Stefan Uroš II Milutin of Serbia
Encyclopedia
Stefan Uroš II Milutin (Serbian Cyrillic
: Стефан Урош II Милутин) (c. 1253 – October 29, 1321) was a king of Serbia
(reigned 1282–1321), and member of the House of Nemanjić
.
and his wife, Queen Helena (Hélène d'Anjou) from The House of Anjou
. Unexpectedly he became king of Serbia after the abdication of his brother Stefan Dragutin. He was around 29. Immediately upon his accession to the throne he attacked Byzantine lands in Macedonia. In 1282, he conquered the northern parts of Macedonia with the city of Skoplje, which became his capital. Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos
began preparations for war but he died before their completion. The next year Milutin advanced with his brother deep into Byzantine territory all the way to Kavala
. In 1284, Milutin also gained control of northern Albania and the city of Dyrrachion (Durrës
). For the next 15 years there were no changes in the war. Peace was concluded in 1299 when Milutin kept the conquered lands as the dowry of Simonis
, daughter of Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos
who became his 4th wife.
After 1280 a Bulgarian prince named Shishman
came to rule the semi-independent principality of Vidin. Shishman was a vassal of Nogai Khan
, Khan
of the Golden Horde
and sought to expand his territories to the west, invading Serbia coming as far as Hvosno
, the Tatars
failed to capture Zdrelo
(near Peć
) and were pursued back to Vidin by the Serbs. Milutin devastated Vidin and the rest of Shishman's dominion, making Shishman take refuge on the other side of the Danube
. The two however became allies after Milutin married Serbian župan Dragoš
to the daughter of Shishman, later Milutin would give his daughter Anna to Shishman's son Michael who would become the Tsar of Bulgaria in 1323. Milutin and Nogai Khan
would soon come in conflict because of the loss of Vidin, Nogai launched a campaign against Serbia but Milutin offered peace after sending his son Stefan Dečanski to Nogai's court, Stefan stayed with his entourage there until 1296 or Nogai Khan
's death in 1299.
. War broke out between the brothers and lasted, with sporadic cease-fires, until Dragutin's death in 1314. During this war Milutin appointed Stefan Dečanski as regent in Zeta
, modern Montenegro
. This meant that Stefan Dečanski was to be heir to the throne in Serbia and not Dragutin's son Stefan Vladislav II.
in 1296.
The Battle of Gallipoli (1312)
was fought by the Serbian troops sent by Stefan Uroš II Milutin to aid the Byzantine
Emperor Andronikos in the defense of his lands against the Ottoman Turks
. After numerous attempts in subduing the Turks, the rapidly crumbling Byzantine Empire was forced to enlist the help of Serbia
. The Turks were looting and pillaging the countryside and the two armies converged at the Gallipoli peninsula
where the Ottomans were decisively defeated. Out of the gratitude to Serbia, the town of Kucovo was donated to the Serbs.
Upon Stefan Dragutin's death in 1314 Milutin conquered most of his lands including Belgrade
. But in 1319 Charles I of Hungary
regained control over Belgrade and banovina Mačva while Milutin held control in Braničevo. In the year 1314 Milutin's son Stefan Dečanski rebelled against his father, but was captured, blinded and sent to exile in Constantinople
. For the rest of Milutin's reign his youngest son Stefan Constantine was considered as heir to the throne, but in the spring of 1321 Stefan Dečanski returned to Serbia and was pardoned by his father.
, Our Lady of Ljeviš
, the church of Vavedenje in Hilandar
and many more. After his death a short civil war followed, after which the Serbian throne was ascended by his eldest son, Stefan Dečanski.
By his second wife, Elizabeth
, daughter of King Stephen V of Hungary
and Elizabeth the Cuman
, Milutin had:
By his third wife, Anna
, the daughter of George I of Bulgaria
, Stefan Uroš II Milutin had the following children:
By his fourth wife Simonis, the daughter of Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos
, he had no children.
