-independent provincial lords, who often were in feuds with each other. The most powerful of these, Tsar Lazar, a Duke of present-day central Serbia (which had not yet come under the Ottoman yoke), stood against the Ottomans at the Battle of Kosovo
in 1389. The result was indecisive, but it resulted in the subsequent fall of Serbia. Stefan Lazarević
, the son of Lazar, succeeded as ruler, but had by 1394 become an Ottoman vassal. In 1402 he renounced Ottoman rule and became an Hungarian ally, the years following are characterized by the Ottomans and Hungary battling over the territory of Serbia. In 1453, the Ottomans conquered Constantinople
, and in 1458 Athens
was taken. In 1459, Serbia was annexed, Greece as well, a year later.
With the fall of Serbia, migrations began to the north. Serbs fought in guerilla units of Hajduks and Uskoks
within Balkans, other joined the foreign armies; Hussar
s, Seimeni
, etc.
Jovan Nenad, a Serbian military commander in Hungarian service, proclaimed himself Emperor in 1527, ruling a region of southern Pannonian Plains.
, Via Egnatia
, the Via de Zenta
, and the Kopaonik road among others. Ragusan merchants in particular had trading privileges throughout the realm.
Srebrenica, Rudnik, Trepca, Novo Brdo, Kopaonik, Majdanpek, Brskovo and Samokov were the main centers of the mining of iron, copper and lead ores, and silver and gold placers. The silver mines provided much of the royal income, and were worked by slave-labour, managed by Saxons
. A colony of Saxons worked the Novo Brdo mines and traded charcoal burners. The silver mines processed an annual 0.5 million dollars (1919 comparation). In East Serbia were mainly copper mines.
The currency used was called dinars
, an alternative name was perper
, derived from the Byzantine hyperpyron
. The golden dinar was the largest unit; the imperial tax
was one dinar coin, per house, annually.
was enacted in two state congresses: in May 21, 1349 in Skopje
and amended in 1354 in Serres
. It regulated all social spheres, thus it is considered a medieval constitution
. The Code included 201 articles. The Code was based on Roman
-Byzantine law
. The legal transplanting is notable with the articles 171 and 172 of Dušan's Code, which regulated juridical independence. They were taken from the Byzantine code Basilika
(book VII, 1, 16-17). The Code had its roots in the first Serbian constitution
— St. Sava's Nomocanon from 1219, enacted by Saint Sava
. This legal act was well developed. St. Sava's Nomocanon was the compilation of Civil law
, based on Roman Law
and Canon law
, based on Ecumenical Councils. Its basic purpose was to organize the functions of the state and Church.
.
In Dušan's Code
, the constitution
, named the administrative hierarchy as following: "lands, cities, župa
s and krajištes", the župas and krajištes were one and the same, with the župas on the borders were called krajištes (frontier). The župa consisted of villages, and their status, rights and obligations were regulated in the constitution.
The ruling nobility possessed hereditary allodial estates, which were worked by dependent sebri, the equivalent of Greek paroiko; peasants owing labour services, formally bound by decree.
The earlier župan-title was abolished and replaced with the Greek kephalus (kefalija, "head, master").
Empire
The term empire derives from the Latin imperium . Politically, an empire is a geographically extensive group of states and peoples united and ruled either by a monarch or an oligarchy....
in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
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 (Byzantines). Dušan the Mighty significantly expanded the state, stretching over half of the Balkan peninsula, also promoting the church to a Patriarchate. The Empire crumbled during Uroš V the Weak (hence his epithet). The Serbian Empire existed from 1346 to 1371, although nominally until 1402.
History
Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia
Stephen Uroš IV Dušan the Mighty , was the King of Serbia and Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks until his death on 20 December 1355. Dušan managed to conquer a large part of Southeast Europe, becoming one of the most powerful monarchs in his time...
, before ascending the throne as king of all Serbs
Serbs
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...
, proved himself as a very skilled military leader in the Battle of Velbazhd, in which Serbia memorably defeated the Bulgarian Empire
Second Bulgarian Empire
The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state which existed between 1185 and 1396 . A successor of the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually being conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th-early 15th century...
