Desa Urošević

Desa
Grand Prince (Veliki Župan) of Rascia
Reign	1150-1153 (Co-ruler of Rascia) 1153-1155, 1162-1166 (Rascia) 1148-1162 (Duklja)
Titles	Prince (Župan) of Pomorje (Dessa Dioclie, Terbunie et Zacholmie dux)
Royal House	House of Vukanović (Urošević)
Father	Uroš I of Rascia
Mother	Anna Diogene

Desa Urošević Vojislavljević or Desa of Serbia (Serbian: Деса) was the Serbian Župan of Duklja (Zeta and Travunija, Primorje) (1148-1162), Co-ruler of Serbia 1149-1153, Grand Župan of Serbia (Zahumlje and Rascia) 1153-1155 and 1162-1166. He was given the region of Dendra, near Niš.^[1]

In 1148 Desa attacked Radoslav of Duklja and took over Duklja with Travunia and became the Župan of the coastal Principalities (Primorje) under his older brother Uroš II of Serbia. Radoslav continued to rule Kotor, the south-west of Duklja.^[2]

His brother Uroš II Primislav ruled Rascia alone from 1140 until the battle of Tara river against the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I in 1150, when the Byzantine defeated the Serbs and Hungarians. Uroš II was spared and Desa was instated as co-ruler along with Uroš.^[1] He is mentioned in Venetian charters from 1150 as a Prince of Duklja, Travunija and Zahumlje, and again in 1151.^[3]

In 1153 a dispute between the two brothers resulted in Desa and the Rascian court ousting Uroš II. Byzantine Emperor Manuel I intervened and re-instated Uroš II in 1155, deposing Desa.^[2][4]

He tried to make diplomacy with Hungarian king Frederick.^[5] In the summer of 1165, Manuel I sent an army to pursuit Desa.^[6] Desa was granted a safe meeting with Manuel I and was escorted by a bodyguard. Desa gave oaths to Manuel I in a public humiliation after being tried in Constantinople on his diplomacy with Hungary. Manuel put Tihomir on the throne in 1166.^[1][7]

Some have concluded that Desa was the father of Stefan Nemanja, this however is disputed among other theories.^[7]

Ancestry

Desa Urošević House of Vojislavljević
Regnal titles
Preceded by Uroš II	Grand Prince of Rascia Co-ruler with Uroš II 1149–1153	Succeeded by Uroš II
	Grand Prince of Rascia Only ruler of Serbia 1153–1155
	Grand Prince of Rascia 1162–1166	Succeeded by Tihomir
Royal titles
Preceded by Radoslav Byzantine vassal	Duke of Primorje Duklja and Travunia 1148-1162	Succeeded by Mihailo III as King of Duklja Grdeša as Župan of Trebinje

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500-1250
2. ^ ^{a b} The early medieval Balkans
3. ^ http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/BOSNIA.htm#_Toc283713263
4. ^ Byzantium's Balkan frontier: a political study of the Northern Balkans, 900-1204
5. ^ The empire of Manuel I Komnenos, 1143-1180
6. ^ O city of Byzantium: annals of Niketas Choniatēs
7. ^ ^{a b} The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century

Persondata
Name	Urosevic, Desa
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