House of Vlastimirović
| House of Vlastimirović | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Serbia | ||
| Parent house | none | ||
| Titles | Prince (Кнез/Knez)(Жупан/Župan) | ||
| Founder | Vlastimir | ||
| Final ruler | Časlav Klonimirović | ||
| Current head | extinct | ||
| Founding year | ca. 800s | ||
| Dissolution | 960 | ||
| Ethnicity | Serbian | ||
| Cadet branches | House of Višeslavić | ||
The House of Vlastimirović (Властимировићи, Vlastimirovići) was named after knez (duke) Vlastimir who was the great-great-grandson of the Unknown Archont who led the Serbs to the Balkans from White Serbia (modern day Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine) during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Heraclius somewhere between 610 - 641. This establishes the Serbs in the Balkans in the early 600s. The house of Vlastimirović became Serbia's first dynasty after the settlement of the Serbs and ruled their first unified state, usually dated from 812. During their rule, Serbia was Christianized by the Greek Orthodox missionaries. By 960, Serbia had disintegrated into smaller statelets. These would be united once again under a branch of the Vlastimirović's, the House of Nemanjić (1166 to 1371) whose rulers began using the title king in 1217. From 1346 to 1371, the short-lived Serbian Empire was one of the larger states in Europe. After another period of disintegration, Serbia fell to the Ottoman Empire (1459) and was not again free until 1817 (officially, 1878).
The House of Vlastimirović and its successor, the House of Nemanjić, a cadet branch, takes us back both to the birth and also to the first period of national greatness of the Serb nation. Serbs have a right to be proud of their history, of their distinctive culture and sense of identity. having preserved this despite foreign domination and centuries of conflict. Unfortunately, at times, this has led some Serbs to regard others as a threat to the purity of their heritage. They have tried to dominate other ethnic groups, for example during the Yugoslav period, or even to destroy them, which they attempted during the Bosnian War.
Members
- Vlastimir (son of Prosigoj) 825-850.
- Mutimir ruled from the second half of ninth century to his death in †891/ 892
- Strojimir (vassal to elder brother Mutimir, later under Bulgarian khan Boris)
- Gojnik (vassal to brother Mutimir, later under khan Boris)
- Knez Pribislav (son of Mutimir), born latest 867, ruled 891/2-892/3
- Bran (Boren) (younger brother of Pribislav, son of Mutimir), born by 867, pretender to the throne 895/6
- 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 892/3-917/8, captured by Bulgarians, died in captivity.
- Knez Pavle Branović (son of Bran/Boren, grandson of Mutimir), ruled 917/8-921, brought to the throne by the Bulgarians, 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 Bulgarians)
- Knez/Zupan Časlav Klonimirović (son of Klonimir, grandson of Strojimir), ruled 927/8-ca. 950: Liberated the central Serbian tribes from Bulgarian empire.
Bulgarian and Byzantine interference
From the year 900 to 940, there was extensive Bulgar and Byzantine interference in the Serb state. Its continued suzerainity to Byzantium put the Serb state under its protection. Knez Mutimir ruled from the second half of ninth century to his death in 891 or 892. Strojimir (vassal to elder brother Mutimir ruled later under Bulgar khan Boris.
Gojnik (vassal to brother Mutimir, also ruled after him under khan Boris. Knez Pribislav (son of Mutimir), born latest 867, ruled 891/2-892/3. Bran (Boren) (younger brother of Pribislav, son of Mutimir), born by 867, pretender to the throne 895/6 but never ruled. Stefan (youngest brother of Pribislav and Bran, son of Mutimir) was born circa 870.
Knez Petar Gojnikovic; (son of Gojnik, grandson of Vlastimir), born circa 870, ruled 892/3-917/8. He was captured by Bulgars, died as their prisonner. Knez Pavle Branovic; (son of Bran/Boren, grandson of Mutimir), ruled 917/8-921 was brought to the throne by the Bulgars and later brought down by Byzantines. Knez Zaharije Pribisavljević (son of Pribislav, grandson of Mutimir), ruled 921-924. He was brought to the throne by the Byzantines and later removed by the Bulgars. In 924-927 Serb throne held by Bulgars.
Knez/Zupan Caslav Klonimirovic (son of Klonimir, grandson of Strojimir), ruled from was the last and the greatest of the Unknown Archont's descendants. He ruled from 927 - 960. He liberated the central Serbian tribes from Bulgarian empire, concluded a voluntary confederation with the chiefs of Bosnia that brought them out of Croatia's control and together with Zahumlje, Pagania, Neretva, Travunia, Zeta and Raska established a Serb state that encompassed the shores of the Adriatic sea, the Sava river and the Morava river valley as well as Northern Albania.
After Caslav's death, in 960, the Bulgars and Byzantines took advantage of the discord caused by the power vacuum. Bosnia's chiefs declared independence and dissolved into independent statelets because the rest of Caslav's domain was swallowed up by Byzantium and Bulgaria. In 968 however, Bosnia was violently conquered by the Croatian king Kresimir and after the Bosnian chiefs were put down, it was incorporated into the Croatian state.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Bury, J. B. History of the Eastern Empire from the Fall of Irene to the Accession of Basil: A.D. 802-867. Cosimo Classics, 2008. ISBN 978-1605204215
- Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus. Moravcsik, Gyula (ed.). De Administrando Imperio . Washington DC: Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies, 2009. ISBN 978-0884023432
- Runciman, Steven. A History of the First Bulgarian Empire. London: G. Bell & Sons, 1930. ASIN B00085DJ5K
- Vlasto, A. P. The Entry of the Slavs Into Christendom: An Introduction to the Medieval History of the Slavs. CUP Archive, 1970. ISBN 978-0521074599
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