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
: Стефан Урош II Милутин) (c. 1253 – October 29, 1321) was a king of Serbia
History of Medieval Serbia
Тhe medieval history of Serbia begins in the 5th century AD with the Slavic invasion of the Balkans, and lasts until the Ottoman occupation of 1540.- Slavic invasion :...
(reigned 1282–1321), and member of the House of Nemanjić
House of Nemanjic
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...
.
Early
He was the youngest son of King Stefan Uroš IStefan Uroš I of Serbia
Stefan Uroš I was the King of Serbia from 1243 to 1276, succeeding his brother Stefan Vladislav.-Life:Stephen Uroš was the youngest son of Stefan the First-Crowned and Anna, the granddaughter of Enrico Dandolo, Doge of Venice....
and his wife, Queen Helena (Hélène d'Anjou) from The House of Anjou
Capetian House of Anjou
The Capetian House of Anjou, also known as the House of Anjou-Sicily and House of Anjou-Naples, was a royal house and cadet branch of the direct House of Capet. Founded by Charles I of Sicily, a son of Louis VIII of France, the Capetian king first ruled the Kingdom of Sicily during the 13th century...
. Unexpectedly he became king of Serbia after the abdication of his brother Stefan Dragutin. He was around 29. Immediately upon his accession to the throne he attacked Byzantine lands in Macedonia. In 1282, he conquered the northern parts of Macedonia with the city of Skoplje, which became his capital. Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine Emperor 1259–1282. Michael VIII was the founder of the Palaiologan dynasty that would rule the Byzantine Empire until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453...
began preparations for war but he died before their completion. The next year Milutin advanced with his brother deep into Byzantine territory all the way to Kavala
Kavala
Kavala , is the second largest city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala peripheral unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos...
. In 1284, Milutin also gained control of northern Albania and the city of Dyrrachion (Durrës
Durrës
Durrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...
). For the next 15 years there were no changes in the war. Peace was concluded in 1299 when Milutin kept the conquered lands as the dowry of Simonis
Simonida
Simonida Nemanjić , born Simonis Palaiologina , was a Byzantine princess and queen consort of Serbia as the fourth wife of Serbian king Milutin . She was a daughter of Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos and Irene of Montferrat.- Life :Simonida was born in Constantinople ca. 1294...
, daughter of Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos
Andronikos II Palaiologos
Andronikos II Palaiologos , Latinized as Andronicus II Palaeologus, was Byzantine emperor from 1282 to 1328. He was the eldest surviving son of Michael VIII Palaiologos and Theodora Doukaina Vatatzina, grandniece of John III Doukas Vatatzes...
who became his 4th wife.
War with the Tatars
Shishman
Shishman , also Shishmanids or Shishmanovtsi , was a medieval Bulgarian royal dynasty of partial Cuman origin.The Shishman dynasty consecutively ruled the Second Bulgarian Empire for approximately one century, from 1323 to 1422, when it was conquered by the Ottomans...
came to rule the semi-independent principality of Vidin. Shishman was a vassal of Nogai Khan
Nogai Khan
Nogai , also called Isa Nogai, was a general and de facto ruler of the Golden Horde and a great-great-grandson of Genghis Khan. His grandfather was Baul/Teval Khan, the 7th son of Jochi...
, Khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
of the Golden Horde
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde was a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate that formed the north-western sector of the Mongol Empire...
and sought to expand his territories to the west, invading Serbia coming as far as Hvosno
Hvosno
Hvosno 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...
, the Tatars
Tatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
failed to capture Zdrelo
Ždrelo
Ždrelo is a village situated in Petrovac na Mlavi municipality in Serbia....
(near Peć
Pec
Peć or Pejë is a city and municipality in north-western Kosovo and Metohija - Serbia, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district. Governor of city is Ali Berisha....
