Miroslav of Hum
Encyclopedia
Miroslav Zavidović or Miroslav of Hum was a 12th-century Great Prince (Велики Жупан) of Zachlumia
from 1162 to 1190, an administrative division (appanage
) of the medieval Serbian Principality (Rascia
) covering Herzegovina
and southern Dalmatia
.
, a Serbian royalty that briefly ruled as Prince of Zahumlje, a member of the House of Vojislavljević
, he had three brothers; Stefan Nemanja
, Tihomir
and Stracimir.
, where he would rule as Prince or Grand Prince (2nd highest title). Miroslav and his brothers imprisoned Stefan Nemanja after he had built several monasteries, without the approval of Tihomir.
Stefan Nemanja rebelled against his eldest brother Tihomir in 1166, who fled with his brothers Stracimir and Miroslav to Greece to seek help. In the same year, Stefan Nemanja defeated the Byzantine army of mercenaries near the town of Pantino
on Kosovo
in which Tihomir drowned in the River of Sitnica. Miroslav and his brothers were stripped of their titles and the unifification of title is evident as Stefan Nemanja was named "Ruler of
All Serbia", Nemanja pardoned his brothers and they continued to rule their lands under him.
of Bosnia
. Following the death of Emperor Manuel, Miroslav put the Narentine Kačić family under his protection, the orchestrators in the murder of Rajneri, Bishop of Split and kept the Bishopric's money for himself also reluctant to allow Catholicism
prosper in his region which made him excommunicated by the Papacy in 1181, as a gesture, the Bishop of Ston abandoned his seat and since then the Bishopric of Ston has remained vacant.
In 1184, Miroslav went to retake the islands of Korčula
and Vis
. On 18 August 1184 Miroslav's fleet was devastated by the Ragusian
navy at Poljice near Koločep
, and signed peace with the Dubrovnik Republic. He channelled the order to his brother, Prince Stracimir. In 1185, Prince Stracimir raided Korčula and Vis with the fleet of Doclea
. He joined the war against the Republic of Ragusa, but was forced to withdraw because Miroslav already made peace by the time Stracimir marshaled his forces. The same year the Byzantines launched a counter-attack on Serbia, but a Bulgarian uprising was raised in the Danubian areas which made the offensive get called-off, so Duke Stefan Nemanja utilized the situation and conquered Timok
with Niš
and sacked Svrljig
, Ravno
and Koželj
. While Stefan Nemanja held Niš, it served as his capital and base of operations.
Miroslav was at war with Dubrovnik in 1185, the peace in 1186 was followed by cordial relationship between the two until his death.
The treaty that ended the dispute of Korčula
was signed by the Normans
(who held Korčula) and Serbs on 27 September 1186, by Stefan Nemanja and Miroslav. Hum renounced its' claims on Korčula and Vis.
In 1190-1192, Stefan Nemanja briefly assigned the rule of Hum to his son Rastko Nemanjić (Saint Sava, the first Patriarch of the Serbs), meanwhile Miroslav held the Lim region
with Bijelo Polje
, Rastko however took monastic vows and Miroslav continued ruling Hum after 1192.
When Stefan Nemanja besieged and retook the power of Duklja in 1180s, Stracimir and Miroslav attacked the forces of Doclean ruler Mihailo.
He had two sons with the sister of Ban Kulin; Andrija Miroslavljević and Toljen Miroslavljević who married the daughter of Barthold Andex. It is thought he had one more son, called Petar Miroslavljević, although this is not fully determined.
Miroslav's Gospel
, the oldest known document written in Serbian
in the Cyrillic alphabet
, was commissioned by and written in his honour.
Among his foundations is the Saints Peter and Paul Church in Bijelo Polje
, on the Lim river
, to which he gave 20 villages.
Zachlumia
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
from 1162 to 1190, an administrative division (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 the medieval Serbian Principality (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...
) covering Herzegovina
Herzegovina
Herzegovina is the southern region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. While there is no official border distinguishing it from the Bosnian region, it is generally accepted that the borders of the region are Croatia to the west, Montenegro to the south, the canton boundaries of the Herzegovina-Neretva...
and southern Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
.
