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List of Serbian monarchs

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Coat of arms of Serbia

This is a list of Serbian monarchs.

Notes:

  • Entries bounded within parentheses are for reference only; for instance, the Roman numerals keep counts of Stefans and Lazars. They are not part of the common nomenclature.
  • The house names that end with '-i' (together with the patronymic, with '-ići', '-ovići', or '-evići') are part of the transliteration from the Serbian words, but frequently omitted in western texts.

Rulers of medieval Serbian states

In the Middle Ages, the domain of the Serbs included four territories, roughly sorted by importance:

Different dynasties sometimes arose from different regions, and this list concentrates on those rulers whose families at some point controlled Raška as well as other aforementioned duchies.

Earliest rulers

After the Unknown Archont, two rulers who were possibly of a different dynasty ruled up to 680:

  • Svevlad, ruled up to 660 \ may not have existed
  • Selimir, ruled 679-680 \ may not have existed

At this point, the Unknown Archont's descendance is probably continued with:

  • Vladin, ruled until 700 \ may not have existed
  • Ratimir, ruled until 730 \ may not have existed
  • Knez Prosigoj (son of Radoslav) (822 - 836)

Vlastimirovići

The House of Vlastimirović controlled the Serbs between ca. 825-850 up to ca. 950.

  • Knez Vlastimir (son of Prosigoj) ruled around 850, or only up to 825 according to some; founder of Vlastimirović dynasty.
    • Vlastimir had three sons and one daughter. His daughter married knez Krajina, son of Beloje, župan of Travunija (Trabounia). Each son had his own domain, but Mutimir, the eldest, was the supreme ruler, his two brothers being subjugated (vassals) to him. The brothers successfully fought off a Bulgar onslaught by khan Boris in 852. Later, the two youngest brothers rebelled against Mutimir, who, as a punishment, let Bulgar khan Boris subjugate them.
  • Knez Mutimir ruled from the second half of the 9th Century to his death in 891 or 892
  • Strojimir (vassal to elder brother Mutimir, later under Bulgar khan Boris)
  • Gojnik (vassal to brother Mutimir, later under khan Boris)
  • Knez Pribislav (son of Mutimir), born latest 867, ruled ca. 891-893
  • Bran (Boren) (younger brother of Pribislav, son of Mutimir), born by 867, pretender to the throne ca. 895
  • Stefan (youngest brother of Pribislav and Bran, son of Mutimir), born ca. 870
  • Knez Petar Gojniković (son of Gojnik, grandson of Vlastimir), born ca. 870, ruled ca. 892-918, captured by Bulgars, died as their prisoner
  • Knez Pavle Branović (son of Bran/Boren, grandson of Mutimir), ruled ca. 917-921, brought to the throne by the Bulgars, brought down by Byzantines
  • Knez Zaharije Pribisavljević (son of Pribislav, grandson of Mutimir), ruled 921-924 (brought to the throne by the Byzantines, removed by the Bulgars)
  • 924-927 Serb throne held by Bulgars, period of Bulgar rule
  • Knez/Župan Časlav Klonimirović (son of Klonimir, grandson of Strojimir), ruled 927-ca. 950: Liberated the central Serbian tribes from Bulgarian empire.

950-1035 Byzantine rule

Vojislavljevići

The House of Vojislavljević ruled the Serb lands between the 1050s up to the 1120s.

  • Stefan Vojislav — founder of the House of Vojislavljević; in 1035 rebelled against the Byzantine Empire, but forced to sign an armistice; went to war again in 1040, which would be continued by his heir and son, Mihajlo. Next to Duklja, his realm included Travunija with Konavli and Zahumlje/Hum
  • Grand Župan Mihajlo (Michael) (1050/1055-1080)
    • Mihajlo possibly received the title of king (and crown) from Pope Gregory VII though it is still an issue of debate.
  • King Konstantin Bodin, son of Mihajlo, ruled 1080-1101
  • dynastic struggle between Dobroslav and Vladimir, younger brothers of Konstantin Bodin, between 1101 and 1114
  • King Đorđe, son of Konstantin, 1114-1118

Đorđe was overturned by Uroš I of Raška, and later returned to power in Duklja between 1125 and 1131, but the main line of the Vojislavljević ended with him.

Vojislavljevići/Uroševići

Between 1050 and 1165, the main Serbian state of Raška was ruled by descendants of the aforementioned House of Vojislavljević, but the Byzantine Empire often controlled it as well. In 1118, the main line of the Vojislavljević dynasty was mostly extinguished in Duklja, and Uroš of Raška took control of both Raška and Duklja, which is why he named the Uroševići.

  • Petrislav, instated by his father Mihajlo, ruled between 1050s and 1073
  • Vukan and Marko, probably sons of Petrislav, instated by Konstantin Bodin. Vukan was the Grand Župan between 1083 and 1115 while Marko headed administration of a part of the land. Under Byzantine sovereignty after 1094.
  • Uroš I., ruled Raška ca. 1115 - 1131
  • Uroš II replaced him around 1140 and ruled until 1155
  • Desa, replaced him and ruled for one year, 1155.
  • Uroš II replaced Desa for a second reign from 1155 - 1161.
  • Desa, under his second reign, ruled 1162 - 1166 under Byzantine sovereignty, raised an unsuccessful revolt
  • Stefan Tihomir ruled from 1166 - ca. 1168 after Desa's unsuccessful revolt

After Desa's revolt, in 1165 the Byzantium divided the Serb lands between the four sons of Zavida: Tihomir in Raška, Stracimir in Duklja, Miroslav in Zahumlje and Travunia, and Stefan Nemanja in Toplica (in today's central Serbia). Tihomir rebelled against the Byzantium, but only Stracimir supported him: Miroslav and Stefan Nemanja did not.

