Vakasin and the Balsha Family of Montenegro
I have been sharing my interest in the Balsha family of early Montenegro, who became regional rulers after the breakup of the Serbian empire. Previously, I shared some of the history about the family, and I also showed you some creative writing I was doing with a character named Theodora.
Theodora is interesting because she was the niece of the Serbian ruler “Dushan the Mighty” (Dushan was her mother’s brother), and she became married to a nobleman in Zeta (which is what Montenegro was called at the time). Later on, she became married to one of the Balsha brothers. She is an interesting character because she makes us speculate about her marriage to Durad Balsha. Were they in a relationship before her first husband passed away, or did Durad Balsha marry her in order to take her property? And what about her son Merksa? Did she have him with Zarko or with Durad? This is kind of private stuff, but it’s the kind of stories writers focus on.
Vukasin of Serbia
In today’s post, I want to focus on another historical figure who is important to the Balsha family story: Vukasin Mrnjavcevic. Vukasin was another regional ruler (in the Macedonia area), and he eventually came to co-rule Serbia with Dushan’s son, Stefan Uros.
Eventually, Vukasin and Stefan Uros drifted apart, and they became enemies. I don’t know the history very well, but I think it’s because Vukasin was trying to position himself as the future leader of Serbia. Stefan Uros did not have any children, so Vukasin proclaimed his son Marko as the heir to the kingdom. I think this upset Stefan Uros, and the two fell apart.
Over time, Stefan Uros joined forces with one of his father’s supporters, Nikola Altomanovic. Nikola’s uncle was a military leader for Dushan the Mighty, and he had also become a strong regional ruler. Stefan Uros also joined with Prince Lazar. Prince Lazar is very, very famous; he eventually became the Serbian ruler who stood up against the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Kosovo. At this time, though, he was a young regional nobleman who was trying to expand his political influence in the north.
Stefan Uros, Nikola Altomanovic, and Prince Lazar united against Vukasin and his brother in battle, but Vukasin defeated them. This is another interesting story. Nikola became injured, and Prince Lazar retreated from battle because he thought the battle was lost. But Nikola (and some historical legend) suggested that Prince Lazar betrayed Nikola by backing down from the fight. Later on, at the Battle of Kosovo, there would be legends and speculation that Prince Lazar was similarly betrayed in battle.
Vukasin and Balsha Family
What does all of this history about Vukasin have to do with the Balsha family?
Two of the Balsha brothers, Stracimir and Durad, were married to Vukasin’s daughters. Since we know that Durad was also married to Theodora, I am wondering what happened with this marriage. Did Durad dump Vukasin’s daughter in order to marry Theodora - perhaps because of the opportunity to inherit new territory and save face with their son Merksa? Or, is the chronology the other way around? Maybe Durad dumped Theodora once Stefan Uros (her cousin) lost power, and he became married to Vukasin’s daugher in order to become aligned with someone more influential.
The order of Durad’s marriages helps tell a story. If he dumped Vukasin’s daughter for Theodora, then it’s kind of a love match, though he also could have married her to take her property. But, if he dumped Theodora for Vukasin’s daughter, then it comes across as a political marriage.
Durad’s relationship with Vukasin’s daughter also influences the relationship of Stracimir and his wife. These family relationships continue to become more complicated and interesting, and as a creative writer and novelist, I think I can create some interesting stories about them.
At one point, the Balsha brothers try to expand their principality by attacking Durres, which was controlled by the Albanian leader, Karl Thopia. Vukasin promised to send military support to the Balsha brothers, but he was called away by his brother to fight against the Ottomans. Unfortunately for him, the Ottomans launched a surprise attack, and totally defeated Vukasin’s much larger army. Both Vukasin and his brother were killed, as well as many noble Serbian fighters, and this was a major, history-altering defeat for Serbia. It also allowed Prince Lazar to expand his influence unopposed.
Here is a YouTube video about this event, which is known as the Battle of Maritsa.
How to Write This History?
Historical non-fiction is kind of easy to write. But it’s difficult to incorporate into a novel. As I write about the story of the Balsha family, I want to include some of this bigger military and political history about Dushan the Mighty, Stefan Uros, Vukasin, Altomanovic, the Ottomans, and more.
But how do I do that?
Creative writing books tell students not to add too much historical background into the novel. I guess that means that my characters would have to join the battle, but the Balsha family didn’t fight in these battles. Yet, the history of the battles is fun to read, and I want to include it in my novel. So, this is something I am trying to figure out as a writer.
One area of promise I think is going to be the relationships of the Balsha brothers with their wives, Vukasin’s daughters, among the broader context of the political and military leaders at that time. Another area of promise is going to be how Vukasin inspires and supports the Balsha brothers to expand their regional influence.
We’ll see how this story turns out together. Stay tuned.
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My name is Lirim Neziri, and I am an educator and a writer. I love to read and learn, and this newsletter (which I call Lirim’s Learning Club) lets me share interesting things I am learning. I write about History, Literature, Writing, Education, Technology, Leadership, and Personal Productivity. Please join my learning adventure.