Duklja

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Map of Duklja

Duklja or Diokletija (Serbian Cyrillic: Дукља or Диоклетија; Latin: Doclea or Diocleia; Greek: Διοκλεις, Diokleis) was a South Slavic medieval state with hereditary lands roughly encompassing the territories of the modern state Montenegro Zeta River, Skadar Lake and the Boka bay and bordering with Travunia at Kotor. Duklja was at first a semi-independent part of the Grand Principality (Zhupanate) of Rascia (Raška) which was a vassal of the Eastern Roman Empire and later directly under Byzantine suzerainty until it won its independence in the mid-11th century, ruled by the House of Vojislav (Vojislavljević). After a large fall, Doclea was incorporated into the unified Serbian state, where it remained until the fall of the Serbian emperor, tsar Stefan Uroš IV Dušan, where it became the state of Zeta.

Contents

Name

"Doclea", the name of the region during the early period of the Roman Empire, was termed for an early Illyrian tribe - the Docleatae. The Roman Emperor Diocletian hailed from this region. In later centuries, Romans "hyper-corrected" the name to Dioclea, wrongly guessing that an "I" had been lost due to vulgar speech patterns. "Duklja" is the later Slavic version of that word. The actual city of Dioclea was located at present-day Podgorica (throughout the Middle Ages known as Ribnica). Doclea was one the four Croatian states that were a part of "Red Croatia".

Geography

Doclea (roughly Montenegro today) bordered the Byzantine Theme of Dyrrachion to the east, at the City of Bar and Travunia to the west. From the Skadar Lake at the east its territory sprang down the river of Zeta all the way to the river of Piva to the west. Afterwards, Skadar became the capital of the state until the end of the Middle Ages. The Royal Capital of Duklja was Ston. It had only three major settlements: Gradac (Old Budva, the ancient Serbian capital), Novi Grad and Lontodoclea. The most important City was Diocleia (after which the entire Archonty was named), but that city was in ruins by the 10th century from numerous invasions. Doclea was split on Zhupanates, each with its own City: Lusca, Podlugiae, Gorsca, Cuceva with Budva, Cupelnich, Obliquus, Prapratna (between Bar and Ulcinj), Cermenica and Gripuli. Continental Doclea, or Submontana (Podgoria), which was between the rivers of Rama and Morača, was consisted of: Onogost, Moratia, Comerniza, Piva, Gerico, Netusini, Guisemo, Com, Debreca, Neretva and Rama. Ever since the 12th century, the term Zeta, a smaller geographical part of Doclea, started to replace the name of this Archonty.

History

Origins

Dioklea was settled by Slavic peoples predominantly during the 7th century, although the area was subject to raids by Avars and Slavs from the 6th century. Some historians suggest that being a mountainous region, it served as an area of refuge for the pre-Slavic populace. Under the leadership of Slavic archonts the peoples amalgamated. Being located close to the Byzantine city of Dyrrachium, they drew the attention of the Byzantine rulers, who named them Diokletians (Dukljiani in Slavic).

Whether the Dukljians were an offshoot of the main Serbian tribe[1], or an distinct Slavic tribe which gradually became Serbianized, most historians tend to see Duklja as one of the medieval Serbian states[2][3].

Early history

Little is known about Duklja prior to the late 900s. Our main source on early Balkan Slavic states is the works of Constantine Porphyrogenitus - de Administrando Imperio. In it, he mentions virtually nothing about Duklja apart from stating that it was settled by Slavs and was ruled by ‘the emperor of the Romans’ (ie ruled by Byzantine Emperors). It probably did not exist as an established, independent polity before the late 900s. The Byzantines ruled over coastal cities such as Doclea, Bar, Kotor and the hinterland surrounding them. Archeologic evidence suggests that local officials ruled in the name of the Emperor. The rest of what would later become Duklja was inhabited by Slavs separated into numerous tribes, each holding a small region of land called a zhupa. From 840, we learn of the beginnings of a small Serbian principality which was centered in the what is now southwestern Serbia, but included much of eastern Montenegro and southeastern Bosnia.[4]. It was Knez Vlastimir that forged an alliance of several Serb tribes around the aforementioned area in order to repel a Bulgarian invasion[5]. One of his successors, Caslav Klonimirovic, ruled over a confederacy of statelets covering an expansive area, based from the hinterland of Kotor [6].

