| Constantine Dragaš Константин Драгаш Kωvσταντίνος Δραγάσης |
|
|---|---|
| Born | >1355 |
| Died | May 17, 1395 Rovine, Romania |
| Cause of death | Battle of Rovine |
| Residence | Kyustendil |
| Nationality | Serbian |
| Other names | Konstantínos Dragáses |
| Title | Despot[b] |
| Term | 1378-1395 |
| Predecessor | Dejan Dragaš |
| Religion | Eastern Orthodoxy |
| Spouse | Unknown Eudokia of Trebizond |
| Children | Helena Dragases, Jahov |
| Parents | Despot Dejan Theodora Nemanjić |
| Relatives | Emperor Dušan the Mighty Emperor Stefan of Dečani |
Constantine Dragaš Dejanović (Serbian: Константин Драгаш Дејановић[a]; fl. 1365-1395) was a Serbian magnate that ruled the area around Kyustendil from 1378, during the fall of the Serbian Empire, until his death on May 17, 1395 at the battle of Rovine. His father had served the Serbian Emperors, but after the loss at Maritsa (1371), the family continued to rule as Ottoman vassals.
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Constantine's father was the Serbian magnate, despot and sebastokrator Dejan, who had held the Kumanovo-region under the rule of Dušan the Mighty (r. 1331-1355). Constantine's mother Theodora Nemanjić was a half-sister of Dušan. His maternal grandparents were Serbian King Stefan of Dečani and Queen Maria Palaiologina.
In ca. 1365, his older brother Jovan Dragaš was holding Štip and Strumica. Jovan was elevated to despot by Emperor Uroš the Weak (before 1373), as Emperor Dušan had elevated Dejan, their father. Ottoman sources report that in 1373, the Ottoman army compelled "Saruyar" (Jovan Dragaš) in the upper Struma, to recognize Ottoman vassalship.[1] Constantine had helped Jovan in ruling the lands, and when Jovan died in 1378/1379, Constantine succeeded, subsequently managing to govern large portions of northeastern Macedonia and the Struma valley.
He minted coins, as had his brother done.[2] The Dragaš family generously donated to several monasteries on Mount Athos, including Hilandar, Pantaleimon (Rossikon) and Vatopédi.
In 10 February 1392, his daughter Jelena married Manuel II Palaiologos, and the next day, they were crowned Emperor and Empress by the patriarch.[3]
After the battle of Maritsa, they were forced to become vassals of the Ottoman Empire, but they maintained close links with their Christian neighbors, including the Byzantine Empire. In 1395, together with his neighbor and ally, the Serbian king of Prilep Marko, Constantine Dragaš was killed fighting for their Ottoman overlord Sultan Bayezid I against Mircea cel Bătrân of Wallachia at Rovine, near Craiova. The Ottomans named Constantine's capital Velbažd/Velbužd after him, Köstendil (now Bulgarian Kyustendil).
Constantine Dragaš was married twice. The name of his first wife is unknown, but she is not identical with Thamar (Tamara), the daughter of the Emperor (tsar) Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria, who had married a certain despotēs Constantine. Constantine Dragaš married as his second wife Eudokia of Trebizond, daughter of Emperor Alexios III of Trebizond and Theodora Kantakouzene. By his first wife, Constantine Dragaš had at least one daughter and possibly a son:
He is venerated in Serb epic poetry.