Serbian Despotate
Encyclopedia
The Serbian Despotate was a Serbian state, the last to be conquered by the Ottoman Empire
. Although the Battle of Kosovo
in 1389 is generally considered the end of the medieval Serbian state, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire
and Moravian Serbia
survived for 70 more years, experiencing a cultural and political renaissance in the first half of the 15th century before it was conquered by the Ottomans in 1459. Even then, it continued in Hungarian
exile until the mid-16th century.
on June 28, 1389, his son Stefan Lazarević
succeeded him. Being a minor, his mother Princess Milica ruled as his regent. A wise and diplomatic woman, she managed to balance the Ottoman threat as Ottoman Empire was in a turmoil after the Battle of Kosovo and killing of Sultan Murad I
. She married her daughter, Olivera, to his successor, Sultan Bayezid I
Sometime after the battle, in 1390 or 1391, Serbia became a vassal Ottoman state, so Stefan Lazarević
was obliged to participate in battles if ordered by the Ottoman sultan. He did so in the Battle of Rovine
in May 1395 against the Wallachia
n prince Mircea I
and the Battle of Nicopolis
in 1396 against the Hungarian king Sigismund
. After that, Sultan Bayezid awarded Stefan with the majority of the Vuk Branković's land on Kosovo, as Branković sided with the Hungarian king at Nicopolis.
When Mongols
entered the Ottoman realm, Stefan Lazarević participated in the Battle of Angora in 1402 when Ottomans were defeated and sultan Bayezid was captured. Returning to Serbia, Stefan visited Constantinople
where the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaiologos
granted him the title of despot. In previous years, title would mean that the despot would rule some vassal state, but as the Byzantine Empire was too weak to assert such a rule and Serbia was not its vassal state, Stefan Lazarević took this title as the personal style of the Serbian monarchs, thus the Principality of Serbia became the Serbian Despotate.
, Stefan had a dispute with his nephew Đurađ Branković, son of Vuk Branković who was accompanying him and got arrested by the Byzantine authorities. Đurađ would later succeed Stefan. Stefan's brother Vuk Lazarević
was also in his escort and as they were returning over the Kosovo, they were attacked by the Branković army at Tripolje, near the Gračanica monastery
. Vuk headed the Lazarević army, which was victorious, but reaching Novo Brdo
, the brothers had a quarrel and Vuk went to the Ottoman side, to the new sultan (actually co-ruler with his 3 brothers) Suleyman (I) Çelebi
.
Counting on unrests within the Ottoman empire (Ottoman Interregnum
), in early 1404 Stefan accepted vassalage to the Hungarian king Sigismund, who awarded him with Belgrade
, until then in Hungarian possession, so Belgrade became capital of Serbia for the first time in history as all the old capitals of Serbia (Skopje
, Priština
, Prilep
and Kruševac
) were already taken by the Ottomans.
Next few years are marked by events in Stefan's personal life. He managed to liberate his sister and Bayezid's widow Olivera. In 1404 he made peace with his brother Vuk, in 1405 he married Katilina Gatiluzzi, daughter of Francesco II Gatiluzzi, ruler of the Greek island of Lesbos. Also in 1405 his mother Milica died.
In 1408 brothers disputed again and Vuk, together with sultan Suleyman and the Branković family, attacked Stefan in early 1409. Being besieged at Belgrade, Stefan agreed to give southern part of Serbia to his brother and to accept again Ottoman vassalage. Suleyman's brother Musa
rebelled against him and Stefan took Musa's side in the battle of Kosmidion in 1410, near Constantinople. Musa's army was defeated and Suleiman sent Vuk and Đurađ Branković's brother Lazar to come to Serbia before Stefan returns, but they both were captured by Musa's sympathizers and got executed in July 1410. Through Constantinople, where emperor Manuel II confirmed his despotic rights, Stefan returned to Belgrade and annexed Vuk's lands.
When Musa became self-proclaimed sultan in European part of the Ottoman empire, he attacked Serbia in early 1412 but was defeated by Stefan near Novo Brdo in Kosovo. Stefan then invited ruler of the Anatolia
n part of the empire, sultan Mehmed Çelebi
to attack Musa together. Securing Hungarian help, they attacked Musa at Çamorlu, near the Vitosha
mountain (modern Bulgaria
) and defeated him, with Musa being killed in the battle. As a reward, Stefan received the town of Koprijan near Niš
(Niš itself remained in Ottoman hands) and the Serbian-Bulgarian area of Znepolje. For the rest of his rule, Stefan remained in good relations with Mehmed, which made the recovery of medieval Serbia possible.
