List of princes of Zeta

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This is a list of princes of Zeta.

Background

After

and the region succumbed to Rascia's reign between 1183 and 1186.

In 1190, Grand Župan of Rascia Stefan Nemanja's son, Vukan II, asserted his right to the Dukljan crown. In 1219, the regent of Zeta and King Vukan's oldest son, Đorđe Nemanjić, became king of Duklja/Zeta. He was succeeded by his second oldest son, Uroš I, who built the 'Uspenje Bogorodice' monastery in Morača.

Between 1276 and 1309, Zeta was ruled by Queen Jelena, widow of

was the strongest feudal lord in Zeta.

From 1309 to 1321, Zeta was co-ruled by the oldest son of King Milutin, Young King Stefan Uroš III Dečanski. Similarly, from 1321 to 1331, Stefan's young son Stefan Dušan Uroš IV Nemanjić, the future Serbian King and Tsar, co-ruled Zeta with his father.

After Tsar Dušan's death in 1355, the Serbian state Kingdom started to crumble and its holdings were divided among Prince (Knjaz)

came to power in 1356.

Zeta

The Principality of Zeta (

The region of Zeta was a part of the

Battle of Marica

in 1371 emperor Uroš dies and no one succeeds him at the Throne.

In 1421 the Balšić family is succeeded by the

House of Lazarević

.

House of Balšić

The Balšić family members all had their own lands which they held collectively, but they were at various times presided by a Head of the Family:

• Balša I (1356–1362)
• Đurađ I (1362–1378)
• Balša II (1378–1385)
• Đurađ II
  (1385–1403)
• Balša III (1403–1421)

House of Lazarević

• Despot Stefan Lazarević (1421–1427)

House of Branković

In 1427 the Serbian despot died and the throne through adoptive lineage passes on to the

, according to the treaty; they inherit the Zetan territories. The Lazarevic and Brankovic houses use the legitimate right they had succeeded from the Balsics in order to claim supremacy over the Crnojevic house as well, in the Upper Zeta region (Montenegro proper).

In 1456 the last Serbian bastion in Zeta, the fortifications of Medun, are conquered by the Ottoman forces of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror.

• Despot Đurađ Branković (1427–1456)

House of Crnojević

The

for control over Zeta, and then succeeding them as Zeta's supreme overlords throughout the 14th and 15th century. Since the second half of the 15th century, they would play a crucial role in the survival of late Medieval Zeta. All members of the House of Crnojević considered themselves Lords Zetan.

Name	Reign	Territory	Notes
Radič	end of the 14th century–1396	Zeta
Đurađ Đurašević and Aleksa Đurašević	1403–1435	Zeta	Ruled as vassals of the Venetians
Gojčin (Gojčin, Goycinus)	1435–1451	Zeta	Ruled under Đurađ Branković (Serbian Despotate)
Stefan I	1451–1465	Zeta	Ruled under the Despotate 1451–1452, then under Venetian rule
Ivan I	1465–1490	Zeta
Đurađ IV	1490–1496	Zeta
Stefan II	1496–1499	Zeta	Nominal ruler under Ottoman suzerainty

See also

• List of monarchs of Duklja
• List of rulers of Montenegro
• Zeta (crown land)
• First Scutari War
• Second Scutari War
• History of Montenegro
• Venetian Albania

References

Sources