District of Branković
The District of Branković (Serbian: Земља Бранковића, Zemlja Brankovića) or Vuk's land (Serbian: Вукова земља, Vukova zemlja) was one of the short lived semi-independent states that emerged from the collapse of the Serbian Empire in 1371, following the death of the last Emperor Uroš the Weak (1346-1371). The founder of this realm was Vuk Branković, the son of sebastokrator Branko Mladenović who governed Ohrid under Stefan Dušan the Mighty (1331-1346). Through Vuk's marriage with Mara, the daughter of Moravian Serbia's Prince Lazar, he was given substantial lands to govern in Kosovo.
District of Branković Земља Бранковића Zemlja Brankovića | |||||||||
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| 1371–1412 | |||||||||
 Flag
.svg.png) Coat of arms
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 Realm of Brankovic | |||||||||
| Capital | Vučitrn | ||||||||
| Common languages | Serbian | ||||||||
| Religion | Serbian Orthodox Church | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| Lord (Gospodin) | |||||||||
• 1371–1396 | Vuk Branković | ||||||||
• 1396–1412 | Đurađ Branković | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Dissolution of the Serbian Empire | 1371 | ||||||||
| 1412 | |||||||||
| Currency | Serbian perper | ||||||||
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The Realm of Branković was located in the largest part of today's Kosovo. Vuk also governed areas in Raška (including the old Serbian capital Ras) and lands in Polimlje in present-day northern Montenegro, as well as Skoplje. After the death of Đurađ I Balšić of Zeta, Vuk captured cities of Prizren and Peć and the area of Metohija.[1] The most important cities in Vuk's Realm were Priština, Prizren, Peć, Skopje and Ras, as well as the rich mining settlements of Novo Brdo, Trepča, Janjevo, Gluhavica and others.[2]
The semi-independent lordship ceased to exist as such with the establishment of Serbian Despotate by Stefan Lazarević. Still, the Branković yielded a very significant amount of power in the state, controlling most of Serbia's extremely rich ore extraction sites. Đurađ Branković inherited the title of Serbian despot as Stefan died childless.
References
- Fine, John Van Antwerp (1994) [1987]. The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press. p. 389. ISBN 0-472-08260-4.
- M. Ćirković, Vuk Tošić, The Serbs,Wiley-Blackwell, 2004,p.79