On April 28, 1421, Stefan's nephew and ruler of Zeta
, Balša III
died and bequeathed his lands to his uncle. With this and territorial gains from the Hungarians (Belgrade
, Srebrenica
, etc.), Serbia restored majority of its ethnic territories it occupied before the Battle of Kosovo
.
, some of the wealthiest in Europe at that time. Belgrade, at that time became one of the largest cities in Europe, numbering over 100,000 people.
As an immediate result of Stefan's death, Serbia had to return Belgrade to the Hungarians which gave it to Stefan as a personal gift to him. As the southern wealthy cities (like Novo Brdo) were too close to the Ottomans to be declared new capitals, Đurađ decided to build a new one, a magnificent fortress of Smederevo
on the Danube, close to the Hungarian border. Constructed 1428-30, Smederevo was a source of many future misinterpretations of the history, especially concerning Đurađ's wife Jerina. Being a Greek and with her brothers very influential to the new despot, people began to dislike her, attributing to her many vicious and evil characteristics including that building of Smederevo was her caprice. In folk poetry she's been dubbed Prokleta Jerina (the Damned Jerina), but nothing of this can't be confirmed from historical sources.
himself, attacked and sacked Serbia. Despot Đurađ fled to Hungary in May 1439, leaving a regency of two, his son Grgur Branković and Jerina's brother Toma Kantakuzin to defend the country. After three-months siege, Smederevo fell on August 18, 1439, while Novo Brdo, 'mother of all cities' was conquered on June 27, 1441. At this point the only free remaining part of the despotate was Zeta. First Ottoman governor of Serbia was Ishak-Beg who in 1443 was replaced by Isa-Beg Isaković
.
), Serbs and Romanians (under Vlad II Dracul
) advanced to Serbia and Bulgaria in September 1443, and Serbia was fully restored by the Peace of Szeged
on August 15, 1444. How hard it was to balance between such a strong powers in the region may be seen from the fact that in 1447-48 despot Đurađ provided funds to the Byzantines to repair the city walls
of Constantinople
, but being officially an Ottoman vassal, he had to send an army to help Sultan Mehmed II
conquer Constantinople
in May 1453. In the next year, Mehmed II attacked Serbia, finally taking Novo Brdo
in 1455, while in 1456, despot Đurađ handed over to the Sultan the entire southern section of Serbia, before he died on December 24, 1456 in Smederevo
.
. Being relieved of the southern threat, Lazar turned to the north and Hungarian internal battles, managing to capture the town of Kovin
on the left bank of the Danube
in 1457, which was the first time in Serbian history that Serbia stretched across the Danube. Despot Lazar died on January 20, 1458.
and Mihailo Anđelović
, the 'governor of Rascia
'. After Anđelović secretly let one company of Ottomans into Smederevo, he was imprisoned in March 1458 and Stefan became despot in his own right. Year later, Stefan opted to marry his niece, late despot Lazar's daughter, Marija, to Stjepan Tomašević
. Even before Stjepan Tomašević married Marija, he declared himself new despot on March 21, 1459 and expelled ex-despot Stefan to Hungary on April 8, 1459.
of Bosnia. Since by this time Serbia was reduced to only a strip of land surrounding Smederevo, Sultan Mehmed II
decided to conquer Serbia completely and arrived at Smederevo; the new ruler didn't even try to defend the city. After negotiations, Bosnians were allowed to leave the city and Serbia was officially conquered by Turks on June 20, 1459.
lend parts Syrmia to Serbian Despot Stefan Lazarević
for governing, later succeeded by Đurađ Branković. After the Ottoman Empire
conquered Serbia
in 1459, the Hungarians renewed the legacy of Despots to the House of Branković
in exile, later to the Berislavić
family, who continued to govern most of Syrmia until the Ottoman conquest but territory has been de facto and de jure part of Hungarian kingdom. The residence of the despots was Kupinik
(modern Kupinovo). The Despots were: Vuk Grgurević
(1471–1485), Đorđe Branković (1486–1496), Jovan Branković
(1496–1502), Ivaniš Berislavić
(1504–1514), and Stjepan Berislavić (1520–1535). The last of the titular Serbian despots in Syrmia, Stevan Berislav, moved in 1522 to Slavonia, since Kupinik was seized by the Ottoman forces.
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...
