Stefan Lazarević

Stefan Lazarević , in Serb Cyrillic СтефанЛазаревић , was born with Kruševac in 1374, it died in Crkvine close to Mladenovac in 1427. He is the son of the prince Lazar (into Serb, Lazarević means " wire of lazar") and of the princess Milica. It has a brother of the name of Vuk Lazarević, sovereign Serb of the dynasty of the Lazarević. It will carry the title of prince of 1389 to 1402 then that of Despote , the title most important after that of Empereur .

After the battle of Kosovo

The death of the Prince Lazar and the minority of his/her Stefan son 12 years old, lead the Milica princess to direct the Serbia. Milica, back-small-girl of Vukan Nemanjić, succeeds in controlling the State Serbe with the assistance of the Patriarche Spiridon.

In 1389, shortly after the Battle of Kosovo, the Hungary benefits from the weakness of Serbia to attack it. Milica succeeds in containing the Hungarians in their yielding some cities of the North of the country.

In 1390, Milica negotiates with the sultan Bayezid Ier, promising the payment of a tribute to him as well as the support of the Serb forces at the time of the wars which he would undertake. N the other hand, she asks the autonomy of Serbia. Bayezid Ier accepts and marries young person of his/her daughters, Olivera Lazarević.

Stefan the prince

Stefan receives a good education and appears gifted for poetry and the writing. By its given character and its physical force, it corresponds to the ideal image of the knight of the Moyen-âge. It will be besides the Serb last sovereign known in all the Europe before the Turkish occupation .

In 1396, it takes part at the request of his/her mother to the Bataille of Nicopolis, Stefan and the Serb cavalry gives the victory to Bayezid. Paradoxically, the son of Lazar which had given its life in the fight against the Turks has just saved the Turks of the more large army of cross ever raised. The battle of Nicopolis marks the end of the last crusade.

Starting from 1395, it takes the continuation of his/her mother to the head of Serbia.

Shortly after its takeover, the sultan Bayezid Ier request with all its vassal and combined, Christian and Moslem, to come to find it with Serrès. The emperor of Constantinople as Stefan go to his invitation. The meeting proceeds without particular clash, when of the end, Bayezid requires without reason that all the Christian sovereigns are put at death, one by every hour. This time gives him, according to its expression, " time to establish an order of exécution". This time of reflection and the pressure of its advisers finally makes it reconsider its decision. Stefan will never forget this humiliation. Once established well on the throne of Serbia, it holds of it account in its policy with regard to the Othoman .

After the death of Vuk Branković, Stefan was recognized by all the Serb ones like their lord. The Hungarians and the Turks recognize it like the sovereign of Serbia.

Stefan the despot

Serbia is still autonomous with respect to its Turkish neighbor who already subjected all the other allied States of Byzance. The country does not owe its autonomy with its force: since the battle of Kosovo, it does not have any more the human means to raise a powerful army able to compete with that of the Othomans. It owes its privilege with Tamerlan which joined a great number of emirs Turkish of Asia Mineure.

The shock between the Othomans of Bayezid Ier and Tamerlan takes place at the end of July of the year 1402, with the battles of Ankara. The battle is a disaster for Bayezid, which is made prisoner. Stefan, which took part in the battle, is folded up towards Constantinople with its small army. There, it weaves diplomatic bonds with the Greeks. Jean VII Paleologist grants the despotic title of to him in August of the same year. The title of Stefan, thereafter, is confirmed by the successor of Jean, Manuel II Paleologist. Stefan is now free Othoman pressure. It profits already from the recognition of Constantinople, but the title of despot still brings it closer to the Greeks. Because, for Stefan and the other Serb ones, Constantinople, in spite of its weakness, is always respected and titrates it granted has in their the most crowned eyes a value of.

In spite of this title, Stefan wants to maintain its autonomy but, showing diplomacy, it signs its writings by using systematically the formula of Desposte Autocrator .

Christian alliance, the Order of the Dragon and the Othoman Interregnum

December 13rd, 1408, the charter of the Ordre of the Dragon renewed is published, dedicating the order to the defense of the Cross, particularly vis-a-vis the Othomans. The 24 founding members are established in 1408, among those are reproduced Sigismond Ier of the Holy roman Empire and immediately after him on the list, Stefan.

How Stefan did it pass from the tender to the Turks to the membership to an Order founded with an only aim of fighting the latter?

