The Grand Principality of Serbia (Serbian: Великожупанска Србија / Velikožupanska Srbija), also known by the anachronistic exonym Rascia (Serbian: Рашка / Raška), was a medieval Serbian state that existed from the second half of the 11th century up until 1217, when it was transformed into the Kingdom of Serbia. After the Grand Principality of Serbia emerged, it gradually expanded during the 12th century, encompassing various neighbouring regions, including territories of Raška (Serbian Cyrillic: Рашка; Latin: Rascia), modern Montenegro, Herzegovina, and southern Dalmatia. It was founded by Grand Prince Vukan, who initially served as the regional governor of the principality (c. 1082), appointed by King Constantine Bodin. During the Byzantine–Serbian wars (c. 1090), Vukan gained prominence and became a self-governing ruler in the inner Serbian regions. He founded the Vukanović dynasty, which ruled the grand principality. Through diplomatic ties with the Kingdom of Hungary, Vukan's successors managed to retain their self-governance, while also recognizing the supreme overlordship of the Byzantine Empire, up to 1180. Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja (r. 1166–1196) gained full independence and united almost all Serbian lands. His son, Grand Prince Stefan was crowned King of Serbia in 1217, while his younger son Saint Sava became the first Archbishop of Serbs, in 1219.
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Serbian Grand Prince in the context of Saint Sava
Saint Sava (Serbian Cyrillic: Свети Сава, romanized: Sveti Sava, Serbian pronunciation: [sʋɛ̂ːtiː sǎːʋa]; 1169 or 1174 – 14 January 1235), known as the Enlightener or the Illuminator, was a Serbian prince and Orthodox monk who became the first Archbishop of the autocephalous Serbian Church. He was also a writer, diplomat, and the founder of Serbian law.
Sava, born as Rastko Nemanjić (Serbian Cyrillic: Растко Немањић), was the youngest son of Serbian Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja (founder of the Nemanjić dynasty), and ruled the appanage of Zachlumia briefly in 1190–92. He then left for Mount Athos, where he became a monk and took the monastic name Sava (Sabbas). At Athos he established the monastery of Hilandar, which became one of the most important cultural and religious centres of the Serbian people. In 1219, the Patriarchate exiled in Nicea recognized him as the first Serbian Archbishop, and in the same year, he authored the oldest known constitution of Serbia, the Zakonopravilo nomocanon, thus securing full religious and political independence. Sava is regarded as the greatest figure of Serbian medieval literature and author of the first Serbian "biography". Specifically, he wrote the life of his father, the Serbian ruler Stefan Nemanja.
Serbian Grand Prince in the context of Uroš II, Grand Prince of Serbia
Uroš II (Serbian Cyrillic: Урош II) was Serbian Grand Prince from c.1145 to 1162, with brief interruptions as ruler by Desa, his brother. His rule was characterized by a period of power struggle, not only of the Serbian throne between the brothers but between the Byzantine Empire and Kingdom of Hungary, of which he took advantage. He had two brothers Desa and Beloš, and a sister Helena of Serbia, Queen of Hungary. Furthermore, Uroš II also had to contend with the Second Norman invasion of the Balkans (1147-1149).
Some researchers have proposed that several events (1162), narrated by John Kinnamos in reference to the grand prince Primislav (Serbian Cyrillic: Примислав), who is also known as Prvoslav (Serbian Cyrillic: Првослав), should be attributed to Uroš II, but those assumptions are not accepted by other scholars who hold that Primislav/Primislav was brother or cousin Uroš II.