. Although the Battle of Kosovo
Battle of Kosovo
The Battle of Kosovo took place on St. Vitus' Day, June 15, 1389, between the army led by Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, and the invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Sultan Murad I...
in 1389 is generally considered the end of the medieval Serbian state, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire
Serbian Empire
The Serbian Empire was a short-lived medieval empire in the Balkans that emerged from the Serbian Kingdom. Stephen Uroš IV Dušan was crowned Emperor of Serbs and Greeks on 16 April, 1346, a title signifying a successorship to the Eastern Roman Empire...
and Moravian Serbia
Moravian Serbia
The Moravian Serbia was one of the states that emerged from the collapse of the Serbian Empire in the 14th century. The state was created through political and military activities of its first ruler Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, who later fought and perished at the Battle of Kosovo.-History:Lazar...
survived for 70 more years, experiencing a cultural and political renaissance in the first half of the 15th century before it was conquered by the Ottomans in 1459. Even then, it continued in Hungarian
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
exile until the mid-16th century.
Origin of the Despotate
After Prince Lazar was killed in the Battle of KosovoBattle of Kosovo
The Battle of Kosovo took place on St. Vitus' Day, June 15, 1389, between the army led by Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, and the invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Sultan Murad I...
on June 28, 1389, his son Stefan Lazarević
Stefan Lazarevic
Stefan Lazarević known also as Stevan the Tall was a Serbian Despot, ruler of the Serbian Despotate between 1389 and 1427. He was the son and heir to Prince Lazar, who died at the Battle of Kosovo against the Turks in 1389, and Princess Milica from the subordinate branch of the Nemanjić dynasty...
succeeded him. Being a minor, his mother Princess Milica ruled as his regent. A wise and diplomatic woman, she managed to balance the Ottoman threat as Ottoman Empire was in a turmoil after the Battle of Kosovo and killing of Sultan Murad I
Murad I
Murad I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1361 to 1389...
. She married her daughter, Olivera, to his successor, Sultan Bayezid I
Bayezid I
Bayezid I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1389 to 1402. He was the son of Murad I and Valide Sultan Gülçiçek Hatun.-Biography:Bayezid was born in Edirne and spent his youth in Bursa, where he received a high-level education...
Sometime after the battle, in 1390 or 1391, Serbia became a vassal Ottoman state, so Stefan Lazarević
Stefan Lazarevic
Stefan Lazarević known also as Stevan the Tall was a Serbian Despot, ruler of the Serbian Despotate between 1389 and 1427. He was the son and heir to Prince Lazar, who died at the Battle of Kosovo against the Turks in 1389, and Princess Milica from the subordinate branch of the Nemanjić dynasty...
was obliged to participate in battles if ordered by the Ottoman sultan. He did so in the Battle of Rovine
Battle of Rovine
The Battle of Rovine took place on 17 May 1395 between the Wallachian army led by Voivod Mircea cel Bătrân against the Ottoman invasion led by sultan Bayezid I. The Ottoman army, numbering approximately 40,000 men, faced the much smaller Wallachian army, which was about 10,000 men...
in May 1395 against the Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
n prince Mircea I
Mircea I of Wallachia
Mircea the Elder was ruler of Wallachia from 1386 until his death. The byname "elder" was given to him after his death in order to distinguish him from his grandson Mircea II...
and the Battle of Nicopolis
Battle of Nicopolis
The Battle of Nicopolis took place on 25 September 1396 and resulted in the rout of an allied army of Hungarian, Wallachian, French, Burgundian, German and assorted troops at the hands of an Ottoman force, raising of the siege of the Danubian fortress of Nicopolis and leading to the end of the...
in 1396 against the Hungarian king Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
. After that, Sultan Bayezid awarded Stefan with the majority of the Vuk Branković's land on Kosovo, as Branković sided with the Hungarian king at Nicopolis.
When Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
entered the Ottoman realm, Stefan Lazarević participated in the Battle of Angora in 1402 when Ottomans were defeated and sultan Bayezid was captured. Returning to Serbia, Stefan visited 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:...
where the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaiologos
Manuel II Palaiologos
Manuel II Palaiologos or Palaeologus was Byzantine Emperor from 1391 to 1425.-Life:...
granted him the title of despot. In previous years, title would mean that the despot would rule some vassal state, but as the Byzantine Empire was too weak to assert such a rule and Serbia was not its vassal state, Stefan Lazarević took this title as the personal style of the Serbian monarchs, thus the Principality of Serbia became the Serbian Despotate.
Consolidation
Already in ConstantinopleConstantinople
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:...
, Stefan had a dispute with his nephew Đurađ Branković, son of Vuk Branković who was accompanying him and got arrested by the Byzantine authorities. Đurađ would later succeed Stefan. Stefan's brother Vuk Lazarević
Vuk Lazarević
Vuk Lazarević was a Serbian prince and the younger son of Tsar Lazar, he was executed on July 6, 1410.He was born sometime after 1380, his older brother Stefan birth was in 1377. After the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, Vuk, his brother, mother and Jefimija began to take part in the control of Serbia...
was also in his escort and as they were returning over the Kosovo, they were attacked by the Branković army at Tripolje, near the Gračanica monastery
Gracanica 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...