) and were pursued back to Vidin by the Serbs. Milutin devastated Vidin and the rest of Shishman's dominion, making Shishman take refuge on the other side of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
. The two however became allies after Milutin married Serbian župan Dragoš
Dragoš
Dragoš was a 14th-century Serbian nobleman who`s daughter was married to the Bulgarian Despot of Vidin Shishman, through an alliance formed by victorious Serbian King Stefan Milutin .-References:*...
to the daughter of Shishman, later Milutin would give his daughter Anna to Shishman's son Michael who would become the Tsar of Bulgaria in 1323. Milutin and Nogai Khan
Nogai Khan
Nogai , also called Isa Nogai, was a general and de facto ruler of the Golden Horde and a great-great-grandson of Genghis Khan. His grandfather was Baul/Teval Khan, the 7th son of Jochi...
would soon come in conflict because of the loss of Vidin, Nogai launched a campaign against Serbia but Milutin offered peace after sending his son Stefan Dečanski to Nogai's court, Stefan stayed with his entourage there until 1296 or Nogai Khan
Nogai Khan
Nogai , also called Isa Nogai, was a general and de facto ruler of the Golden Horde and a great-great-grandson of Genghis Khan. His grandfather was Baul/Teval Khan, the 7th son of Jochi...
's death in 1299.
Feud of the brothers
Disputes began between Milutin and his brother Stefan Dragutin after a peace treaty with the Byzantine Empire was signed in 1299. Dragutin in the meantime held lands from Braničevo in the east to the Bosna river in the west. His capital was BelgradeBelgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. War broke out between the brothers and lasted, with sporadic cease-fires, until Dragutin's death in 1314. During this war Milutin appointed Stefan Dečanski as regent in Zeta
Zeta
-Science:* Zeta functions, in mathematics** Riemann zeta function* Zeta potential, the electrokinetic potential of a colloidal system* Tropical Storm Zeta , formed in December 2005 and lasting through January 2006* Z-pinch, in fusion power...
, modern Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
. This meant that Stefan Dečanski was to be heir to the throne in Serbia and not Dragutin's son Stefan Vladislav II.
Battles and supreme leadership
He captured DurresDurrës
Durrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...
in 1296.
The Battle of Gallipoli (1312)
Battle of Gallipoli (1312)
The Battle of Gallipoli was fought in 1312, between the Byzantine Empire and Serbian Kingdom, against Turcopoles led by Halil Pasha.The Turks were looting and pillaging the countryside. For two years Thrace was in the hands of Halil Pasha, the local inhabitants did not cultivate their lands at the...
was fought by the Serbian troops sent by Stefan Uroš II Milutin to aid the 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...
Emperor Andronikos in the defense of his lands against the Ottoman Turks
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...
. After numerous attempts in subduing the Turks, the rapidly crumbling Byzantine Empire was forced to enlist the help of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , 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...
. The Turks were looting and pillaging the countryside and the two armies converged at the Gallipoli peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
where the Ottomans were decisively defeated. Out of the gratitude to Serbia, the town of Kucovo was donated to the Serbs.
Upon Stefan Dragutin's death in 1314 Milutin conquered most of his lands including Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. But in 1319 Charles I of Hungary
Charles I of Hungary
Charles I , also known as Charles Robert , was the first King of Hungary and Croatia of the House of Anjou. He was also descended from the old Hungarian Árpád dynasty. His claim to the throne of Hungary was contested by several pretenders...
regained control over Belgrade and banovina Mačva while Milutin held control in Braničevo. In the year 1314 Milutin's son Stefan Dečanski rebelled against his father, but was captured, blinded and sent to exile in 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:...
. For the rest of Milutin's reign his youngest son Stefan Constantine was considered as heir to the throne, but in the spring of 1321 Stefan Dečanski returned to Serbia and was pardoned by his father.
