Mihailo Vojislavljević in the context of "Duklja"

⭐ In the context of Duklja, Mihailo Vojislavljević’s acquisition of the papal title “King of Slavs” primarily signified…

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⭐ Core Definition: Mihailo Vojislavljević

Mihailo Vojislavljević (Serbian Cyrillic: Михаило Војислављевић) was a medieval Serbian king and the ruler of Dioclea (Duklja), from 1046 to 1081, initially as a Byzantine vassal holding the title of protospatharios, then after 1077 as nominally serving Pope Gregory VII, styled as "King of the Slavs". He had alienated himself from the Byzantines when he supported the Bulgarian Uprising of Georgi Voyteh, after which he then sought to gain support in the West. In 1077 he received royal insignia by Gregory VII in the aftermath of the Church schism of 1054.

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👉 Mihailo Vojislavljević in the context of Duklja

Duklja (Serbian Cyrillic: Дукља; Greek: Διόκλεια, romanizedDiokleia; Latin: Dioclea) was a medieval South Slavic state which roughly encompassed the territories of modern-day southeastern Montenegro, from the Bay of Kotor in the west to the Bojana river in the east, and to the sources of the Zeta and Morača rivers in the north. First mentioned in 10th– and 11th-century Byzantine chronicles, it was a vassal of the Bulgarian Empire between 997 and 1018, and then of the Byzantine Empire until it became independent in 1040 under Stefan Vojislav (fl. 1034–43) who rose up and managed to take over territories of the earlier Serbian Principality, founding the Vojislavljević dynasty. Between 1043 and 1080, under Mihailo Vojislavljević (r. 1050–81), and his son, Constantine Bodin (r. 1081–1101), Duklja saw its apogee. Mihailo was given the nominal title King of Slavs by the Pope after having left the Byzantine camp and supported an uprising in the Balkans, in which his son Bodin played a central part. Having incorporated the Serbian hinterland (known as Grand Principality of Serbia, and anachronistically as Raška) and installed vassal rulers there, this maritime principality emerged as the most powerful Serb polity, seen in the titles used by its rulers ("Prince of Serbia", "of Serbs"). However, its rise was short-lived, as Bodin was defeated by the Byzantines and imprisoned; pushed to the background, his relative and vassal Vukan became independent in Raška, which continued the fight against the Byzantines while Duklja was struck with civil wars. Between 1113 and 1149 Duklja was the centre of Serbian–Byzantine conflict, with members of the Vojislavljević as protégés of either fighting each other for power. Duklja was then incorporated as a crown land of the Grand Principality of Serbia ruled by the Vukanović dynasty, subsequently known as Zeta, remaining so until the fall of the Serbian Empire in the 14th century.

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Mihailo Vojislavljević in the context of Constantine Bodin

Constantine Bodin (Bulgarian and Serbian: Константин Бодин, Konstantin Bodin; fl. 1072–1101) was a medieval king and the ruler of Duklja, the most powerful Serbian principality of the time, from 1081 to 1101, succeeding his father, Mihailo Vojislavljević (r. 1046–1081).

Born in peaceful times, when the South Slavs were subjects of the Byzantine Empire, his father was in 1072 approached by Bulgarian nobility, who sought aid in their revolt against the Byzantines. Mihailo sent them Bodin, who was crowned Bulgarian tsar under the name Peter (Bulgarian: Петър, Petŭr); he is therefore sometimes enumerated as Peter III (Петър ІІІ) as tsar. Bodin joined the short-lived revolt, being captured the following year after initial success. He was freed in 1078, and upon the death of his father in 1081 he succeeded to the throne of Dioclea. Having renewed his acknowledgement of Byzantine overlordship, he soon sided with their enemies, the Normans, which resulted in a Byzantine invasion and his capture. Although he quickly had himself freed, his reputation and influence waned. He was pushed aside by one of his governors, Vukan, who continued the struggle against the Byzantines.

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