. Vuk headed the Lazarević army, which was victorious, but reaching Novo Brdo
Novo Brdo
Novo Brdo is a town and municipality in the Pristina district of eastern Kosovo. The population of the municipality is estimated at 6,720 people .-History:...
, the brothers had a quarrel and Vuk went to the Ottoman side, to the new sultan (actually co-ruler with his 3 brothers) Suleyman (I) Çelebi
Süleyman Çelebi
Süleyman Çelebi was an Ottoman prince and a co-ruler of the empire for several years during the Ottoman Interregnum. - Back ground :...
.
Counting on unrests within the Ottoman empire (Ottoman Interregnum
Ottoman Interregnum
The Ottoman Interregnum began in 20 July 1402, when chaos reigned in the Ottoman Empire following the defeat of Sultan Bayezid I by the Turco-Mongol warlord Timur...
), in early 1404 Stefan accepted vassalage to the Hungarian king Sigismund, who awarded him with 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...
, until then in Hungarian possession, so Belgrade became capital of Serbia for the first time in history as all the old capitals of Serbia (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...
, Priština
Pristina
Pristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....
, Prilep
Prilep
Prilep is the fourth largest city in the Republic of Macedonia. It has a population of 66,246 citizens. Prilep is known as "the city under Marko's Towers" because of its proximity to the towers of Prince Marko.-Name:...
and Kruševac
Kruševac
Kruševac is a city and municipality, and the administrative center of the Rasina District, in central Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the municipality has a population of 127,429, while the town has 57,627....
) were already taken by the Ottomans.
Next few years are marked by events in Stefan's personal life. He managed to liberate his sister and Bayezid's widow Olivera. In 1404 he made peace with his brother Vuk, in 1405 he married Katilina Gatiluzzi, daughter of Francesco II Gatiluzzi, ruler of the Greek island of Lesbos. Also in 1405 his mother Milica died.
In 1408 brothers disputed again and Vuk, together with sultan Suleyman and the Branković family, attacked Stefan in early 1409. Being besieged at Belgrade, Stefan agreed to give southern part of Serbia to his brother and to accept again Ottoman vassalage. Suleyman's brother Musa
Musa Çelebi
Musa Çelebi was an Ottoman prince and a co-ruler of the empire for three years during Ottoman Interregnum. - Background :...
rebelled against him and Stefan took Musa's side in the battle of Kosmidion in 1410, near Constantinople. Musa's army was defeated and Suleiman sent Vuk and Đurađ Branković's brother Lazar to come to Serbia before Stefan returns, but they both were captured by Musa's sympathizers and got executed in July 1410. Through Constantinople, where emperor Manuel II confirmed his despotic rights, Stefan returned to Belgrade and annexed Vuk's lands.
When Musa became self-proclaimed sultan in European part of the Ottoman empire, he attacked Serbia in early 1412 but was defeated by Stefan near Novo Brdo in Kosovo. Stefan then invited ruler of the Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
n part of the empire, sultan Mehmed Çelebi
Mehmed I
Mehmed I Çelebi was a Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1413 to 1421. He was one of the sons of Bayezid I and Valide Sultan Devlet Hatun Mehmed I Çelebi (Ottoman: چلبی محمد, Mehmed I or Mehmed Çelebi) (1382, Bursa – May 26, 1421, Edirne, Ottoman Empire) was a Sultan of the Ottoman Empire...
to attack Musa together. Securing Hungarian help, they attacked Musa at Çamorlu, near the Vitosha
Vitosha
Vitosha is a mountain massif, on the outskirts of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Vitosha is one of the tourists symbols of Sofia and the closest site for hiking, alpinism and skiing. Convenient bus lines and rope ways render the mountain easily accessible. Vitosha has the outlines of an enormous...
mountain (modern Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
) and defeated him, with Musa being killed in the battle. As a reward, Stefan received the town of Koprijan near 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,...
(Niš itself remained in Ottoman hands) and the Serbian-Bulgarian area of Znepolje. For the rest of his rule, Stefan remained in good relations with Mehmed, which made the recovery of medieval Serbia possible.
On April 28, 1421, Stefan's nephew and ruler of 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...
, Balša III
Balša III
Balša III was the fifth and last ruler of Zeta from the House of Balša, from April 1403 - May 1421. He was the son of Đurađ II and Jelena Lazarević.- Reign :...
died and bequeathed his lands to his uncle. With this and territorial gains from the Hungarians (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...
