Moravian Serbia

Moravian Serbia Моравска Србија Moravska Srbija
← 1371–1403 →
Moravian Serbia
Capital	Kruševac
Language(s)	Serbian
Religion	Serbian Orthodox Church
Government	Monarchy
Prince(кнез)
- 1371–1389	Lazar Hrebeljanović
- 1389–1403	Stefan Lazarević
History
- Established	1371
- Disestablished	1403
Currency	Serbian perper

The Moravian Serbia (Serbian: Моравска Србија, Moravska Srbija) 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

Further information: History of Serbia

Lazar Hrebeljanović, prince of Moravian Serbia (1371–1389)

Lazar Hrebeljanović left Prizren in the early 1370s, and devoted himself to the consolidation of his power in the northern Serbian regions around his court in Kruševac. Although a pledged vassal to Stefan Uroš, in 1371 he refused to participate in the Battle of Maritsa, at which the bulk of the imperial Serbian army was destroyed by an Ottoman force. Soon afterwards, Stefan Uroš died. He had been the last of the Nemanjić emperors. Through a combination of diplomacy, military action, and family alliances, Lazar emerged from the resulting power vacuum as the most powerful Serbian noble not in the Ottomans' service. He acquired dynastic legitimacy by marrying Milica Nemanjić, and despite retaining only the minor title of knez ("prince"), he nevertheless used the imperial name of 'Stefan' as well as the designation "autocrator".

Lazar spent his time strengthening the Serbian state, knowing fully well that he would eventually have to face the Ottoman threat. He unified most of Serbia under his rule and managed to gain the loyalty of a majority of the Serbs. He also ceded the title "King of Serbs" to King Tvrtko of Bosnia (who in any case had more ties to the Nemanjic's than Prince Lazar). His first major military action was at the Battle of Dubravnica where his two subjects, Crep and Vladimir managed to decisively defeat an Ottoman army in southern Serbia. No further recorded hostilities took place until the Battle of Pločnik where Knez Lazar managed to crush an Ottoman force and drive them back to Niš. Serbian troops also took part in the Battle of Bileća where again he defeated the Turks.

Lazar was killed during the 1389 Battle of Kosovo along with most of Serbia's political elite.^[1] After Lazar's death, his son Stefan Lazarević succeeded him and became the prince of Moravian Serbia in 1389. Immediately after the Battle of Kosovo, King Sigismund of Hungary attacked and ravaged Moravian Serbia from the north. Unable to fight on two fronts, the young Prince Stefan thwarted the Hungarians and agreed to Ottoman vassalage and participated as an Ottoman vassal in the Battle of Karanovasa in 1394, the Battle of Rovine in 1395, the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396, and in the Battle of Angora in 1402. After Angora, he was given the title of Despot of Serbia in 1402 and in 1403 he proclaimed Belgrade the capital of his new state, that became known as the Serbian Despotate.

Rulers

History of Serbia
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• Lazar Hrebeljanović (1371–1389)
• Stefan Lazarević (1389–1402)

References

1. ^ Bakhit, Mohammad Adnan (2000), History of Humanity-Scientific and Cultural Development: From the Seventh to the Sixteenth Century, Unesco, p. 230. ISBN 9231028138