. As his father was not an able conqueror, Dušan, with the help of Serbian nobility, removed his father from the throne, ordering his people to strangle him. The medieval Serbian state reached its apex in the mid-14th century, during the rule of Stefan Dušan
Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia
Stephen Uroš IV Dušan the Mighty , was the King of Serbia and Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks until his death on 20 December 1355. Dušan managed to conquer a large part of Southeast Europe, becoming one of the most powerful monarchs in his time...
, who proclaimed himself in 1345 tsar in Serres
Serres, Greece
Sérres is a city in Macedonia, Greece. It is situated in a fertile plain at an elevation of about 70 m, some 24 km northeast of the Strymon river and 69 km north-east of the Macedonian capital, Thessaloniki. The Rhodope Mountains rise to the north and east of the city...
and was crowned in Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
on the 16th April 1346 as the "Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks" by the newly proclaimed Serbian Patriach
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...
Joanikie II with the help of the Bulgarian Patriarch Simeon and the Archbishop of Ohrid, Nicholas.
Tsar Dušan enacted Dušan's Code
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...
, a medieval constitution, in 1349 and 1354. The Code was based on Roman
Roman law
Roman law is the legal system of ancient Rome, and the legal developments which occurred before the 7th century AD — when the Roman–Byzantine state adopted Greek as the language of government. The development of Roman law comprises more than a thousand years of jurisprudence — from the Twelve...
-Byzantine law
Byzantine law
Byzantine Law was essentially a continuation of Roman Law with Christian influence, however, this is not to doubt its later influence on the western practice of jurisprudence...
and the first Serbian 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...
— St. Sava's Nomocanon (1219). It was a Civil
Civil law (legal system)
Civil law is a legal system inspired by Roman law and whose primary feature is that laws are codified into collections, as compared to common law systems that gives great precedential weight to common law on the principle that it is unfair to treat similar facts differently on different...
and Canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
(based on the Ecumenical Councils) for the functioning of the state and church. The Serbian Empire flourished, becoming one of the most developed countries and cultures in Europe.
Tsar Dušan doubled the size of his former kingdom, seizing territories to the south, southeast and east at the expense of 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...
. He did not fight a single field battle, instead winning his empire by besieging cities. He was succeeded by his son Stefan Uroš V, called the Weak, a term that might also apply to the state of the empire, as it slowly slid into feudal anarchy. The combination of sudden conquest, backwards administration, and failure to consolidate his holdings led to the fragmenting of the empire. This is a period marked by the rise of a new threat: the Ottoman Turkish
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...
sultanate gradually spreading from Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
to Europe and conquering Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
Thrace first, and then the other Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
states. Too incompetent to sustain the great empire created by his father, Stefan V could neither repel attacks of foreign enemies, nor combat the independence of his nobility. The Serbian Empire of Stefan Uroš fragmented into a conglomeration of principalities, some of which did not even nominally acknowledge his rule. Stefan Uroš V died childless on 4 December 1371, after much of the Serbian nobility had been slaughtered by the Ottoman Turks in the Battle of Maritsa
Battle of Maritsa
The Battle of Maritsa, or Battle of Chernomen, took place at the Maritsa River near the village of Chernomen on September 26, 1371 between the forces of the Ottoman sultan Murad I's lieutenant Lala Şâhin Paşa and the...
earlier that year.
Aftermath and legacy
The crumbling Serbian EmpireSerbian 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...
under Uroš the Weak was to be of little resistance to the powerful Ottomans. In light of conflicts and decentralization of the realm, the Ottomans defeated the Serbs under Vukašin at the Battle of Maritsa
Battle of Maritsa
The Battle of Maritsa, or Battle of Chernomen, took place at the Maritsa River near the village of Chernomen on September 26, 1371 between the forces of the Ottoman sultan Murad I's lieutenant Lala Şâhin Paşa and the...
in 1371, making vassals of the southern governors, and soon thereafter, the Emperor died. As Uroš was childless and the nobility could not agree on the rightful heir, the Empire was ruled by semi-independent provincial lords, who often were in feuds with each other. The most powerful of these, Tsar Lazar, a Duke of present-day central Serbia (which had not yet come under the Ottoman yoke), stood against the Ottomans at the Battle of Kosovo
Battle of Kosovo
The Battle of Kosovo took place on St. Vitus' Day, June 15, 1389, between the army led by Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, and the invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Sultan Murad I...