, Srebrenica
Srebrenica
Srebrenica is a town and municipality in the east of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Bosnian Serb entity of Republika Srpska. Srebrenica is a small mountain town, its main industry being salt mining and a nearby spa. During the Bosnian War, the town was the site of the July 1995 massacre,...
, etc.), Serbia restored majority of its ethnic territories it occupied before the Battle of Kosovo
Battle of Kosovo
The Battle of Kosovo took place on St. Vitus' Day, June 15, 1389, between the army led by Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, and the invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Sultan Murad I...
.
Renaissance
The rule of the poet, thinker and artist, despot Stefan Lazarević, was a period of renewed artistic development in Serbia. Stefan Lazarević himself was a poet, writing one of the major medieval Serbian literary works, Slovo ljubve ('The word of love') and one of the largest libraries in the Balkans at that period. Apart from political stability as a result of Stefan's ability to keep a distance from both the Ottoman Empire and Hungarians, stability was also helped by the very rich silver mines, Srebrenica and Novo BrdoNovo Brdo
Novo Brdo is a town and municipality in the Pristina district of eastern Kosovo. The population of the municipality is estimated at 6,720 people .-History:...
, some of the wealthiest in Europe at that time. Belgrade, at that time became one of the largest cities in Europe, numbering over 100,000 people.
First rule
As despot Stefan had no children of his own, already in 1426 he bequeathed the despotate to his nephew, Đurađ Branković who succeeded him upon his death on July 19, 1427. Already the second most important figure in the despotate for the last 15 years, he was confirmed as despot by the Byzantine emperor John VIII Palaeologus in 1429.As an immediate result of Stefan's death, Serbia had to return Belgrade to the Hungarians which gave it to Stefan as a personal gift to him. As the southern wealthy cities (like Novo Brdo) were too close to the Ottomans to be declared new capitals, Đurađ decided to build a new one, a magnificent fortress of Smederevo
Smederevo
Smederevo is a city and municipality in Serbia, on the right bank of the Danube, about 40 km downstream of the capital Belgrade. According to official results of the 2011 census, the city has a population of 107,528...
on the Danube, close to the Hungarian border. Constructed 1428-30, Smederevo was a source of many future misinterpretations of the history, especially concerning Đurađ's wife Jerina. Being a Greek and with her brothers very influential to the new despot, people began to dislike her, attributing to her many vicious and evil characteristics including that building of Smederevo was her caprice. In folk poetry she's been dubbed Prokleta Jerina (the Damned Jerina), but nothing of this can't be confirmed from historical sources.
Temporary Ottoman occupation
Period of relative peace ended in 1438 when Ottoman army, headed by the sultan Murad IIMurad II
Murad II Kodja was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1421 to 1451 ....
himself, attacked and sacked Serbia. Despot Đurađ fled to Hungary in May 1439, leaving a regency of two, his son Grgur Branković and Jerina's brother Toma Kantakuzin to defend the country. After three-months siege, Smederevo fell on August 18, 1439, while Novo Brdo, 'mother of all cities' was conquered on June 27, 1441. At this point the only free remaining part of the despotate was Zeta. First Ottoman governor of Serbia was Ishak-Beg who in 1443 was replaced by Isa-Beg Isaković
Isa-Beg Isakovic
Isa-Beg Ishaković, or Isa-Beg Isaković, was an Ottoman general and the first governor of the Ottoman Province of Bosnia. He ruled during the 1450s and 1460s. He made much of the initial conquests for the Turkish Empire in the region, and was one of the then Sultan's most trusted generals. He was...
.
Đurađ Branković restored and reconquered
In Hungary, Đurađ Branković managed to talk Hungarian leaders into expelling the Ottomans, so a broad Christian coalition of Hungarians (under John HunyadiJohn Hunyadi
John Hunyadi John Hunyadi (Hungarian: Hunyadi János , Medieval Latin: Ioannes Corvinus or Ioannes de Hunyad, Romanian: Iancu (Ioan) de Hunedoara, Croatian: Janko Hunjadi, Serbian: Сибињанин Јанко / Sibinjanin Janko, Slovak: Ján Huňady) John Hunyadi (Hungarian: Hunyadi János , Medieval Latin: ...
), Serbs and Romanians (under Vlad II Dracul
Vlad II Dracul
Vlad II , known as Vlad Dracul , was a voivode of Wallachia. He reigned from 1436 to 1442, and again from 1443 to 1447...