Biography
He was born in the second half of the 12th century to 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"....
, a Serbian royalty that briefly ruled as Prince of Zahumlje, a member of the House of Vojislavljević
House of Vojislavljevic
The Vojislavljević was the second Serb medieval dynasty, named after archon Stefan Vojislav, who wrestled the region from Byzantine hands in the 1040s...
, he had three brothers; 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...
, Tihomir
Tihomir of Serbia
Tihomir Zavidović or Tihomir of Serbia was the Grand Prince of the Grand Principality of Serbia fl. 1162-1171.-Life:He was the first born child of Zavida. After the death of his father, Tihomir is appointed supreme ruler as the Grand Prince of Serbia by Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnenus,...
and Stracimir.
War among the brothers
Miroslav received the appanage of Zahumlje with seat at StonSton
Ston is a village and municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia, located at the south of isthmus of the Pelješac peninsula. The town of Ston is the center of the Ston municipality.- Demographics :...
, where he would rule as Prince or Grand Prince (2nd highest title). Miroslav and his brothers imprisoned Stefan Nemanja after he had built several monasteries, without the approval of Tihomir.
Stefan Nemanja rebelled against his eldest brother Tihomir in 1166, who fled with his brothers Stracimir and Miroslav to Greece to seek help. In the same year, Stefan Nemanja defeated the Byzantine army of mercenaries near the town of 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:...
on Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
in which Tihomir drowned in the River of Sitnica. Miroslav and his brothers were stripped of their titles and the unifification of title is evident as Stefan Nemanja was named "Ruler of
Serbian titles
-Archont of Serbia:*Archont of Serbia -Grand Prince of Serbia:*Great/Grand Župan of Serbia-Emperor of Serbia:*Emperor of the Serbs and the Greeks -Stefan:...
All Serbia", Nemanja pardoned his brothers and they continued to rule their lands under him.
Rule
He built the Monastery of Saint Peter on Lim. He married a sister of Ban KulinBan Kulin
Ban Kulin was a notable Ban of Bosnia who ruled from 1180 to 1204 first as a vassal of the Byzantine Empire and then of the Kingdom of Hungary. He was brought to the power by Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnenus. He had a son, Stjepan Kulinić who succeeded him as Bosnian Ban...
of Bosnia
Bosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
. Following the death of Emperor Manuel, Miroslav put the Narentine Kačić family under his protection, the orchestrators in the murder of Rajneri, Bishop of Split and kept the Bishopric's money for himself also reluctant to allow Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
prosper in his region which made him excommunicated by the Papacy in 1181, as a gesture, the Bishop of Ston abandoned his seat and since then the Bishopric of Ston has remained vacant.
In 1184, Miroslav went to retake the islands of Korčula
Korcula
Korčula is an island in the Adriatic Sea, in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia. The island has an area of ; long and on average wide — and lies just off the Dalmatian coast. Its 16,182 inhabitants make it the second most populous Adriatic island after Krk...
and Vis
Vis (island)
Vis is the most outerly lying larger Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, and is part of the Central Dalmatian group of islands, with an area of 90.26 km² and a population of 3,617 . Of all the inhabited Croatian islands, it is the farthest from the coast...
. On 18 August 1184 Miroslav's fleet was devastated by the Ragusian
Republic of Ragusa
The Republic of Ragusa or Republic of Dubrovnik was a maritime republic centered on the city of Dubrovnik in Dalmatia , that existed from 1358 to 1808...
navy at Poljice near Koločep
Kolocep
The island of Koločep is one of the three inhabited Elaphiti Islands situated near the city of Dubrovnik. Koločep is the southernmost inhabited island in Croatia and is locally known as Kalamota.-Location and access:...
, and signed peace with the Dubrovnik Republic. He channelled the order to his brother, Prince Stracimir. In 1185, Prince Stracimir raided Korčula and Vis with the fleet of Doclea
Duklja
Doclea or Duklja was a medieval state with hereditary lands roughly encompassing the territories of present-day southeastern Montenegro, from Kotor on the west to the river Bojana on the east and to the sources of Zeta and Morača rivers on the north....
