Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
First Slavic Kingdoms
In the 7th centry the Bulgarians created the first Slavic state in the Balkans. By the 9th
century the Bulgarian Prince Boris was advocating that the Slavonic language be used for
the church liturgy. The subsequent spread of the Cyrillic script allowed various other
Slavic kingdoms to grow as entities separate from Byzantium.
One such polity was Raška, a group of Serbian tribes that came together near Novi Paz-
ar (in modern Serbia) to shake off Bulgarian control. This kingdom was short-lived, being
snuffed out by Bulgarian Tsar Simeon around 927, but not before Raška recognised the
Byzantine emperor as sovereign, further speeding the spread of Christianity in the region.
Soon another Serbian state, Duklja, sprang up on the site of the Roman town of Doclea.
Under its leader Vladimir, Duklja swiftly expanded its territory to take in Dubrovnik and
what remained of Raška. By 1040 Duklja was confident enough to rebel against Byzantine
control, expand its territory along the Dalmatian coast and establish a capital at Skadar
(modern Shkodra in Albania). Around 1080 Duklja achieved its greatest extent, absorbing
present-day Bosnia. This zenith was temporary, however, as civil wars and various in-
trigues led to its downfall and power shifted back to Raška during the 12th century.
The legacy of the Raška state can be seen in the Church of the Dormition in Reževići Monastery, founded
by Stefan Nemanja, and Morača Monastery, founded by his grandson. Raškan royals feature in church
frescoes throughout the country.