Stefan Nemanja defeated Tihomir and Stracimir with Byzantine help, and founded the Nemanjić dynasty. Miroslav's descendants remained the župans of Hum and Travunia in the following period, while Stefan Nemanja appointed his eldest son Vukan as the ruler of Duklja.

Nemanjići of Serbia/The Stefan Dynasty

The House of Nemanjić ruled the Serb lands between ca. 1166 up to 1371. All Serbian rulers after Stefan Prvovenčani ("the First-Crowned") added the name Stefan (Stephen) before their birth names after ascending the throne as a manner of honoring first rulers of their dynasty Stefan Nemanja and Stefan Prvovenčani. The name Stefan is derived from Greek Stephanos, meaning crowned with wreath. There is no absolutely consistent system for the enumeration of Medieval Serbian monarchs. Some rulers reigned with double names: Stefan Nemanja, Stefan Radoslav, Stefan Vladislav, and Stefan Uroš. While Prvovenčani and Dečanski are epithets, not names, the exact nature of Dragutin and Milutin—names or nicknames—is unclear. However, unlike the names Nemanja, Radoslav, Vladislav, Uroš, and even Dušan, they never appear in the official contemporary sources. Therefore Prvovenčani and Dragutin are most accurately to be numbered simply Stefan I and Stefan II, since those were their only official names. For the basic imperial title of the last Nemanjići, see article Tsar.

Nemanjići in Thessaly

Simeon (Siniša) Uroš, a son of Stefan Uroš III Dečanski by his second (Byzantine) wife, claimed the imperial title in 1355, but was defeated in Serbia. He retreated into Thessaly, from where he dominated much of northern Greece in alliance with various other Serbian noblemen. He and his son reigned as emperor of Serbians and Greeks. After the abdication of Jovan Uroš in 1373, Thessaly passed into the hands of the Angeloi, who recognized Byzantine suzerainty.

Mrnjavčevići in Macedonia

The last Serbian emperor (tsar) Stefan Uroš V associated Vukašin Mrnjavčević as king in 1366. The Serbian royal title thus suvived in this family, but in fact the authority of these kings was circumscribed by the local nobility and confined to parts of central and eastern Macedonia. The Serbian royal title was also claimed by Tvrtko I of Bosnia, a descendant of Stefan II Dragutin, from 1377. Tvrtko I used the titles King of Serbs, of Bosnia, and of the Coastlands from 1377 and King of Rascia, Bosnia, Dalmatia, Croatia, and the Coastlands from 1390, but died in 1391.

Lazarevići

Serbia proper came under the control of Lazar Hrebljanović, who had married Milica, a descendant of Stefan Nemanja's eldest son Vukan. The Lazarevići and their successors, the Brankovići, ruled as princes, but were frequently distinguished by the Byzantine court title of despotēs, granted by the last Byzantine Emperors to their allies.

Brankovići

Serbia proper was annexed by the Ottoman Empire in 1459. In 1471 a dependent Serbian state was established by the Hungarians mostly on the territory of Vojvodina and Syrmia.

  • Vuk Branković (1471-1485), grandson of Đurađ I
  • Đurađ II Branković also Đorđe Branković (1486-1496), son of Stefan Branković, abdicated
  • Jovan Branković (1496-1502), son of Stefan Branković

Berislavići

  • Ivaniš Berislavić (1504-1514), married widow of Jovan
  • Stefan Berislavić (1514-1521), deposed

In 1521 this Serbian jurisdiction was annexed by the Ottoman Empire.

Rulers of modern Serbian states

Supreme Leader of the First Serbian Uprising, 1804-1813

Princes of Serbia, 1815-1882

Obrenović Dynasty, 1815-1842

Karađorđević Dynasty, 1842-1858

Obrenović Dynasty, 1858-1882

Kings of the Kingdom of Serbia, 1882-1918

Obrenović Dynasty, 1882-1903

Karađorđević Dynasty, 1903-1918

Kings of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, 1918-1929

Karadjordjevic Dynasty, 1918-1929

Kings of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, 1929-1945

Karadjordjevic Dynasty, 1929-1945

Heads of the House of Karadjordjevic since 1945 (not ruling)

In 1918, Serbia became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Later that state changed name in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (i.e. Kingdom of South Slavs). In that period (between World War I and World War II) the country was a parliamentary monarchy nominally ruled by the Karađorđević dynasty.

After World War II and the socialist revolution, the country was reformed as the socialist federation of 'republics' ruled by Josip Broz Tito. After his death in 1980, the federation started a process of dissolution which finished in a series of civil wars in the early 1990s. Through the 1990s, Serbia and Montenegro comprised the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which was restructured in 2003 into a confederation called Serbia and Montenegro. The state union ended with Montenegro's separation in 2006. Currently Serbia is a parliamentary democracy.

The current Karađorđević pretender to either the Serbian or the Yugoslav throne is Aleksandar Karađorđević II, who apparently would like to become Aleksandar II of Serbia.

See also

Sources

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