in 1389. The result was indecisive, but it resulted in the subsequent fall of Serbia. Stefan Lazarević
Stefan Lazarevic
Stefan Lazarević known also as Stevan the Tall was a Serbian Despot, ruler of the Serbian Despotate between 1389 and 1427. He was the son and heir to Prince Lazar, who died at the Battle of Kosovo against the Turks in 1389, and Princess Milica from the subordinate branch of the Nemanjić dynasty...
, the son of Lazar, succeeded as ruler, but had by 1394 become an Ottoman vassal. In 1402 he renounced Ottoman rule and became an Hungarian ally, the years following are characterized by the Ottomans and Hungary battling over the territory of Serbia. In 1453, the Ottomans conquered Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, and in 1458 Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
was taken. In 1459, Serbia was annexed, Greece as well, a year later.
With the fall of Serbia, migrations began to the north. Serbs fought in guerilla units of Hajduks and Uskoks
Uskoks
The Uskoks were Croatian Habsburg soldiers that inhabited the areas of the eastern Adriatic and the surrounding territories during the Ottoman wars in Europe. Etymologically, the word uskoci itself means "the ones who jumped in" in Croatian...
within Balkans, other joined the foreign armies; Hussar
Hussar
Hussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....
s, Seimeni
Seimeni
Seimeni designates the group of flintlock-armed infantry mercenaries charged with guarding the hospodar and his Court in 17th and 18th century Wallachia and Moldavia. They were mostly of Serb and other Balkan origin....
, etc.
Jovan Nenad, a Serbian military commander in Hungarian service, proclaimed himself Emperor in 1527, ruling a region of southern Pannonian Plains.
Economy
The east-west Roman roads carried a variety of commodities: wine, manufactures, and luxury goods from the coast; metals, cattle, timber, wool, skins and leather from the interior. This economic development made it possible for the creation of the Empire. Important roads were the ancient Roman Via MilitarisVia Militaris
Via Militaris or Via Diagonalis was an ancient Roman road, starting from Singidunum , passing by Danube coast to Viminacium , through Naissus , Serdica , Philippopolis , Adrianopolis , and reaching Constantinople...
, Via Egnatia
Via Egnatia
The Via Egnatia was a road constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. It crossed the Roman provinces of Illyricum, Macedonia, and Thrace, running through territory that is now part of modern Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Greece, and European Turkey.Starting at Dyrrachium on the...
, the Via de Zenta
Via de Zenta
Via de Zenta, known simply as Zeta was a medieval road connecting the Adriatic with Nemanjić' Serbia . It started from the mouth of the Bojana, the Skadar port, along the Drin Valley to Prizren, then to Lipljan, then through Novo Brdo to Vranje and Niš...
, and the Kopaonik road among others. Ragusan merchants in particular had trading privileges throughout the realm.
Srebrenica, Rudnik, Trepca, Novo Brdo, Kopaonik, Majdanpek, Brskovo and Samokov were the main centers of the mining of iron, copper and lead ores, and silver and gold placers. The silver mines provided much of the royal income, and were worked by slave-labour, managed by Saxons
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
. A colony of Saxons worked the Novo Brdo mines and traded charcoal burners. The silver mines processed an annual 0.5 million dollars (1919 comparation). In East Serbia were mainly copper mines.
The currency used was called dinars
Serbian dinar
The dinar is the currency of Serbia. An earlier currency also called dinar was used in Serbia between 1868 and 1918. The earliest use of the dinar date to 1214. Today's Serbian dinar is a continuation of the last Yugoslav dinar...
, an alternative name was perper
Serbian perper
The Perper was an alternative name of the currency used in Serbia under Emperor Dušan. Its name comes from the Byzantine coin hyperpyron. Actual name of this currency was golden dinars of Emperor Dušan....
