Moravian Serbia (Serbian: Моравска Србија, Moravska Srbija) was the most important of the Serbian states that emerged from the collapse of the Serbian Empire in the 14th century. The creation of this state is connected with prince Lazar Hrebeljanović who later fought and perished at the Battle of Kosovo.
History
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 Marica, 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. His rule unified most of Serbia under rule and he managed to gain the loyalty of most 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 King 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 the south of Serbia. No furthur recorded hostilities took place until the Battle of Plocnik where Knez Lazar managed to crush an Ottoman force and drive them back to Nis. Serbian troops also took place at the Battle of Bileća where again he defeated the Turks.
Lazar was killed during the 1389 Battle of Kosovo along with much of Serbia's political elite. After his death, his son Stefan Lazarević became a prince of Moravian Serbia in 1389. Immediately after the Battle of Kosovo, King Sigismund of Hungary attacked from the north and ravaged Serbia. Unable to fight on two fronts, King 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. He became Despot of Serbia in 1402 and in 1403 proclaimed Belgrade the capital of his new state known as the Serbian Despotate.
Rulers
See also
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