Serbia under the Vlastimirovic dynasty[edit]

Main article: Principality of Serbia (medieval)

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The White Serbs, a Slavic people, specifically of the South Slavic subgroup, hav
e their origins in the 5th to 7th century communities developed in Southeastern
Europe (see Great Migration). Slav raids on Eastern Roman territory are mentione
d in 518, and by the 580s they had conquered large areas referred to as Sclavini
a (transl. Slavdom, from Sklavenoi
S??a?????, the early South Slavic tribe which
is eponymous to the current ethnic and linguistic Indo-European people).[12]
The Serb Archonty c. 850.
Prince Vi eslav (fl. 768 814), the first known Serbian monarch by name, ruled the he
reditary lands ( upanias, counties) of Neretva, Tara, Piva, and Lim. He managed to
unite several tribes into the Serbian Principality. Vi eslav was succeeded by his
son Radoslav and then Prosigoj, during which time "the Serbs inhabit the greate
r part of Dalmatia" (Royal Frankish Annals, 822). At this time, there was peace
with the eastern neighbors, the Bulgars, who had begun to expand their territory
significantly. Prosigoj's son, Vlastimir, further expanded the realm, which pro
mpted the Bulgars, who had already taken parts of Macedonia, to invade in 839. T
he invasion led to a three-year-war, which ended in 842, with a decisive Serbian
victory. The Bulgars were driven out and Vlastimir expanded to the west and sou
th; meanwhile, the Bulgars had taken most of what is today Eastern Serbia. Vlast
imir's son Mutimir (r. 851 891) managed to defeat the Bulgars once again in 834 835,
also capturing the son of the Bulgar Khan. The Serbs and Bulgars concluded peac
e, and the Christianization of the Slavs began; by the 870s the Serbs were bapti
zed and had established the Eparchy of Ras, on the order of Emperor Basil I. The
remaining years well into the 920s were characterized by dynastic wars between
the branches of the Vlastimirovic dynasty.
Petar Gojnikovic managed to defeat his cousin, the reigning Prince Pribislav Mut
imirovic, in 892. Petar was recognized by the Bulgars, now the greatest power in
the Balkans, although the peace was not to last; the Byzantines had sent an env
oy to Serbia promising greater independence in return for Petar leading an army
against the Bulgars. A Bulgarian ally, Michael Vi evic, who had seen a threat in P
etar during the latter's conquering of Bosnia and Neretva, heard of the possible
alliance and warned the Bulgarian Tsar, who later sent a protege, Pavle Branovi
c, to rule Serbia. In the meantime, Zaharija Pribislavljevic was sent by the Byz
antines to take the Serbian throne. He was, however, captured by Pavle and sent
to Bulgaria. Pavle was now approached by the Byzantines, thus Zaharija was indoc
trinated by the Bulgars. Pavle planned an attack on Bulgaria, but Tsar Simeon wa
s warned, and dispatched Zaharija with an army, promising him the throne if he d
efeated Pavle, which he did. Zaharija soon resumed his Byzantine alliance, also
uniting several Slavic tribes along the common border to revolt against the Bulg
ars, and several Bulgarian generals were beheaded, their heads sent to Constanti
nople as a symbol of allegiance. In 924 a large army led by Caslav Klonimirovic,
the second cousin, was sent by the Bulgars, which ravaged Serbia, forcing Zahar
ija into exile. Instead of instating Caslav, the Bulgars annexed Serbia 924 927.
Caslav took the throne in 927, with the death of the Bulgar Tsar, and immediatel
y put himself under Byzantine overlordship. Eastern Christian (Orthodox) influen
ce greatly increased and the two maintained close ties throughout his reign. He
enlarged Serbia, uniting the tribes of Bosnia, Herzegovina, Old Serbia and Monte
negro (incorporated Pagania, Zahumlje, Travunia,[13] Konavle, Bosnia and Rascia
into Serbia, ? Se???a).[14] He took over regions previously held by Michael Vi evic
, who disappeared from sources in 925.[13] The De Administrando Imperio describe
s his realm: the shores of the Adriatic Sea, the Sava river and the Morava valle
y as well as today's northern Albania.

After Caslav's death, the realm crumbled; local nobles restored the control of e
ach province. Soon the Croats, Bulgarians and Byzantines annexed the Serbian ter
ritories. The written information about the first dynasty ends with the death of
Caslav.[15] The Catepanate of Ras was established between 971 976, during the rul
e of John Tzimiskes (r. 969 976). A seal of a strategos of Ras has been dated to T
zimiskes' reign, making it possible for Tzimiskes' predecessor Nikephoros II Pho
kas to have enjoyed recognition in Rascia.[16][17] The protospatharios and katep
ano of Ras was a Byzantine governor named John.[18] Data on the katepano of Ras
during Tzimiskes' reign is missing.[19] Byzantine military presence ended soon t
hereafter with the wars with Bulgaria, and was re-established only ca. 1018 with
the short-lived Theme of Sirmium, which however did not extend much into Rascia
proper.[16]
In the 990s, Jovan Vladimir emerged as the most powerful Serbian ruler. With his
court centered in Bar on the Adriatic coast, he had much of the Serbian Pomorje
('maritime') under his control including Travunia and Zachlumia. His realm may
have stretched west- and northwards to include some parts of the Zagorje (inland
Serbia and Bosnia) as well. Vladimir's pre-eminent position over other Slavic n
obles in the area explains why Emperor Basil II approached him for an anti-Bulga
rian alliance. With his hands tied by war in Anatolia, Basil II required allies
for his war against Tsar Samuel, who had much of Macedonia. In retaliation, Samu
el invaded Duklja in 997, and pushed through Dalmatia up to the city of Zadar, i
ncorporating Bosnia and Serbia into his realm. After defeating Vladimir, Samuel
reinstated him as a vassal Prince. Following Basil's conquest of Bulgaria in 101
8, Serbia passed under Byzantine rule again.