Death and legacy
At the end of Milutin's life many things changed in Serbia. Serbia was one of the strongest countries in south-eastern Europe, except for Hungary. During his reign many court ceremonials were taken over from the Byzantine court and Byzantine culture overflowed into Serbia. Milutin was also well known as the founder of many monasteries: Gračanica monasteryGracanica monastery
Gračanica is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Kosovo. It was founded by the Serbian king Stefan Milutin in 1321. Gračanica Monastery was declared Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1990, and it is protected by Republic of Serbia, and on 13 July 2006 it was placed on UNESCO's...
, Our Lady of Ljeviš
Our Lady of Ljeviš
Our Lady of Ljeviš is a 12th-century Serbian Orthodox Church in the town of Prizren, located in southern Serbia - Kosovo and Metohija. It was converted to a mosque during the Ottoman Empire and then back into an Orthodox Church in the early 20th century....
, the church of Vavedenje in Hilandar
Hilandar
Hilandar Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos in Greece. It was founded in 1198 by the first Serbian Archbishop Saint Sava and his father, Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja of the medieval Serbian principality of Raška...
and many more. After his death a short civil war followed, after which the Serbian throne was ascended by his eldest son, Stefan Dečanski.
Family
By his first wife, Helena, daughter of sebastokratōr John I Doukas of Byzantine ruler of Thessaly and Hypomone, he had no children.By his second wife, Elizabeth
Elizabeth of Hungary, Queen of Serbia
Elizabeth of Hungary the widow was one of younger children of King Stephen V of Hungary and his wife Elizabeth the Cuman. She was a member of the House of Arpad and later became Queen consort of Serbia by her marriage to Stefan Uroš II Milutin of Serbia....
, daughter of King Stephen V of Hungary
Stephen V of Hungary
Stephen V , was King of Hungary from 1270 to 1272.-Early years:...
and Elizabeth the Cuman
Elizabeth the Cuman
-Daughter of Kuthen:She was born in about 1239/40, a daughter of Kuthen/Kotyan/Kotony , khan of the Cumans , and his wife whose identity has not been established. The Cumans were the western tribes of the Cuman-Kipchak confederation. The Cumans were a confederation of Turkic speaking peoples who...
, Milutin had:
- Stephen Constantine, rival king of Serbia from 1321 to 1322
By his third wife, Anna
Anna Terter of Bulgaria
Anna Terter was a Bulgarian princess and Queen consort of Serbia . She was the third wife of King Stefan Uroš II Milutin of Serbia....
, the daughter of George I of Bulgaria
George I of Bulgaria
George Terter I ruled as emperor of Bulgaria 1280-1292. The date of his birth is unknown, and he died in 1308/1309.The reign of George Terter I represents a continuation of Bulgaria's precipitous decline during the second half of the 13th century...
, Stefan Uroš II Milutin had the following children:
- Stefan Uroš III DečanskiStefan Uroš III Decanski of SerbiaStephen Uroš III of Dečani was King of Serbia from January 6, 1322 to 8 September 1331. He defeated and killed several of his family members who wanted to take the throne from him. He took his epithet Dečanski from the great monastery he built at Dečani.-Early:He was the son of King Stefan Uroš II...
, who succeeded as king - Anna NedaAnna Neda of SerbiaAnna Neda was a 14th-century Serb Empress consort of Bulgaria. She was the daughter of Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin and Princess Anna Terter, daughter of George I of Bulgaria...
, who married Michael Shishman of BulgariaMichael Shishman of BulgariaMichael Asen III ), ruled as emperor of Bulgaria from 1323 to 1330. The exact year of his birth is unknown but it was between 1280 and 1292. He was the founder of the last ruling dynasty of the Second Bulgarian Empire, the Shishman dynasty... - Zorica, known as Tsaritsa (Empress)
By his fourth wife Simonis, the daughter of Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos
Andronikos II Palaiologos
Andronikos II Palaiologos , Latinized as Andronicus II Palaeologus, was Byzantine emperor from 1282 to 1328. He was the eldest surviving son of Michael VIII Palaiologos and Theodora Doukaina Vatatzina, grandniece of John III Doukas Vatatzes...
, he had no children.