| Nemanjić Немањић | |
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| Parent house | Vukanović dynasty |
| Country | Serbia: |
| Founded | 1166; 859 years ago (1166) |
| Founder | Stefan Nemanja |
| Final ruler | Stefan Uroš V of Serbia |
| Titles |
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| Estate(s) | Grand Principality of Serbia,Kingdom of Serbia,Doclea-Zeta,Travunia,Dalmatia andHum |
| Dissolution | 1371 (seefall of the Serbian Empire) |
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TheHouse of Nemanjić (Serbian Cyrillic:Немањић,pl. Немањићи;Serbian Latin: Nemanjić,pl. Nemanjići,pronounced[nɛ̌maɲitɕ]) was the most prominent nativeSerbian dynasty ofSerbia in the Middle Ages. This princely, royal and imperial house producedtwelve Serbian monarchs, who ruled between 1166 and 1371.[1]
Its progenitor wasStefan Nemanja, scion of acadet branch of theVukanović dynasty (1101–1166). After Nemanja, all monarchs usedStefan as a personal name, or a ruler's name, a tradition adopted for the royal pretensions.[A] The monarchs began asGrand Princes, and with the crowning ofStefan Nemanjić in 1217, the realm was promoted to a Kingdom, and theSerbian Orthodox Church was established in 1219. In 1346,Stefan Dušan was crownedEmperor of the Serbs and Greeks, and the Archbishopric of Serbia was elevated to aPatriarchate.[2]
The dynasty's rule in Serbia ended in 1371, with the death of childlessStefan Uroš V (r. 1355–1371).[3] This led to thefall of the Serbian Empire. Provincial lords took control of their provinces. The last remaining members of the House of Nemanjić wereJohn Uroš,[4] ruler ofThessaly, titularemperor of the Serbians and Greeks, who died c. 1422-23, and his younger brother, Stefan Uroš, ruler ofPharsalos. Nemanjić descent survived only through maternal lines in several Serbian houses.[5]
In the 8th century, theVlastimirović Dynasty established theSerbian Principality.[6] The state disintegrated after the death of the last known Vlastimirid rulerČaslav of Serbia around 940/960s and the Byzantines annexed the region and held it for a century, until 1040 when the Serbs under theVojislavljević Dynasty revolted inDuklja (Pomorje).[7] In the 1090s, theVukanović Dynasty established theSerbian Grand Principality, and since the mid-12th centuryStari Ras became undisputably under Serbian control, becoming centre of defence and residency for the Serbian Principality.[8][9] In 1166,Stefan Nemanja took the throne, marking the beginning of Serbia, henceforth under the rule of the Nemanjići (Vukanović branch).[10]
Serbia reached its height of power during the Nemanjić dynasty. TheSerbian Kingdom was proclaimed in 1217, leading to the establishment of theSerbian Orthodox Church in 1219. In the same yearSaint Sava published the firstconstitution in Serbia:St. Sava's Nomocanon.[11]TsarStefan Dušan proclaimed theSerbian Empire in 1346. During Dušan's rule, Serbia reached its territorial, political, and economical peak,[12] proclaiming itself as the successor of theByzantine Empire, and was the most powerful Balkan state of that time. Dušan enacted an extensive constitution, known asDušan's Code, opened new trade routes, strengthened the state's economy, but its society's integration was unfinished and not unified enough until Ottoman invasion.[12] Serbian medieval political identity has been profoundly shaped by the rule of this dynasty and its accomplishments, that were supported and cultivated by theSerbian Orthodox Church.[13]
Stefan Dušan attempted to organize a Crusade with the Pope against the threatening Turks,[14] but he died suddenly in December 1355.[15] He was succeeded by his sonUroš, calledthe Weak, a term that might also apply to the state of the empire, which slowly slid into a feudal fragmentation.[3] This was a period marked by the rise of a new threat: theOttoman Turk sultanate, which spread from Asia to Europe conquering Byzantium and then the other states in theBalkans.
The Nemanjić dynasty ruled the Serb lands between ca. 1166 up to 1371.
