 The Montenegrin people, upon hearing from Šćepan himself that he was not Tsar Peter III, recovered from their shock and proclaimed him Tsar Šćepan I. Šćepan the Little was a very cruel but respected and feared man during his reign.After realizing how much respect he commanded and that only he could keep Montenegrins together, the Russian diplomat Dolgoruki abandoned his efforts to discredit Šćepan giving him even financial support.In 1771, Tzar Šćepan founded a permanent court, composed of most respected clan leaders, and stubbornly insisted on respect of the court's decisions.