Stefan Uroš V Стефан Урош V | |
|---|---|
 Fresco fromMacedonian OrthodoxPsača Monastery, between 1365 and 1371 | |
| Church builder | |
| Born | c. 1336 |
| Died | 4 December 1371(aged 34-35) |
| King of Serbs and Greeks | |
| Reign | 1346–1355 |
| Predecessor | Stefan Dušan |
| Successor | Vukašin Mrnjavčević |
| Emperor of Serbs and Greeks | |
| Reign | 1355–1371 |
| Predecessor | Stefan Dušan |
| Successor | Jovan Uroš |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Anna of Wallachia |
| Dynasty | Nemanjić |
| Father | Stefan Dušan |
| Mother | Helena of Bulgaria |
| Religion | Serbian Orthodox |
SaintStefan Uroš V (Serbian Cyrillic:Стефан Урош V,pronounced[stêfaːnûroʃpeːti]ⓘ; 1336 – 2/4 December 1371), known in historiography and folk tradition asUroš the Weak (Serbian:Урош Нејаки,romanized: Uroš Nejaki), was thesecond Emperor (Tsar) of theSerbian Empire (1355–1371), and before that he was Serbian King and co-ruler (since 1346) with his father, EmperorStefan Dušan.[1]
Stefan Uroš V was the only son of Stefan Uroš IV Dušan byHelena of Bulgaria, the sister ofIvan Alexander of Bulgaria. He had been crowned as king (second highest title) in the capacity of heir and co-ruler after Dušan was crowned emperor in 1346.[2] Although by the time of his succession as sole ruler and emperor in 1355 Stefan Uroš V was no longer a minor, he remained heavily dependent on his mother and various members of the court.
The account of the contemporaryJohn VI Kantakouzenos describes the descent of the Serbian Empire into disintegration soon after the death of Uroš' father and his accession.[3][4] However, Kantakouzenos mainly focused on the Greek lands rather than the Serbian core lands. Further the general disorder along with the powerlessness of the center represents the situation that arose much later in Uroš's reign.[5] According to Mihaljčić, during the initial years of his rule the threats to the territorial integrity of Uroš's empire in the south came mainly from external attacks.[6]
The death of Uroš's father was quickly followed by the death ofPreljub, who governedThessaly. In the spring of 1356,Nikephoros Orsini landed a force on the coast of Thessaly and quickly overran it. He then followed up this success by driving despotSimeon Uroš fromAetolia andAcarnania.[7] Simeon was a paternal uncle and the closest male relative of young Emperor Uroš. Retreating to Epirus and western Macedonia, he seizedKostur and proclaimed himself Tsar in hope of becoming co-ruler, or even replacing young Uroš on the Serbian throne.[8] His claim was not widely welcomed, and the support he gained was limited to some southern regions.[9] The Sabor (state council) held inSkoplje did not accept Simeon's claims and following the endorsement of the magnates, Uroš became more energetic in his political activities, publishing a number of charters.[10] In 1358, Simeon attacked theSkadar region, trying to capture the old Serbia region ofZeta, but was defeated.[11] Defeated in the north, Simeon again turned to south, retakingEpirus andThessaly in 1359, where he continued to rule with the title "emperor of Serbs and Greeks".[12]
There is one account, early in his reign, that is in contrast to his general record of incompetence. In 1356, Matthew Kantakouzenos, a pretender to theByzantine throne, gathered an army of 5,000 Turks and marched onSerres, the Serbian-held capital ofJovan Uglješa. Uroš V, whose mother ruled from Serres, decided to raise an army to defend his mother. In 1357, when Matthew and his Turks attacked, the Serbian army underVojihna of Drama (a major player in that region) came to aid. The Turks were defeated. Matthew Kantakouzenos was captured and held hostage until his ransom was paid by theByzantine EmperorJohn V Palaiologos.
In following years, theSerbian Empire gradually fragmented into a conglomeration of principalities, some of which did not even nominally acknowledge Uroš's rule. His position was not helped by his mother Helena, who started to rule autonomously from Serres in alliance withJovan Uglješa. A similarly autonomous posture was assumed by theDejanović family, theBalšić family,Nikola Altomanović. By 1365, the most powerful Serbian nobleman became Uglješa's brotherVukašin Mrnjavčević who became co-ruler with Emperor Uroš and was granted the title of Serbian King.[13] By 1369, as Uroš was childless, Vukašin designated his eldest sonPrince Marko as heir to the throne, with the title of "young king".[14]
Stefan Uroš V died childless in December 1371, after much of theSerbian nobility had been destroyed by theTurks in theBattle of Maritsa earlier that year.[15][16] The exact cause of his death at a relatively young age remains unknown. Vukašin's sonPrince Marko inherited his father's royal title, but real power in northern Serbia was held byLazar Hrebeljanović. The latter did not assume the imperial or royal titles (associated with theNemanjić dynasty), and in 1377 accepted KingTvrtko I of Bosnia (a maternal grandson ofStefan Dragutin) as titular king of Serbia. Serbia proper became a vassal of the Ottomans in 1390, but remained effectively ruled by theLazarević family and then by theirBranković successors until the fall ofSmederevo in 1459.
The exceptional modesty and tolerance of this ruler was the main reason he was called "the weak", and also the reason he was canonized 211 years after his death.
Stefan Uroš V was canonized by theSerbian Orthodox Church. His body is kept in theJazak monastery onFruška Gora mountain.
Today, Stefan Uroš V is viewed mostly in contrast to his able and strong-willed father, as a lacking and indecisive ruler, unable to keep the Serbian nobility under his control, whose weak and unassertive personality greatly contributed to the fall of the Empire and the eventual destruction of the Serbian state by the Ottomans. In Serbian folklore and epic poems he is often described as a just, well-intentioned ruler of pleasant appearance but weak character. While this view is popular among historians as well, some argue that he was not especially incompetent in his role as Emperor of Serbia, and that the decline of the empire was much less spectacular and started much later into his rule than popular opinion suggests. For a long time, it was considered a historical fact that he was murdered by his co-ruler, Vukašin Mrnjavčević, but eventually Vukašin was proven to have died before the Emperor.
In 1825Stefan Stefanović, a Serbian writer living in theAustrian Empire wrote a tragic play calledThe Death of Uroš V, which drew inspiration from both facts and folk tradition about Uroš, including the aforementioned belief that he was killed by King Vukašin.
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| Preceded by | Emperor of the Serbs 1355–1371 | John Uroš |
| King of Serbia 1346–1355 | Vacant Title next held by Vukašin | |
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