| Picture | TitleName | Reign | Notes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja | 1166–1196 | Nemanja is the eponymous founder of the Nemanjić dynasty. He re-established control over the neighbouring territories, including Duklja, Hum and Travunia. In his last years, he joined his son Sava and took monastic vows, later recognized asSaint Symeon after numerous alleged miracles following his death. Note: Duklja, Zahumlje and Travunija is reconquered, Nemanja is proclaimed "Grand Prince of All Serbia" | ||||||
 | Grand Prince Vukan | 1202–1204 | Eldest son of Stefan Nemanja. He held the appanage of "Duklja, Dalmatia (Zahumlje), Travunija, Toplica and Hvosno" as Grand Prince, by 1190. He was the initial heir presumptive, but his father chose Stefan instead upon the abdication in 1166. With the death of Nemanja, Vukan started plotting against his brother. He found help in Hungary, and together they forced Stefan to flee to Bulgaria. He ruled as a Hungarian vassal, evident in Emeric I's title "King of Serbia". He left the throne in 1204, and continued to rule his appanage, he was later pardoned by the third brotherSaint Sava. | ||||||
 | King ↑Grand Prince Stefan the First-Crowned | 1196–1202 1204–1228 | Second son of Stefan Nemanja. He inherited the title ofGrand Prince in 1196 when his father retired as a monk. His reign began with a struggle against his brother Vukan, who expelled Stefan to Bulgaria.Kaloyan gave him an army ofCumans in exchange foreastern territories. The crisis ended when Sava negotiated a peace between the brothers and Stefan's power was cemented. He was crownedKing in 1217, and thenSava gainsautocephaly, becoming the firstArchbishop of Serbs in 1219, thus Serbia retained full independence. | ||||||
 | King Stefan Radoslav | 1228–1233 | Son of Stefan the First-crowned. He ruled Zahumlje during the reign of his father, and also held a governor status of Zeta. He was the co-founder of theŽiča monastery with his father, who would abdicate in 1227 due to illness, taking monastic vows. Radoslav was crowned by his uncleSava, theArchbishop of Serbia. His marriage toAnna Doukaina Angelina would prove unpopular as she undermined his authority, he lost the loyalty of the people and in 1233 a revolt against them prompted the couple to flee toDubrovnik.[16] | ||||||
 | King Stefan Vladislav | 1233–1243 | Son of Stefan the First-crowned. He succeeded his brother Radoslav in 1233 and ruled for 10 years, before being overthrown by his younger brother Uroš. He continued to rule Zeta. The first known flag design of Serbia was found in his treasury.[17] | ||||||
 | King Stefan Uroš I | 1243–1276 | Son of Stefan the First-crowned. He succeeded his brother Vladislav. He boosted trade with Dubrovnik and Kotor, marking a beginning of economic prosperity. In 1253 a war was fought against Dubrovnik, peace was signed in 1254, and in the 1260s a second war begun that ended in 1268. Uroš immediately turned towards Hungary, successfully takingMačva, he was however captured and peace was ensured between the two Kings through marriage of Dragutin and Catherine, the daughter ofStephen V of Hungary. His oldest son Dragutin would have succeeded his rule, but Uroš favored Stefan Milutin, the younger son, as successor. He was overthrown by Stefan Dragutin in 1276.[18] | ||||||
 | King Stefan Dragutin | 1276–1282 1282–1316 | Son of Stefan Uroš I. He overthrew his father with help from the Hungarian royalty (through his marriage toCatherine of Hungary) after theBattle of Gacko. He was injured in 1282, and gave the supreme rule to his younger brother Milutin, but continued to rulewhat would later become the Kingdom of Srem with the capital atBelgrade. Milutin boosted relations with the Byzantine Emperor, and refused to give the rule to Vladislav II (Dragutin's son), causing a split of the Kingdom. Dragutin continued to rule the northern frontier in Hungarian alliance, but in the last years re-connected with Serbia, acting as a vassal.[19] | ||||||
 | King Stefan Milutin | 1282–1321 | Son of Stefan Uroš I. He succeeded his brother Dragutin. Upon his accession, he immediately turned towards Macedonia, conquering the northern part withSkoplje, which became his capital. He continued deep into Bulgarian lands, taking northern Albania and as far as Kavala. He also took BulgarianVidin, and laterDurrës. He was in a succession war with Dragutin after peace was signed with the Byzantines in 1299. Milutin aids the Byzantines against the Ottoman Turks at theBattle of Gallipoli, which ended in a victory. When Dragutin died he put most of his lands with Belgrade under his rule, in the same year his son Stefan Dečanski tried to overthrow him, resulting in him being exiled toConstantinople. In 1319 the Hungarians took all of Dragutin's lands butBraničevo. Note: Syrmia becomes independent, ruled by the initial heir apparent:
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 | King Stefan Konstantin | 1321–1322 | Younger son of Stefan Milutin, defeated in 1322 by his older brother,Stefan Dečanski. | ||||||
 | King Stefan Dečanski ofDečani | 1322–1331 | Older brother of Stefan Konstantin. | ||||||
 | Emperor ↑King Stefan Dušan the Mighty | 1331–1355 | Son of Stefan Dečanski. He was a very skilled military leader, and defeated Bosnia and Bulgaria at the age of 20. As his father was not an able conqueror, Dušan removed him from the throne. Dušan doubled the size of the realm, taking Byzantine lands as far as thePeloponnese. He was crownedEmperor in 1346. The Serbian Empire flourished, and he enacted the constitution -Dušan's Code in 1349. | ||||||
 | Emperor Stefan Uroš V the Weak | 1355–1371 | Son of Stefan Dušan, crowned King of Rascia (1346–1355), succeeds as Emperor after the death of Dušan in 1355. His epithet was given due to his "weak rule". Note: Succession attempts (titular Emperors):
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The Nemanjić dynasty played a pivotal role in the spread of Eastern Orthodoxy throughout the Balkans. As key patrons of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Nemanjić rulers were instrumental in the construction and endowment of numerous monastic complexes, thereby reinforcing both religious and cultural identity in medieval Serbia. Their commitment to Orthodoxy significantly contributed to their status as one of the most influential dynasties in Serbian history.
The architectural and cultural legacy of the Nemanjić period is evident in the extensive network of monasteries that continue to serve as vital historical and religious landmarks. Notable examples include Žiča Monastery, Studenica Monastery, Gračanica Monastery, Ljubostinja, Banjska Monastery, Mileševa Monastery, Hilandar Monastery, Đurđevi Stupovi, Sopoćani Monastery, Visoki Dečani Monastery, Gradac Monastery, Morača Monastery, Gorioč Monastery, the Monastery of the Holy Archangels, Matejče Monastery, Our Lady of Ljeviš, Papraća Monastery, Tronoša Monastery, Rača Monastery, Arilje Monastery, Bešenovo Monastery, and Davidovica Monastery, among many others.
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