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Vlastimirović dynasty

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House of Vlastimirovic (ca. 640 - ca. 950)

The house of Vlastimirovic is named for Knez 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 Unknown Archont must have been an incredible leader. He lead the Serbs in Poland, then defeated the Eurasian Avars in central Europe, then lead the Serb tribe thousands of miles to the shores of the Adriatic Sea, the Sava river and the Morava river valley after negotiating this land with Heraclius as payment for having defeated the Avars. Constantine VII Porphyrogenitos writes in De Administrando Imperio that the Serbs received in Rascia / Raska, Zachumlie/Zahumlje, Trebounia/Travunia, Zeta/Duklja, Bosnia/Bosna and Pagania/Paganija. Internal struggles started immediately after the Serbs settled these parts. The Unknown Archont was displaced early after the settlement of the Serbs. Other chiefs vied for power. The Unknown Archont died in 680.

File:Serb lands03.jpg
Map showing lands settled by Serbs since the early 600s

Svevlad ruled up to 660. Selimir ruled 679-680. Vladin, ruled up to 700 and Ratimir, ruled until 730. It is not known how the different rulers came to succeed one another as their is little evidence from this time. After Svevlad another 50 years of infighting during which time there was no clear ruler in Rascia, Pagania, Travunia, Neretva and Bosna. This period of discord lasted for almost 150 years.

Around 780 Knez Višeslav, the great grandson of the Unknown Archont came to power over Rascia, Pagania, Travunia, Neretva and Bosna. He ruled through Knez Radoslav (son of Višeslav), Knez Prosigoj (son of Radoslav) until 850 bringing an era of stability to his domain. He included many family members who were not his sons, something other Serb rulers had not done before him. He likely saw this as a good way of preventing the discord that followed immediately after the Serbs settled the area by avoiding jelaousy and fighting between family members.

Around 850 or only up to 825, Knez Vlastimir, a son of Prosigoj and nephew of Viseslav, was ruler. He was according to some the founder of Vlastimirović dynasty. Knez Vlastimir continued the power sharing started by his uncle. Vlastimir had three sons and one daughter. His daughter married knez Krajina, son of Beloje, župan of Travunija (Trabounia). Each son had his own domain, but Mutimir the eldest was the supreme ruler, his two brothers being subjugated (vassals) to him. The brothers successfully fought off a Bulgar onslaught by khan Boris in 852. Later, the two youngest brother rebelled against Mutimir who as a punishment let Bulgar khan Boris subjugate them.

File:Kpdai30.gif
Greek map of Serb lands in the 9th century, according to De administrando imperio

From the year 900 to 940, there is extensive Bulgar and Byzantine interference in th Serb state. Its continued suzerainity to Byzantium put the Serb state under its protection. Knez Mutimir ruled from the second half of 9th century to his death in 891 or 892. Strojimir (vassal to elder brother Mutimir, later under Bulgar 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 thron 895/6 but never ruled. Stefan (youngest brother of Pribislav and Bran, son of Mutimir) was born ca. 870. Knez Petar Gojnikovic; (son of Gojnik, grandson of Vlastimir), born ca. 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 Unknow 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 0960, the Bulgars and Byzantines took advantage of the discord caused by the power vacume. Bosnia's chiefs declared independence and disolved 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.

See also

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