) advanced to Serbia and Bulgaria in September 1443, and Serbia was fully restored by the Peace of Szeged
Peace of Szeged
The Treaty of Edirne and the Peace of Szeged were two halves of a peace treaty between Sultan Murad II of the Ottoman Empire and King Vladislaus of the Kingdom of Hungary. Despot Đurađ Branković of the Serbian Despotate also had a large role in the proceedings...
on August 15, 1444. How hard it was to balance between such a strong powers in the region may be seen from the fact that in 1447-48 despot Đurađ provided funds to the Byzantines to repair the city walls
Walls of Constantinople
The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople since its founding as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire by Constantine the Great...
of 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:...
, but being officially an Ottoman vassal, he had to send an army to help Sultan Mehmed II
Mehmed II
Mehmed II , was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from...
conquer Constantinople
Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which occurred after a siege by the Ottoman Empire, under the command of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, against the defending army commanded by Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI...
in May 1453. In the next year, Mehmed II attacked Serbia, finally taking Novo Brdo
Novo Brdo
Novo Brdo is a town and municipality in the Pristina district of eastern Kosovo. The population of the municipality is estimated at 6,720 people .-History:...
in 1455, while in 1456, despot Đurađ handed over to the Sultan the entire southern section of Serbia, before he died on December 24, 1456 in Smederevo
Smederevo
Smederevo is a city and municipality in Serbia, on the right bank of the Danube, about 40 km downstream of the capital Belgrade. According to official results of the 2011 census, the city has a population of 107,528...
.
Lazar Branković
Despot Lazar Branković, who succeeded his father Đurađ, seeing that Serbia is too weak and that it is impossible to defeat the Ottomans on the battlefield, managed to make a deal with sultan Mehmed II on January 15, 1457. According to this, he was granted back most of his father's lands and a promise that Serbia will not be disturbed by the Ottomans until Lazar's death, who in turn had to pay a tributeTributary state
The term tributary state refers to one of the two main ways in which a pre-modern state might be subordinate to a more powerful neighbour. The heart of the relationship was that the tributary would send a regular token of submission to the superior power...
. Being relieved of the southern threat, Lazar turned to the north and Hungarian internal battles, managing to capture the town of Kovin
Kovin
Kovin is a town and municipality in South Banat District of Vojvodina, Serbia. The town has a population of 14,250, while the municipality has 36,802 inhabitants.- Name :...
on the left bank 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....
in 1457, which was the first time in Serbian history that Serbia stretched across the Danube. Despot Lazar died on January 20, 1458.
Regency and Stefan Branković
As despot Lazar Branković had no sons, a three-member regency was formed after his death. It included Lazar's brother, the blind Stefan Branković, Lazar's widow Helena PalaiologinaHelena Palaiologina of Morea
Helena Palaiologina was a Byzantine despotess of Serbia as the wife of Despot Lazar Branković, who ruled from 1456 until his death in 1458. Together they had three daughters....
and Mihailo Anđelović
Mihailo Anđelović
Mihailo Anđelović was a 15th century Serbian governor of Serbia briefly in 1458.After the Ottoman conquest of Thessaly in 1394, the ruling Angeloi Philanthropenoi family took refuge in Serbia...
, the 'governor of 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...
'. After Anđelović secretly let one company of Ottomans into Smederevo, he was imprisoned in March 1458 and Stefan became despot in his own right. Year later, Stefan opted to marry his niece, late despot Lazar's daughter, Marija, to Stjepan Tomašević
Stjepan Tomaševic
Stephen Tomašević was the last King of Bosnia and also the last Despot of Serbia .-Family:He was the son of King Stephen Thomas of Bosnia...
. Even before Stjepan Tomašević married Marija, he declared himself new despot on March 21, 1459 and expelled ex-despot Stefan to Hungary on April 8, 1459.
Stjepan Tomašević and fall of the Despotate
Stjepan Tomašević is considered to be the unluckiest ruler of Serbia in the Middle Ages as he lost two countries to the Ottomans: Serbia in 1459 and Bosnia in 1463. His appointment as new despot was highly unpopular but pushed hard by his father, King Stjepan TomašStjepan Tomas
Stjepan Tomas is a Croatian football defender. He is currently a free agent following his release from Turkish side Bucaspor in November 2010....
of Bosnia. Since by this time Serbia was reduced to only a strip of land surrounding Smederevo, Sultan Mehmed II
Mehmed II
Mehmed II , was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from...
decided to conquer Serbia completely and arrived at Smederevo; the new ruler didn't even try to defend the city. After negotiations, Bosnians were allowed to leave the city and Serbia was officially conquered by Turks on June 20, 1459.