, derived from the Byzantine hyperpyron
Hyperpyron
The hyperpyron was a Byzantine coin in use in the latter Middle Ages, replacing the solidus as the Empire's gold coinage.The gold currency of the Byzantine Empire had been the solidus or nomisma, whose gold content had remained steady at 24 carats for seven centuries and was consequently...
. The golden dinar was the largest unit; the imperial tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
was one dinar coin, per house, annually.
Law
Dušan's CodeDušan'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...
was enacted in two state congresses: in May 21, 1349 in Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
and amended in 1354 in Serres
Serres, Greece
Sérres is a city in Macedonia, Greece. It is situated in a fertile plain at an elevation of about 70 m, some 24 km northeast of the Strymon river and 69 km north-east of the Macedonian capital, Thessaloniki. The Rhodope Mountains rise to the north and east of the city...
. It regulated all social spheres, thus it is considered a medieval 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...
. The Code included 201 articles. The Code was based on Roman
Roman law
Roman law is the legal system of ancient Rome, and the legal developments which occurred before the 7th century AD — when the Roman–Byzantine state adopted Greek as the language of government. The development of Roman law comprises more than a thousand years of jurisprudence — from the Twelve...
-Byzantine law
Byzantine law
Byzantine Law was essentially a continuation of Roman Law with Christian influence, however, this is not to doubt its later influence on the western practice of jurisprudence...
. The legal transplanting is notable with the articles 171 and 172 of Dušan's Code, which regulated juridical independence. They were taken from the Byzantine code Basilika
Basilika
The term Basilika or 'Basilica' refers to a code of laws issued by the Eastern Roman emperor Leo VI the Wise . Written entirely in Greek, the 'Basilica', in 60 books, adapt the 6th-century Justinian code to the conditions of the 9th- and 10th-century Empire, and include laws issued by Leo VI and...
(book VII, 1, 16-17). The Code had its roots in the first Serbian 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...
— St. Sava's Nomocanon from 1219, enacted by 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...
. This legal act was well developed. St. Sava's Nomocanon was the compilation of Civil law
Civil law (legal system)
Civil law is a legal system inspired by Roman law and whose primary feature is that laws are codified into collections, as compared to common law systems that gives great precedential weight to common law on the principle that it is unfair to treat similar facts differently on different...
, based on Roman Law
Roman law
Roman law is the legal system of ancient Rome, and the legal developments which occurred before the 7th century AD — when the Roman–Byzantine state adopted Greek as the language of government. The development of Roman law comprises more than a thousand years of jurisprudence — from the Twelve...
and Canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
, based on Ecumenical Councils. Its basic purpose was to organize the functions of the state and Church.
Administration
The monarch had wide autocratic powers, but was surrounded and adviced by a permanent council of magnates and prelates. The court, chancellery and administration were rough copies of those of ConstantinopleConstantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
.
In Dušan's Code
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...
, the 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...
, named the administrative hierarchy as following: "lands, cities, župa
Župa
A Župa is a Slavic term, used historically among the Southern and Western branches of the Slavs, originally denoting various territorial and other sub-units, usually a small administrative division, especially a gathering of several villages...
s and krajištes", the župas and krajištes were one and the same, with the župas on the borders were called krajištes (frontier). The župa consisted of villages, and their status, rights and obligations were regulated in the constitution.
The ruling nobility possessed hereditary allodial estates, which were worked by dependent sebri, the equivalent of Greek paroiko; peasants owing labour services, formally bound by decree.
The earlier župan-title was abolished and replaced with the Greek kephalus (kefalija, "head, master").
Divisions
- župas in modern SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
: Preševo,- Kosovo and Metohia: Topolnica, Letnica, Lab, Lugovi, Nerodimlje, Paunpolje, Sitnica, Zagorje, Zvečan, Banjska, Ibarski Kolašin, Jelci, Drenica, Lapušnik, Altin, Vokš, Drškovina, HvosnoHvosnoHvosno was a medieval Serbian župa located in the northern part of the Metohija region, in Kosovo. It roughly encompassed the areas of the modern Istok and Peć municipalities...
, Patkovo, Reka, Zatrnava, Suhogrlo, Trnava, Prizrenski Podgor, Gora, Opolje, Sredska, Sirinić.