Lead stamp of archont Petar (or Predimir) (9th century), a Byzantine viceroy; The Holy Virgin Mary with the Christ Child (left) and inscription in Greek "+ Petar archont of Dioklia AMIN" (right).

After Caslav died c. 960, the Serbian principality dissolved back into many small zhupanias. One noble, Jovan Vladimir emerged as the most powerful ruler. With his court centered in Bar on the Adriatic coast, he had much of Serbia Primorje ('Serbia by the sea') under his control including Travunia and Zachlumia- which was ruled by his uncle Dragimir. His realm may have stretched westward to include some part of Serbia Zagorje (inland Serbia; literally Serbia by the mountains) as well. Vladimir’s pre-eminent position over other Slavic nobles in the area explains why Emperor Basil approached him for an anti-Bulgarian alliance. With his hands tied by war in Anatolia, Emperor Basil required allies for his war against Tsar Samuel, who ruled a Slavic empire centred on Macedonia. In retaliation, Samuel invaded Duklja in 997, and pushed through Dalmatia up to the city of Zadar, incorporating Bosnia and Serbia into his realm. After defeating Vladimir, Samuel reinstated him as a vassal Prince. We do not know what Vladimir’s connection was to the previous princes of Serbia, or to the rulers of Croatia- much of what is written in the Chronicles of the Priest of Duklja about the genealogy of the Dukljian rulers is mythological[7].

Jovan Vladimir (990 - 1016), one of the first rulers of Duklja.

Vladimir was murdered by Vladislav, Samuel’s brother and successor, circa 1016 AD. The last prominent member of his family- his uncle Dragimir- was killed by some local citizens in Kotor in 1018. That same year, the Byzantines had defeated the Bulgarians, and in one masterful stroke re-took vitrually the entire Balkans.

Byzantine hegemony and Struggle for Independence (1020-1050)

The Byzantine victory over the Bulgarians was a critical development in Balkan history. The Byzantines ruled most of the Balkans - Bulgaria, Serbia, Duklja, Bosnia and Croatia all fell back under Byzantine rule for the first time since the 6th century.

Shortlived as it was, Vladimir's influence in Balkan politics shifted the centre of Serbian rule from inland Serbia to the coast. This was a "renewed Serbian state centred on Duklja"[8]. Over much of the 11th century, we hear very little about events from the interior. Central Serbia was probably under the jurisdiction of the strategos (governor) of Sirmium - Constantin Diogenes, the Duke of Thessaloniki. Some historians suggest that Duklja was ruled directly by the strategos of Dyrrachium, whilst others posit that a native prince (whose name has not survived) was allowed to remain, ruling as a Byzantine vassal. Either way, the Slavic nobility was under Byzantine control.

In the 1030s, one Stefan Voislav (a.k.a. Dobroslav) was ruling Travunia. In 1034, he stopped paying homage to the Byzantines and defeated the Dioklean bans (who were loyal to the Byzantines), taking Dioklea for himself. The Byzantines retaliated by sending in troops from Dyrrachium and captured Voislav, who was taken prisoner to Constantinople. He managed to escape and began a guerrilla resistance from Duklja’s mountains. He defeated several Byzantine expeditions and liberated most of Duklja. A Slav rebellion centered on Belgrade, organised by Petar O'Delian in the late 1030s, worked in Voislav’s favour by diverting attention from Duklja. He used this to assert rule from his capital in Shkoder, and extended his rule from Duklja to Travunia and a part of Zahumlje. He sieged the Byzantine city of Dyrrachium and held the lands surrounding it[9].

In 1042, another Byzantine attack was defeated. The Byzantine’s had sent a "coalition" comprising of vassal Slavic chiefs to fight Voislav. The coalition consisted of the zhupan of Bosnia, Knez (Prince) Ljutovid of Zachlumia and the Zhupan of Raska. Fine suggests that under Byzantine dominance, "Raska" had emerged in the 1040s as yet another Serb state (roughly centred on what is now southern Serbia and Kosovo[10]. Voislav won a great victory against his attackers. He overthrew Liutevid and placed Zachlumia entirely under his control. Duklja was undoubtedly the leading Serbian state[11].