Despotate in Hungarian exile
In 1404 Hungarian King SigismundSigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
lend parts Syrmia to Serbian Despot Stefan Lazarević
Stefan Lazarevic
Stefan Lazarević known also as Stevan the Tall was a Serbian Despot, ruler of the Serbian Despotate between 1389 and 1427. He was the son and heir to Prince Lazar, who died at the Battle of Kosovo against the Turks in 1389, and Princess Milica from the subordinate branch of the Nemanjić dynasty...
for governing, later succeeded by Đurađ Branković. After the Ottoman Empire
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...
conquered 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...
in 1459, the Hungarians renewed the legacy of Despots to the House of Branković
House of Brankovic
House of Branković or Brankovići was a noble Serbian medieval dynasty. The family descent via female line through marriage from the Royal House of Nemanjić. The families rise to prominence during the time of disintegration of Serbian Empire under the last ruler of House of Nemanjić...
in exile, later to the Berislavić
Berislavic
Berislavić was a medieval Croatian noble family. According to a legend, they are descendants of Ban Borić of Bosnia.The Berislavić family was divided in three groups :*Berislavići of Mala Mlaka...
family, who continued to govern most of Syrmia until the Ottoman conquest but territory has been de facto and de jure part of Hungarian kingdom. The residence of the despots was Kupinik
Kupinovo
Kupinovo is a village in Serbia. It is located in the Pećinci municipality, in Srem District, Vojvodina province. In 2002, the population of the village numbered 2,047 people, of whom 1,852 were ethnic Serbs....
(modern Kupinovo). The Despots were: Vuk Grgurević
Vuk Grgurevic
Vuk Grgurević Branković , also known as Vuk the Fiery Dragon , was the titular Despot of Serbia from 1471 until his death in 1485...
(1471–1485), Đorđe Branković (1486–1496), Jovan Branković
Jovan Branković
Jovan Branković was the titular Despot of Serbia from 1496 until his death in 1502. He held the title of despot given to him by Vladislas II of Hungary, and ruled a region known as Racszag under the Kingdom of Hungary...
(1496–1502), Ivaniš Berislavić
Ivaniš Berislavić
Ivaniš Berislavić was the Despot of Serbia 1504-1514.-Background:Ivaniš Berislavić was a member of the House of Berislavić, a Croatian noble family from Slavonia, subordinate to the Kingdom of Hungary.-Life:...
(1504–1514), and Stjepan Berislavić (1520–1535). The last of the titular Serbian despots in Syrmia, Stevan Berislav, moved in 1522 to Slavonia, since Kupinik was seized by the Ottoman forces.
Rulers of the Serbian Despotate
| Name | Reign | Remark | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stefan Lazarević Stefan Lazarevic Stefan Lazarević known also as Stevan the Tall was a Serbian Despot, ruler of the Serbian Despotate between 1389 and 1427. He was the son and heir to Prince Lazar, who died at the Battle of Kosovo against the Turks in 1389, and Princess Milica from the subordinate branch of the Nemanjić dynasty... (1374–1427) |
August, 1402-July 19, 1427 | Lazarević dynasty House of Lazarevic The House of Lazarević was a noble Serbian medieval dynasty.The dynasty starts with Lazar Hrebeljanović, son of Pribac Hrebeljanović -a noble at the court of Dušan the Mighty and of Princess Jelena Zupan Rascia-Nemanjic of Serbia... |
|
| Đurađ Branković (1375–1456) | July 19, 1427-August 18, 1439 | Branković dynasty House of Brankovic House of Branković or Brankovići was a noble Serbian medieval dynasty. The family descent via female line through marriage from the Royal House of Nemanjić. The families rise to prominence during the time of disintegration of Serbian Empire under the last ruler of House of Nemanjić... |
|
| Grgur Branković (1416–59) | May, 1439-August 18, 1439 | co-regent for Đurađ | |
| Thomas Kantakouzenos Kantakouzenos The House of Kantakouzenos , latinized as Cantacuzenus and anglicized as Cantacuzene, was one of the most prominent noble families of the Byzantine Empire in the last centuries of its existence. The family was one of the Empire's wealthiest and provided several prominent governors and generals, as... |
May, 1439-August 18, 1439 | co-regent for Đurađ | |
| Ishak-Beg (+1443) | 1439–1443 | Turkish governor | |
| Isa-Beg | 1443-June 12, 1444 | Turkish governor | |
| Đurađ Branković (1375–1456) | June 12, 1444-December 24, 1456 | restored | |
