Dobroslav II

Not to be confused with Stefan Vojislav.
Dobroslav
"King of Slavs" (titular)
Ruler of Duklja (titular King)
Reign 1101–1102
Predecessor Constantine Bodin
Successor Kočopar
Born c. 1056
Died after 1103 (1104)
Burial Monastery of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Bojana
Dynasty Vojislavljević
Father Mihailo I
Mother Neda Monomachou
Religion Eastern Christianity

Dobroslav (Serbian Cyrillic: Доброслав; fl. 1081–1103) was the ruler of Duklja, as titular "King of Slavs", between 1101 and 1102.

Life

His life is only known from the information given in the Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja, according to which he is sometimes called Dobroslav II in modern historiography. Dobroslav was the eldest of four sons of King Mihailo I of Duklja and his second wife, a Greek.[1] Dobroslav was about 25 years old at the death of his father,[1] in ca. 1081.

Although being the eldest son, Mihailo had chosen his favourite, Constantine Bodin, to succeed him. The Venetians had rescued Bodin in 1078 from Byzantine captivity. By 1085, Bodin and his brothers had suppressed a revolt by their cousins, the sons of Mihailo's brother Radoslav in the župa of Zeta, and Constantine Bodin ruled unchallenged until his death in 1101. Dobroslav succeeded as titular "King of Slavs".

According to the Chronicle of Duklja, Dobroslav was selected by the people to become king after the death of Bodin. However, his reign was short as Vukan, Grand Prince of Rascia, along with the pretender to the Dukljan throne, Kočopar, attacked Duklja, defeating Dobroslav at the Battle of Morača. Dobroslav was overthrown and was banished to Rascia. In the meantime, the Rascian army, along with Kočopar and Vukan, took over Duklja. Kočopar wasn't able to hold his position in Duklja, and thus escaped to Zachumlia, where he died. Vladimir, Dobroslav's nephew, assumed the throne of Duklja after Kočopar's death. Dobroslav was later released from prison in Rascia and returned to Duklja. However, upon his arrivial, Vladimir imprisoned him in Scutari where he was blinded according to political mutilation.

His last years were spent at the Monastery of Saints Sergius and Bacchus (Sv. Srđa i Vakha) on the Bojana river, where he was buried.[2] He had no issue.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 John Van Antwerp Fine (1991). The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century. University of Michigan Press. pp. 230–. ISBN 0-472-08149-7.
  2. Prilozi za književnost, jezik, istoriju i folklor. 51-52. Državna Štamparija. 1988. p. 94.

Sources

Regnal titles
Preceded by
Constantine Bodin
King of Duklja
11011102
Succeeded by
Župan
Kočopar
(Rascia)
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