The ‘Kingdom of Duklja’ (1053-1100)

Voislav probably died in 1043. Of his 5 sons, Mihajlo eventually secured rule by 1046. He was an apt diplomat- he fostered good relations with the Byzantines by marrying one of the Emperor’s relatives,earning himself the title Protostrator. He also entered diplomatic relations with the western powers by marrying one of his sons, Constantin Bodin, to the daughter of the Norman governor of Bari. Michael conquered Raska from the Byzantines in the 1060s and assigned one of his sons, Petrislav as ruler. In 1072, he supported another Slav rebellion in Macedonia by sending a force led by his son Constantin Bodin. After initial success, The Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja claims that Bodin was proclaimed Tsar Peter III of Bulgaria. A Byzantine retaliation, however, resulted in Bodin’s capture, only to be freed by Venetian mercenaries hired by his father.

Mihailo Voislav, the first recognized ruler of Duklja on a fresco in the Church of St. Michael in Ston: He was crowned as King of Slavs and became known as the Ruler of Tribals and Serbs during his reign.
The Church of St. Mihailo in Ston from 1080, a foundation of King Mihailo Voislav.

At some point during his rule, Michael acquired the title of King. Most scholars place this date to 1077, when he received a legate from the Pope referring to him as the King of Slavs. However, Curta suggests that Michael may have been King as early as 1053, since he proclaimed himself ‘King’ sometime after receiving the Protostrator title from the Emperor. However, formal recognition as King in medieval Europe required acknowledgement either from the Pope or the Byzantine Emperor. Either way, he was King by 1077.

When Michael died in 1081, he was succeeded by his son Constantin Bodin. The Normans attacked Byzantine south Dalmatia, capturing Dyrrachium and Ragusa. Bodin was expected to aid the Emperor at Dyrrachium, instead he remained idle (possible as part of a pre-conceived plan with the Normans) and watched the Byzantines get utterly defeated. During his early rule, energy spent consolidating his rule and meddling with Byzantine-Norman matters diverted Bodin’s attention from other parts of his realm. The "Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja" notes that Bodin sent expedition into Bosnia and Raska. Since his father, Michael, had already captured Raska earlier, it must have slipped out of Duklja’s control. Bodin successfully marched against Raska and placed his cousins Vukan and Marko (the sons of Petrislav) as zhupans. He also captured Bosnia, and placed one of his courtiers, Stephen, to rule in his name. Although Bodin was recognised as 'King of Duklja and Dalmatia, there is no evidence to suggest that Bosnia, Zahumlje, Duklja and Raska were incorporated into an integrated kingdom. Each region retained its own hereditary nobility, but were under the political and military sway of Duklja[12].

1080 AD. The zenith of Dukljan power

Decline

By 1085 the Byzantines got the upper hand in their wars with the Normans, recapturing Dyrrachium and Ragusa. In 1090, they punished Bodin for his impudence, possibly capturing him for the second time, and not much is known about him subsequently until he dies in c. 1101. Raska, Zahumlje and Bosnia probably broke free from Dukljan vassalage.