After the defeat in front of Tamerlan and the death of Bayezid, it follows one period of disorders in the Ottoman Empire which one called the Othoman Interrègne. The Ottoman Empire is divided and the wire of Bayazid Ier deliver a war without pity. One of them, Soliman, returns to Constantinople and its emperor Manuel II Paleologist, all the Thrace like Thessalonique. Soliman lends oath like vassal of the emperor of Constantinople. The fear of the invasion of the Europe by Tamerlan had even a moment made forget with Europeans " fear of Turc". After the departure of Tamerlan of Minor Asia, the Christians, Constantinople and Serbia decide to support Soliman against his Musa brother. In 1410, during a visit of the emperor with Thessalonique, Musa Soliman attack with Turkey-red cotton. The soldiers of this last give up it, but it succeeds in resisting thanks to its Byzantine allies. However, in 1411, the city falls and Musa made strangle his/her brother.

Soliman was weak and easy to handle by Christian alliance; on the other hand, Musa is, in the pure tradition of the warriors Turco-Mongolian S, pitiless and completely unverifiable. It immediately decides to punish the Christian allies of his brother. He humiliates Stefan in front of his generals and decides to take again in Constantinople all the grounds given by Soliman.

He besieges Thessalonique, devastation, plunders, viol in all Thrace. He besieges Constantinople by ground and sea. Handbook II prepared with this seat, and, having also envisaged the defeat of Soliman, it is combined with another son of Bayezid, Mehmed Ier of Bursa. It makes him cross the Hellespont with its army; the 15.000 Turks of Mehmed Ier prepare to fight the 25.000 Turks of Musa. Mehmed Ier loses the battle and turns over to Asia Mineure. But before its departure Manuel a revenge thanks to the support of the despot of Serbia promises to him. The second attempt is still a failure, but the third will show a victory: Stefan and its cavalry surprise the rear-guard of the army the Musa one and make it beat a retreat. The Serb ones continue it to Andrinople, then return to Serbia. Musa decides to devastate Serbia to punish Stefan. The two armies meet on July 5th, 1413 in Serbia at the time of the battles of Čamurlu. Musa this decisive battle loses and Stefan makes it strangle as had done to him with his/her brother.

Mehmed Ier becomes sultan of Roumélie and Roum thanks to the support of Constantinople and Belgrade. It is during this period that the majority of the Christian allies of the Turks leave them to join their camp " naturel" , Christian alliance.

Peace was restored. Stefan fully benefitted from the conflicts " familiaux" Turks: it showed its force by its role in the conflict of the Othoman interregnum. The Turks are from now on fully conscious of the potential threat of the Serb state.

Stefan and Belgrade

Belgrade had been Serb of 1284 with 1319 then is become again Hungarian. The Magyars had transformed it into Fortress, then very quickly abandoned its maintenance. When the despot takes again possession of the white city, he discovers a city given up from his inhabitants as well as a fortress in ruin. Immediately Stefan decides to make its capital of it. To achieve this goal it takes several measurements.

It sets up of a chart d'" Belgradoise" identity; who gives to his carrier tax incentives, commercial and legal in the enclosure of the city. A book and a seal are given to all the inhabitants of the white city. That attracts rapidements the many Serb ones come from Serbia, Bosnia or Christian territories controlled by the Turks, but also much of merchants of Raguse. The city grows rich and, in spite of the tax exemptions, fills up quickly in the trunks of the kingdom of Serbia. Stefan can then undertake a policy of restoration and construction. He rehabilitates the fortress and improves it, builds churches and renovates the cathedral of Dormition " the very holy mother of Dieu" , which be also the seat of the métropolite of Belgrade.

Belgrade then gains a fame in all Christian Europe, as being the white big city " bastion of the christianisme" or " key of Pannonie" or " of Hongrie".

Work and end of Stefan

Stefan published a code of the mines in 1412 in the town of Novo Brdo with the Kosovo which was one of economic of the Serbia. In its monastery of Resava-Manasija (area of Pomoravlje), it organized the school of Resava, a center of correction, translation, and of recopy of the books.

Stefan Lazarević died suddenly in 1427, leaving the throne to its nephew Đurađ Branković. It was thereafter high with the row of saint in the Serb orthodoxe church to honor it on August 1st. The Stefan despot is buried in his monastery.

Independently of the biographical notes and its code on the mine Novo Brdo (1412), Stefan Lazarević wrote three original literary work: Sobbing engraves for prince Lazar (1389); The inscription on the marble column of Kosovo (1404); and a homage to the love (1409), a poetic epistle in homage his/her Vuk brother.

Sources

Dusan Batkovic, " History of the people serbe" , editions the age of man
Georges Castellan, History of Balkans, , editions Beech
Donald Mr. Nicol, Last centuries of Byzance, 1261-1453 , editions the Beautiful Letters

External bonds

Vladimir Ćorović: history of Serb into Serb (Latin)
Medieval Serbia, the Order of the Red Dragon (as Serb Latin)
History Illustrated into Serb (Latin)
founders of the city into Serb (Latin)
Serbia Information into Serb (Latin)

Internal bonds

History of Serbia
List of the sovereigns of Serbia

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