Tihomir of Serbia
Encyclopedia
Tihomir Zavidović or Tihomir of Serbia was the Grand Prince
of the Grand Principality of Serbia (Rascia
) fl. 1162-1171.
. After the death of his father, Tihomir is appointed supreme ruler as the Grand Prince of Serbia (1166) by Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnenus, however, he rules jointly with his brothers. The lands were divided; Stracimir
ruled West Morava, Miroslav
ruled Zahumlje
and Travunia
, Stefan Nemanja
was given Toplica, Ibar
, Rasina and Reke. Nemanja was also a vassal to Manuel I, through his appanage
of Dubočica. Nemanja aided the Imperial army against the Hungarians in Srem in 1164. The tie between Nemanja and Manuel I was most likely seen as a threat to Tihomir.
Stefan Nemanja built the Monastery of Saint Nicholas in Kuršumlija
and the Monastery of the Holy Mother of Christ near Kosanica
-Toplica, without the approval of Tihomir. Nemanja had felt that he had the free will of doing so, Tihomir disagreed, Nemanja was, or Tihomir thought that he was trying to assert independence through his relation to Manuel I. Tihomir had Nemanja chained and thrown into jail, his lands were annexed. Nemanja's supporters conspired to the church that Tihomir had done all this because of his disapproval of church building, thus the Church turned against Tihomir. Nemanja managed to escape the jail, and returned to his province.
Stefan Nemanja mobilizes an army, possibly with Byzantine help, and heads for the crownland. Manuel I might have been displeased with Tihomir's acting. Nemanja is triumphant, Tihomir and Miroslav
and Stracimir
are expelled to Byzantium
in 1167. Stefan Nemanja quickly became a powerful figure, and Manuel I subsequently turned to Tihomir and his brothers. The Byzantine Empire wanted to see Serbia divided by several princes as to keep it weak.
Manuel I provides Tihomir with an army, coming in from Skopje
. In 1171 Nemanja manages to gather a large army and defeats them at Pantino
near Zvečan
, Tihomir is drowned in the River of Sitnica. Nemanja captures his other brothers and makes peace, giving them rule in their former lands by recognizing him as the only ruler of Serbia. The Nemanjić dynasty was named after Stefan Nemanja who ruled Serbia until 1371.
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...
of the Grand Principality of Serbia (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...
) fl. 1162-1171.
Life
He was the first born child of ZavidaZavida
Zavida or Beli Uroš was a 12th-century Serbian royal member who briefly ruled as Župan of Zahumlje and later held the title "Lord of Ribnica"....
. After the death of his father, Tihomir is appointed supreme ruler as the Grand Prince of Serbia (1166) by Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnenus, however, he rules jointly with his brothers. The lands were divided; Stracimir
Stracimir Zavidović
Stracimir Zavidović was a 12th-century Serbian Prince of West Morava in 1163-1166, an administrative division of the Medieval Serbian Principality....
ruled West Morava, Miroslav
Miroslav of Hum
Miroslav Zavidović or Miroslav of Hum was a 12th-century Great Prince of Zachlumia from 1162 to 1190, an administrative division of the medieval Serbian Principality covering Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia....
ruled Zahumlje
Zahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
and Travunia
Travunia
Travunia was a medieval region, administrative unit and principality, which was part of Medieval Serbia , and in its last years, the Bosnian Kingdom . The county became hereditary in a number of noble houses, often kin to the ruling dynasty. The region came under Ottoman rule in 1482...
, 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...
was given Toplica, Ibar
Ibar
-Places:* Ibar , in Montenegro and Serbia* Ibar Reserve in Rila, Bulgaria* Ibar Rocks, a rock formation in Antarctica* Ibar highway, in Serbia-People:* Ibar of Beggerin , Irish saint* Íbar of Killibar Beg, Irish saint...
, Rasina and Reke. Nemanja was also a vassal to Manuel I, through his appanage
Appanage
An apanage or appanage or is the grant of an estate, titles, offices, or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture...
of Dubočica. Nemanja aided the Imperial army against the Hungarians in Srem in 1164. The tie between Nemanja and Manuel I was most likely seen as a threat to Tihomir.
Stefan Nemanja built the Monastery of Saint Nicholas in Kuršumlija
Kuršumlija
Kuršumlija is a town and municipality located in the south of Serbia, nearby the rivers Toplica, Kosanica and Banjska, on the southeast of mountain Kopaonik, and northwest of Radan Mountain...
and the Monastery of the Holy Mother of Christ near Kosanica
Kosanica
The Kosanica is the river in southern Serbia. The river is 34 km long and gives its name to the area it flows through, which constitutes with the south part of Kuršumlija municipality in south Serbia....
-Toplica, without the approval of Tihomir. Nemanja had felt that he had the free will of doing so, Tihomir disagreed, Nemanja was, or Tihomir thought that he was trying to assert independence through his relation to Manuel I. Tihomir had Nemanja chained and thrown into jail, his lands were annexed. Nemanja's supporters conspired to the church that Tihomir had done all this because of his disapproval of church building, thus the Church turned against Tihomir. Nemanja managed to escape the jail, and returned to his province.
Stefan Nemanja mobilizes an army, possibly with Byzantine help, and heads for the crownland. Manuel I might have been displeased with Tihomir's acting. Nemanja is triumphant, Tihomir and Miroslav
Miroslav of Hum
Miroslav Zavidović or Miroslav of Hum was a 12th-century Great Prince of Zachlumia from 1162 to 1190, an administrative division of the medieval Serbian Principality covering Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia....
and Stracimir
Stracimir Zavidović
Stracimir Zavidović was a 12th-century Serbian Prince of West Morava in 1163-1166, an administrative division of the Medieval Serbian Principality....
are expelled to 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...
in 1167. Stefan Nemanja quickly became a powerful figure, and Manuel I subsequently turned to Tihomir and his brothers. The Byzantine Empire wanted to see Serbia divided by several princes as to keep it weak.
Manuel I provides Tihomir with an army, coming in from 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...
. In 1171 Nemanja manages to gather a large army and defeats them at Pantino
Battle of Pantino
The Battle of Pantino was fought between the Byzantine Empire and Serbian Principality in 1167. It resulted in the crowning of Stefan Nemanja.-Background:...
near Zvečan
Zvecan
Zvečan is a town and municipality in the Kosovska Mitrovica district of Kosovo. It is a part of North Kosovo, a region with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the ethnic-Albanian-majority Kosovo and Metohija. The municipality covers an area of , and...
, Tihomir is drowned in the River of Sitnica. Nemanja captures his other brothers and makes peace, giving them rule in their former lands by recognizing him as the only ruler of Serbia. The Nemanjić dynasty was named after Stefan Nemanja who ruled Serbia until 1371.
See also
Sources
- The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century
- 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:...
, Istorija srpskog naroda, Book I, (In Serbian) Electric Book, Rastko Electronic Book, Antikvarneknjige (Cyrillic) - Curta, Florin (2006). Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500-1250. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-89452-4.