- Kosovo and Metohia: Topolnica, Letnica, Lab, Lugovi, Nerodimlje, Paunpolje, Sitnica, Zagorje, Zvečan, Banjska, Ibarski Kolašin, Jelci, Drenica, Lapušnik, Altin, Vokš, Drškovina, Hvosno
- župas in modern Republic of MacedoniaRepublic of MacedoniaMacedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
: Slavište, Žegligovo,
Emperors
- Stefan Uroš IV DušanStefan Uroš IV Dušan of SerbiaStephen Uroš IV Dušan the Mighty , was the King of Serbia and Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks until his death on 20 December 1355. Dušan managed to conquer a large part of Southeast Europe, becoming one of the most powerful monarchs in his time...
(1346–1355) - Stefan Uroš VStefan Uroš V of SerbiaSaint Stefan Uroš V Nejaki was king of the Serbian Empire as co-regent of his father Stefan Uroš IV Dušan Silni and then Emperor .-Biography:...
(1355–1371)
Magnates, feudal lords and officials
- knight PalmanPalmanVitez Palman or Palman Braht born ~1290, death 1363+) was a 14th century German noble and mercenary commander in the Army of Dušan the Mighty .-Biography:...
, bodyguard and mercenary commander - knight Đuraš IlijićĐuraš IlijićĐuraš Ilijić was a Serbian nobleman that held Upper Zeta with the title of čelnik during the rule of Stefan Dečanski , Dušan the Mighty and Uroš the Weak , from 1326 until his death in 1362...
, Lord of Upper Zeta (d. 1356, son of kephaleKephale (Byzantine Empire)In the late Byzantine Empire, the term kephalē was used to denote local and provincial governors.It entered use in the second half of the 13th century, and was derived from the colloquial language. Consequently, it never became an established title or rank of the Byzantine imperial hierarchy, but...
Ilija) - great voivode Jovan OliverJovan OliverJovan Oliver Grčinić, known as Despot Jovan Oliver was a magnate of the Serbian Emperor Dušan the Mighty , holding the titles of sebastokrator and despotes, and the great voivode-military rank, showing his prominence and status as one of the most important nobles of Dušan...
, sebastocrator and despotesDespotesDespot , was a senior Byzantine court title that was bestowed on the sons or sons-in-law of reigning emperors, and initially denoted the heir-apparent...
of ŠtipŠtipŠtip is the largest urban agglomeration in the eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia, serving as the economic, industrial, entertainment and educational focal point for the surrounding municipalities. As of the 2002 census, the Štip municipality alone had a population of about 47,796...
and StrumicaStrumicaStrumica is the largest city in eastern Macedonia, near the Novo Selo-Petrich border crossing with Bulgaria. About 100,000 people live in the region surrounding the city. The city is named after the Strumica River which runs through it...
(d. after 1356) - voivode Dejan DragašDejan DragašDejan Dragaš was a 14th-century Serbian nobleman and the Despot of Kumanovo holding the title of Sebastokrator given to him by his brother-in-law Emperor of Serbia Dušan the Mighty...
, sebastocrator and despot of province between KumanovoKumanovoKumanovo is a city in the Republic of Macedonia and is the seat of Kumanovo Municipality which is the largest municipality in the country. Municipal institutions include a city council, mayor and other administrative bodies.-Name:...
and Velbazhd (d. before 1371) - voivode Altoman VojinovićAltoman VojinovićAltoman Vojinović of Zeta in the 14th century.He was born the eldest son of Vojvoda Vojin, who had fought under Stefan Dečanski and Stefan Dušan.He is believed to have died in 1363, but the last mention of him is in 1359....
, Grand Duke of HumZahumljeZachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
(d. 1359, son of voivode Vojin) - voivode Vukašin MrnjavčevićVukašin MrnjavcevicVukašin Mrnjavčević was a Serbian ruler in modern-day central and northwestern Macedonia, who ruled from 1365 to 1371. According to 17th-century Ragusan historian Mavro Orbin, his father was a minor noble named Mrnjava from Zachlumia, whose sons Vukašin and Uglješa were born in Livno in western...