| Lazar Branković (1421–58) | December 24, 1456-January 19, 1458 | Branković dynasty House of Brankovic House of Branković or Brankovići was a noble Serbian medieval dynasty. The family descent via female line through marriage from the Royal House of Nemanjić. The families rise to prominence during the time of disintegration of Serbian Empire under the last ruler of House of Nemanjić... |
|
| Mihailo Anđelović Mihailo Anđelović Mihailo Anđelović was a 15th century Serbian governor of Serbia briefly in 1458.After the Ottoman conquest of Thessaly in 1394, the ruling Angeloi Philanthropenoi family took refuge in Serbia... (+1464) |
January 19, 1458-March, 1458 | co-regent | |
| Jelena Paleolog (1432–73) | January 19, 1458-March, 1458 | co-regent | |
| Stefan Branković (1420–76) | January 19, 1458-March 21, 1459 | co-regent to March 1458 | |
| Stjepan Tomašević Stjepan Tomaševic Stephen Tomašević was the last King of Bosnia and also the last Despot of Serbia .-Family:He was the son of King Stephen Thomas of Bosnia... (1438–63) |
March 21, 1459-June 20, 1459 | Kotromanić dynasty House of Kotromanic The Kotromanić dynasty was a ruling house that ruled in the medieval Bosnia and the surrounding lands, from the 13th century as Bans until the crowning with the Bosnian crowns in 1377 and then as kings until the Ottoman conquest conquest in 1463.... |
|
| Vuk Grgurević Branković Vuk Grgurevic Vuk Grgurević Branković , also known as Vuk the Fiery Dragon , was the titular Despot of Serbia from 1471 until his death in 1485... (1438–85) |
1471-April 16, 1485 | "Zmaj Ognjeni Vuk" | |
| Đorđe Branković (1461–1516) | February, 1486-July, 1497 | Branković dynasty | |
| Jovan Branković Jovan Branković Jovan Branković was the titular Despot of Serbia from 1496 until his death in 1502. He held the title of despot given to him by Vladislas II of Hungary, and ruled a region known as Racszag under the Kingdom of Hungary... (1462–1502) |
1492-December 10, 1502 | Branković dynasty | |
| Jelena Branković (d.1530) | December 10, 1502–1503 | Jovan's widow; acting | |
| Ivaniš Berislavić Ivaniš Berislavić Ivaniš Berislavić was the Despot of Serbia 1504-1514.-Background:Ivaniš Berislavić was a member of the House of Berislavić, a Croatian noble family from Slavonia, subordinate to the Kingdom of Hungary.-Life:... (d.1514) |
1503-January, 1514 | Berislavić dynasty Berislavic Berislavić was a medieval Croatian noble family. According to a legend, they are descendants of Ban Borić of Bosnia.The Berislavić family was divided in three groups :*Berislavići of Mala Mlaka... |
|
| Stefan Berislavić (1504–36) | January, 1514–1536 | Berislavić dynasty | |
| Jelena Branković (d.1530) | January, 1514–1522 | second time; acting for her minor son Stefan | |
| Radič Božić Radič Božić Radič Božić was the Despot of Serbia in 1527 until his death in September 1528. He ruled a territory under the Hungarian crown, and was the voivode of a large army that fought the Ottoman Empire in several battles, most notably the Battle of Mohács.... (d.1528) |
June 29, 1527-September, 1528 | Božić dynasty | |
| Pavle Bakić Pavle Bakić Pavle Bakić was the last Despot of Serbia, he ruled a large territory under the Hungarian crown until his death in 1537.-Life:Pavle had a Turkish timar, as did his father, and was the lord of great estates around Venčac in Šumadija called "Bakić's land".... (d.1537) |
September 20, 1537-October 9, 1537 | Bakić dynasty | |
See also
- Smederevo FortressSmederevo FortressSmederevo Fortress , in Smederevo, Serbia, was a medieval fortified city and temporary capital of Serbia. It was built by Despot Đurađ Branković of 1427 to 1430, during the era of the Serbian Despotate. Later that century it was further fortified by the Turks...
- Serbian EmpireSerbian EmpireThe Serbian Empire was a short-lived medieval empire in the Balkans that emerged from the Serbian Kingdom. Stephen Uroš IV Dušan was crowned Emperor of Serbs and Greeks on 16 April, 1346, a title signifying a successorship to the Eastern Roman Empire...
- Tsar Dušan
- History of SerbiaHistory of SerbiaThe history of Serbia, as a country, begins with the Slavic settlements in the Balkans, established in the 6th century in territories governed by the Byzantine Empire. Through centuries, the Serbian realm evolved into a Kingdom , then an Empire , before the Ottomans annexed it in 1540...
- Serbia in the Middle Ages