Late_Middle_Ages Serbia_in_the_Middle_Ages

map of serbian empire in 1355.



the proclamation of dušan s law codex (1900), paja jovanović.

in first half of 14th century serbia flourished, becoming 1 of developed countries , cultures in europe. had high political, economic, , cultural reputation in europe.

milutin succeeded son stefan dečanski, maintained father s kingdom , had monasteries built, notable being visoki dečani in metohija (kosovo), after known in historiography. visoki dečani, our lady of ljeviš , gračanica monastery, founded dečanski, part of medieval monuments in kosovo, combined world heritage site. after decisively defeated bulgarians, serbia caught in civil war between 2 groups of serbian nobility, 1 supporting dečanski, other supporting son stefan dušan sought expand south. dušan won, , in following decades fought byzantine empire, taking advantage of byzantine civil wars. after conquering albania, macedonia , of greece, crowned emperor in 1346, after having elevated serbian archbishopric patriarchate. had son crowned king, giving him nominal rule on serbian lands , , although dušan governing whole state, had special responsibility roman (byzantine) lands. dušan s code enacted in 1349 , 1353–54. dušan sought conquer constantinople , become new byzantine emperor, however, died in 1355 @ age of 47. serbian state crumbled during reign of son, uroš v, called weak , in period known fall of serbian empire .

decline , ottoman conquest


states emerged after dissolution of serbian empire in 14th century

following death of child-less emperor uroš weak in 1371 (and end of nemanjić dynasty), empire left without heir , magnates, velikaši, obtained rule of provinces , districts (in called feudal fragmentation), continuing offices independent titles such gospodin, , despot, given them during empire. period saw rise of new threat, ottomans, turkic warriors overran anatolia , subsequently balkans.

the serbian empire divided between feudal lords; without emperor, became conglomerate of aristocratic territories , , empire divided between provincial lords: marko mrnjavčević, dejanović brothers, Đurađ balšić, vuk branković, nikola altomanović, , lazar hrebeljanović. lazar managed rule of today central serbia (known moravian serbia). unable unite serbian magnates, powerful , pursued own interests, fighting each other. ottomans began raiding serbia in 1381, though actual invasion came later. in 1386, lazar s knights beat ottoman army near pločnik, in today southern serbia. invasion ottomans came in summer of 1389, time aiming towards kosovo.

battle of kosovo petar radičević

on 28 june 1389 2 armies met @ kosovo, in battle ended in draw, decimating both armies (both lazar , murad fell). battle particularly important serbian history, tradition, , national identity (see kosovo myth). now, balkans unable halt advancing ottomans. eventually, serbian nobility became ottoman vassals.

serbia managed recuperate under despot stefan lazarević, surviving 70 more years, experiencing cultural , political renaissance, after stefan lazarević s death, successors branković dynasty did not manage stop ottoman advance. serbia fell under ottomans in 1459, , remained under occupation until 1804, when serbia managed regain sovereignty.