, despot of PrilepPrilepPrilep is the fourth largest city in the Republic of Macedonia. It has a population of 66,246 citizens. Prilep is known as "the city under Marko's Towers" because of its proximity to the towers of Prince Marko.-Name:...
(d. 1371, son of MrnjavaMrnjavaMrnja or Mrnjava was a Serbian provincial nobleman and treasurer serving Helen of Anjou at Trebinje , the wife of Stephen Uroš I of Serbia. He was the father of Vukašin Mrnjavčević, the co-ruler of the Serbian Empire and founder of the Mrnjavčević dynasty.He was born in Zahumlje...
) - voivode PreljubPreljubGregory Preljub or simply Preljub was a 14th-century Serbian noble and voivode who conquered and ruled Thessaly with the rank of Caesar in 1348–1356 under Emperor Stephen IV Dushan...
, caesarCaesar (title)Caesar is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator...
of EpirusDespotate of EpirusThe Despotate or Principality of Epirus was one of the Byzantine Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire that emerged in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Empire of Nicaea, and the Empire of Trebizond...
(d. 1356) - voivode Voihna, caesar of DramaDrama, GreeceDrama , the ancient Drabescus , is a town and municipality in northeastern Greece. Drama is the capital of the peripheral unit of Drama which is part of the East Macedonia and Thrace periphery. The town is the economic center of the municipality , which in turn comprises 53.5 percent of the...
(d. ca 1360) - voivode Grgur GolubićGrgur GolubićGrgur Golubić, known as Caesar Gregory was a Serbian nobleman during the Serbian Empire of Stephen Dušan and Stephen Uroš V . He held the Polog region with the title of Caesar...
, caesar of PologPologPolog also known as the Polog Valley , is located in the north-western part of the Republic of Macedonia near the border with Serbia.It is divided into Upper and Lower Polog...
(d. after 1361) - voivode Branko RastislalićBranko RastislalićBranko Rastislalić was the "Lord of Podunavlje" and Domestikos under Dušan the Mighty of the Serbian Empire from circa 1340 until his death in 1352....
, domestikosDomestikosDomestikos , in English sometimes [the] Domestic, was a civil, ecclesiastic and military office in the late Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire.-Military usage:...
of PodunavljePodunavljePodunavlje is the name of the Danube river basin parts located in Serbia and Croatia .-History:...
(d. 1352) - voivode Vratko, Lord of ProkupljeProkupljeProkuplje is a town and municipality located in Serbia at 43.24° North, 21.59° East. According to 2011 census, the town has a total population of 27,163 inhabitants, while population of municipality is 43,631. It is the administrative center of the Toplica District of Serbia. It is one of the...
(d. after 1347, great-grandson of Vukan of Serbia) - voivode Radoslav HlapenRadoslav HlapenRadoslav Hlapen was a Serbian voivode in the service of Emperor Dušan the Mighty . He took part in the operations into the south, Macedonia, and was given a region north of Thessaly to govern in the early 1350s.-Life:Radoslav was born around 1322...
, Lord of VeriaVeriaVeria is a city built at the foot of Vermion Mountains in Greece. It is a commercial center of Macedonia, the capital of the prefecture of Imathia, the province of Imathia and the seat of a bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church...
, Voden and KastoriaKastoriaKastoria is a city in northern Greece in the periphery of West Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria peripheral unit. It is situated on a promontory on the western shore of Lake Orestiada, in a valley surrounded by limestone mountains...
(d. 1383-1385) - voivode HreljaHreljaHrelja , also known as Stefan Dragovol or Hrelja Ohmućević was a 14th-century semi-independent feudal lord in the region of northeastern Macedonia and the Rila mountains who served medieval Serbian kings Stefan Milutin, Stefan Dečanski and Stefan Dušan...
, Lord of RilaRilaRila is a mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria and the highest mountain range of Bulgaria and the Balkans, with its highest peak being Musala at 2,925 m... - voivode VojinVojvoda VojinVojin of Gacko or Vojvoda Vojin was a Serb voivode and magnate that held the province of Gacko, also known as Hum , in ca.1322-1347, serving King Stephen Uroš III Dečanski and Emperor Stephen Dušan the Mighty...