With Bodin gone, his Norman wife, Jaquinta feared that Bodin’s nephew, Branislav, would try to seize power before her young children could take the throne. She ordered the arrest of Branislav and his family and Branislav died in captivity, whilst his other 6 brothers and sons found asylum in Ragusa. Thus in the haste to claim the throne, seeds of family hatred were planted amongst the extended family. After Bodin died, his half-brother Dobroslav gained the throne of Duklja. Seeing a weak Duklja, the Byzantines started to meddle, sending Kopocar, one of Branislav’s exiled brothers to capture the throne. He managed to get assistance from Vukan of Raska, and together they beat Dobroslav. However, there was a falling out between Kopocar and Vukan. Vukan drove out Kopocar, who then died in exile. The Dukljan nobles then elected a Vladimir, yet another relative, who ruled in peace as a Byzantine vassal. But Jaquinta had not given up. After Vladimir died, she had Dobroslav (who was still in jail) castrated and blinded in case he were to gain the throne, thus securing the throne for her son Djurad, c. 1114-18. She had gained support from an anti-Byzantine faction of nobles. Branislav’s family again fled to Byzantine safety, this time in Dyrrachium. There they gained support from the Byzantines, who ousted Djurad and imprisoned Jaquinta. Grubesa, one of Branislav’s sons, was placed on the throne in 1118. He ruled peacefully until 1125. Djurad had fled to Raska, and secured the support of the new Raskan Grand Zhupan- Uros. Uros was aligned with the Hungarians, and was anti-Byzantine. He invaded Duklja and placed Djurad back on the throne. Yet another Byzantine intervention ousted Djurad for the second time, capturing him, and he died in captivity. Gradinja, one of Grubesa’s brothers was then placed as King- the last ruler to hold such a title in Duklja. He died a natural death in 1146, and was succeeded by his son Radoslav. Radoslav only bore the title Knez (Prince).

Duklja’s long internecine strife was devastating for its status, as it was reduced back to a Principality dependent on Byzantine support, and was increasingly losing territory to Raska. By the time of Radoslav's reign as prince, he only held a small strip of land on the Dukljan coast (From Kotor to Ulcinj). By 1166, much of Duklja was ruled by Raska, and in 1186, Stefan Nemanya annexed Duklja in its entirety after defeating the last Dukljan prince - Mihailo (Radoslav’s successor, and Nemanya’s nephew).

Religious affairs

In the 10th century, following the Synod of Split, Split gained jurisdiction over much of the Dalmatian coast, except southern regions (including most of Duklja), which were under the Archbisphopric of Dyrrachium. However, Split’s pre-eminent position was soon challenged by other cities vying for metropolinate status- Bar and Dubrovnik (Ragusa). The East-West Schism would soon have a great impact upon Serbia, not only religiously, but also politically. Since Serbia was positioned at the border zone between Roman and Constantinopolitan jurisdiction, Serb rulers tried to exploit this rivalry to their advantage.

The Slavs who lived along the southern Dalmatian coast fell under the religious jurisdiction of Rome, via the Archbishops of Split, Bar and Ragusa. The rest, in the hinterland stretching to Serbia, were under the Patriarch of Constantinople via the Archbishops of Ohrid, Sirmium and Dyrrachium. King Mihailo‘s prerogative was to establish an autocephalous Serbian Church- an independent state requires an independent church. For political reasons, he turned to Rome, since at the time he was in less than amicable relations with Byzantium. Michael presumed that the Pope would jump at the chance to expand his jurisdiction in southern Dalmatia, but Michael’s wish was not easily forthcoming. Although some studies have stated that his request to raise Bar to an Archbishopric was granted in 1067, it seems that the cited bull is not authentic.

It was not until 1089, under Bodin’s rule, that Bar got raised to an archbishopric, as a reward for Bodin’s support of the Pope against the antipope. The Bishops of Kotor, Ulcinj, Svac, Skadar, Drivast, Pula, Serbia, Bosnia, and Tribenje were suffragan under Bar. Zachlumia (Hum) was under the see of Dubrovnik (Ragusa) at the time. However, much of Bar’s new territory was only theoretical, as only some churches were willing to recognize Rome. Fine points out that although Bar remained a Roman Catholic Bishopric through the middle ages, the majority of Serbs (including most of the coastal population) were Orthodox Christians.

List of rulers

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Sima Cirkovic. The Serbs
  2. ↑ The Balkans. From Constantinople to Communism. D P Hupchik
  3. ↑ The early Medieval Balkans. A critical survey ... John V A Fine
  4. ↑ The early Medieval Balkans. John V A Fine
  5. ↑ The Balkans. From Constantinople to Communism
  6. ↑ Encyclopedia Britannica
  7. ↑ Fine
  8. ↑ The Balkans. From Constantinople to Communism. Dennis Hupchik
  9. ↑ Fine
  10. ↑ Fine
  11. ↑ The Balkans. From Constantinople to Communism. D P Hupchik
  12. ↑ Fine

See also

External links

1 Some versions call it Red Croatia