go to homepage

Nemanjić Dynasty

Balkan history
Alternative Title: Nemanja dynasty

Nemanjić Dynasty, , Nemanjić also spelled Nemanja, ruling Serbian family that from the late 12th to the mid-14th century developed the principality of Raška into a large empire.

The dynasty traced its descent from Stefan Nemanja, who, as veliki župan, or grand chieftain, of the Serb region of Raška from 1169 to 1196, began to expand his domain while remaining a vassal of the Byzantine emperor. His son, Stefan Prvovenčani (the “First-Crowned”), was granted the title of king of Raška by Pope Honorius III in 1217. His younger brother, Rastko (later canonized as St. Sava), became in 1219 the first archbishop of an independent Serbian Orthodox church. This close alliance between secular and sacred power gave the Nemanjić state much of its strength and stability.

The succeeding Nemanjić kings were Stefan’s sons Stefan Radoslav, Stefan Vladislav, and Stefan Uroš I, who was succeeded by his sons Stefan Dragutin and Stefan Uroš II (also called Stefan Milutin; reigned 1282–1321). Stefan Uroš II took substantial territory in Macedonia from Byzantium. His son, Stefan Uroš III (reigned 1322–31), expanded the state eastward into Bulgaria before being dethroned by his own son, Stefan Dušan (reigned 1331–55). In a series of wars against the Byzantines, Stefan Dušan, the greatest of the Nemanjić kings, conquered all of Albania, Macedonia, and Montenegro and drove farther south to take Epirus, Aetolia, and Thessaly (in Greece). He was crowned emperor in 1346. Serbs consider Dušan’s reign to be their Golden Age, during which the law code called the Zakonik was promulgated, many churches and monasteries were built, and agriculture, industry, and trade developed.

Read More on This Topic
Serbia: The Golden Age

Stefan Dušan’s son and successor, Stefan Uroš V (from 1355), was a weak ruler under whom the Serbian empire dissolved into fragments ruled by rival princes. The Serbian principalities were compelled to accept the suzerainty of the Byzantine emperor before falling to the advancing power of the Ottoman Turks after 1371.

Learn More in these related articles:

...of Raška (roughly modern Kosovo) then provided the territorial nucleus for a succession of Serb kingdoms that in the 13th century were consolidated under the Nemanjić dynasty. (See also Serbia: Medieval Serbia.)
Nemanjić Dynasty
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Harvard
  • Chicago
You have successfully emailed this.
Error when sending the email. Try again later.
Edit Mode
Nemanjić Dynasty
Balkan history
Tips For Editing




Leave Edit Mode

You are about to leave edit mode.

Your changes will be lost unless you select "Submit".

Thank You for Your Contribution!



Uh Oh


Keep Exploring Britannica

Mosquito on human skin.
10 Deadly Animals that Fit in a Breadbox
House of Plantagenet.
World War I
Syrian Civil War
Journey Through Europe: Fact or Fiction?
American Civil War
European Union. Design specifications on the symbol for the euro.
Exploring Europe: Fact or Fiction?
World War II
Aspirin pills.
7 Drugs that Changed the World
Passport to Europe: Fact or Fiction?
September 11 attacks
10 Places to Visit in the Solar System
Email this page