, Lord of GackoGackoGacko is a town and municipality in southeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Republika Srpska entity. It is situated in the Foča Region.-Geography:The town is in a short distance from Montenegro... - voivode Bogut, Lord of UgljevikUgljevikUgljevik is a municipality and town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The municipality located in the eastern foothills of Mount Majevica, in picturesque countryside, where wondrous and beautiful mountain starts descending towards the flatlands of Semberija, to which it is tied more than any other...
- voivode Milutin, Lord of RudnikRudnikRudnik is a mountain in central Serbia, near the town of Gornji Milanovac. Its highest peak Cvijićev vrh, named after geologist and biologist Jovan Cvijić, has an altitude of 1132 meters above sea level...
- voivode Vuk KosačaVuk KosacaVuk Kosača was a 14th-century military commander of Dušan the Mighty, the Emperor of Serbia . He is the founding father of a medieval Herzegovinian noble family known as the Kosačas, that would later rule a semi-independent realm under the Bosnian crown...
, Lord of RogaticaRogaticaRogatica is a municipality and town in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina located 60 kilometres northeast of Sarajevo; midway on the road from Goražde towards Sokolac... - Branko MladenovićBranko MladenovićBranko Mladenović was a 14th-century Serb feudal lord in the Lake Ohrid border region in 1346 between the Serb lands ruled by Stefan Dušan and Albanian lands ruled by Matarango...
, sebastocrator of OhridOhridOhrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...
(d. before 1371, son of voivode Mladen) - Jovan DragašJovan DragašJovan Dragaš was a 14th-century Serbian noble that held the title of Despot of Kumanovo, Kocani and Strumica under his uncle Stephen Uroš V of Serbia; he later became an Ottoman vassal after the Battle of Maritsa in 1371....
, despot of Kumanovo (d. 1378, son of voivode Dejan) - Vlatko PaskačićVlatko PaskačićVlatko Paskačić was a 14th century Serbian feudal lord of Slavište region around Kriva Palanka under the Mrnjavčevići , in modern Republic of Macedonia....
, sebastocrator of Slavište (d. after 1365, son of kephale PaskačPaskačPaskač was a 14th-century Serbian nobleman, that held the title of knez during the rule of Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia ....
) - Lazar, chancellor at the court of Dušan and gospodar of MoravaMoravaMorava is a Slavic river name. It may refer to:Rivers:* Great Morava in central Serbia** South Morava , tributary of the Great Morava** West Morava , tributary of the Great Morava...
(d. 1389, son of Pribac) - Andrea GropaAndrea GropaAndrea Gropa was a 14th-century Albanian nobleman, who ruled the region and the city of Ohrid. His domains included the region of Ohrid after the death of Stephen Uroš V of Serbia and in medieval Slavic chronicles he is mentioned as the Grand Župan or the Hospodar of Ohrid...
, Lord of Ohrid (d. after 1371) - Balša I, Lord of Scodra (d. before 1362)
- Pribac Hrebeljanović, chancellor at the court of Dušan
See also
- ZakonopraviloZakonopraviloThe Nomocanon of Saint Sava was the first Serbian constitution and the highest code in the Serbian Orthodox Church, finished in 1219. This legal act was well developed. St...
- Dušan's CodeDušan's CodeDušan'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...
- Simeon UrošSimeon 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,...
- John UrošJohn UrošJovan Uroš or John Ouresis Doukas Palaiologos was the ruler of Thessaly from c. 1370 to c. 1373, died 1422/3.John Uroš was the son of Emperor Simeon Uroš Palaiologos by Thomais Orsini. His maternal grandparents were John II Orsini and Anna Palaiologina Angelina.Between 1369 and 1372 he succeeded...
- Serbian DespotateSerbian DespotateThe Serbian Despotate was a Serbian state, the last to be conquered by the Ottoman Empire. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is generally considered the end of the medieval Serbian state, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire and Moravian Serbia survived for 70 more years,...
- Serbia in the Middle Ages
- 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...
- Corpus Juris CivilisCorpus Juris CivilisThe Corpus Juris Civilis is the modern name for a collection of fundamental works in jurisprudence, issued from 529 to 534 by order of Justinian I, Eastern Roman Emperor...