. He joined the war against the Republic of Ragusa, but was forced to withdraw because Miroslav already made peace by the time Stracimir marshaled his forces. The same year the Byzantines launched a counter-attack on Serbia, but a Bulgarian uprising was raised in the Danubian areas which made the offensive get called-off, so Duke Stefan Nemanja utilized the situation and conquered Timok
Timok
-Places:*Timočka Krajina, a region in Serbia*Timok , a river in Serbia and Bulgaria**Beli Timok, a river in Serbia**Trgoviški Timok, a river in Serbia**Svrljiški Timok, a river in Serbia**Crni Timok, a river in Serbia-Other:...
with Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
and sacked Svrljig
Svrljig
Svrljig is a town and municipality located in the Nišava District of Serbia. According to 2011 census, the town has a population of 7,543 inhabitants, while the municipality has 14,224.-Geography:...
, Ravno
Ravno
Ravno is a town and the seat of its municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity. Ravno was a municipality until 1963, when it became a part of the Trebinje municipality...
and Koželj
Koželj
Koželj is a village in the municipality of Knjaževac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 181 people....
. While Stefan Nemanja held Niš, it served as his capital and base of operations.
Miroslav was at war with Dubrovnik in 1185, the peace in 1186 was followed by cordial relationship between the two until his death.
The treaty that ended the dispute of Korčula
Korcula
Korčula is an island in the Adriatic Sea, in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia. The island has an area of ; long and on average wide — and lies just off the Dalmatian coast. Its 16,182 inhabitants make it the second most populous Adriatic island after Krk...
was signed by the Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
(who held Korčula) and Serbs on 27 September 1186, by Stefan Nemanja and Miroslav. Hum renounced its' claims on Korčula and Vis.
In 1190-1192, Stefan Nemanja briefly assigned the rule of Hum to his son Rastko Nemanjić (Saint Sava, the first Patriarch of the Serbs), meanwhile Miroslav held the Lim region
Lim River
The Lim is a river flowing through Montenegro, Albania, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. long, it's the right and the longest tributary of the Drina.- Montenegro and Serbia :...
with Bijelo Polje
Bijelo Polje
Bijelo Polje is a town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 15,883 .Bijelo Polje is the center of municipality . It is unofficial center of north-eastern region of Montenegro...
, Rastko however took monastic vows and Miroslav continued ruling Hum after 1192.
When Stefan Nemanja besieged and retook the power of Duklja in 1180s, Stracimir and Miroslav attacked the forces of Doclean ruler Mihailo.
Death, Family and Legacy
He died in 1198 of old age, his son Toljen succeeded him as Prince of Hum ca 1192-1196.He had two sons with the sister of Ban Kulin; Andrija Miroslavljević and Toljen Miroslavljević who married the daughter of Barthold Andex. It is thought he had one more son, called Petar Miroslavljević, although this is not fully determined.
Miroslav's Gospel
Miroslav's Gospel
Miroslav Gospels is a 362-page illuminated manuscript Gospel Book on parchment with very rich decorations. It is one of the oldest surviving documents written in Old Church Slavonic, along with the Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja...
, the oldest known document written in Serbian
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....
in the Cyrillic alphabet
Cyrillic alphabet
The Cyrillic script or azbuka is an alphabetic writing system developed in the First Bulgarian Empire during the 10th century AD at the Preslav Literary School...
, was commissioned by and written in his honour.
Among his foundations is the Saints Peter and Paul Church in Bijelo Polje
Bijelo Polje
Bijelo Polje is a town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 15,883 .Bijelo Polje is the center of municipality . It is unofficial center of north-eastern region of Montenegro...
, on the Lim river
Lim River
The Lim is a river flowing through Montenegro, Albania, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. long, it's the right and the longest tributary of the Drina.- Montenegro and Serbia :...
, to which he gave 20 villages.
Sources
- John V.A. Fine. (1994). The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest. The University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-08260-4
- Стеван Немања Владимир Ћоровић - Историја српског народа, Rastko.rs