Braničevci and Timočani, together with other tribes of the frontier, revolted and seceded from Omurtag's Bulgaria because of an administrative reform that deprived them of much of their local authority.[2][3] They left the association (societas) of the Bulgarian Empire and sought, together with many other Slavic tribes, protection from Holy Roman EmperorLouis the Pious, meeting him at his court at Herstal.[4]
819–822
Ljudevit Posavski leads an uprising against the Franks (819). According to the Royal Frankish Annals, (written 822), Ljudevit went from his seat in Sisak to the Serbs somewhere in western Balkans – the Serbs are mentioned as reportedly holding the great/large part of Dalmatia ("Sorabos, quae natio magnam Dalmatiae partem obtinere dicitur").[5][6][7][8]
around 822
Radoslav is succeeded by his son Prosigoj.
822
Braničevci and Timočani and other frontier tribes come under Frankish rule.[9]
Timok and Branicevo would be of dispute between the Franks and Bulgars, the Khan sent embassies in 824 and 826 seeking to settle the border dispute, but was neglected.[11][12] The Bulgarian Empire subsequently annex the region again.
827
Omurtag invades Frankish Croatia using boats sailing from the Danube up the Drave, spreading destruction. The Slavs and other tribes on its banks were cowed into submission, and agreed to accept Bulgar governors.[13]
by 836
It is thought that the rapid extension of Bulgars over Slavs to the south prompted the Serbs to unite into a state under Vlastimir.[14]
Vlastimir united several Serbian tribes,[15] and Emperor Theophilos (r. 829–842) probably granted the Serbs independence,[16] thus the Serbs acknowledged nominal overlordship of the Emperor.[14]
ca 839
In c. 839 Doge of VenicePietro Tradonico headed with a large fleet towards the Narentines. They subsequently made peace and renewed a treaty, that would stop the piracy against the Republic of Venice.[17] They however, shortly thereafter, plundered the Venetian borders under the leadership of Uneslav and Diodor.[18]Ljudislav, the Narentine ruler that defeated Doge Pietro in 840, was possibly a co-ruler or successor of Drosaico.[19]
839–842
KhanPresian I of Bulgaria[20] (r. 836–852) invades Serbian territory between 839–842 (see Bulgarian–Serbian Wars). The invasion led to a 3-year war, Vlastimir was victorious;[21] Khan Presian made no territorial gain, was heavily defeated and lost many of his men as the Serbs had a tactical advantage in the hills,[22] Presian was driven out by the army of Vlastimir.[23] The war ended with the death of Theophilos in 842, which released Vlastimir from his obligations to the Byzantine Empire.[24]
Soon after 846, with the end of the Thirty Years’ truce, Malamir (or Presian) invaded the regions of the Struma and the Nestos, Empress-Regent Theodora answered by attacking Thracian Bulgaria.[22] A brief peace was concluded, then Malamir proceeded to invade Macedonia.[14][22] The Bulgarians soon annexed Ohrid, Bitola and Devol.[23]
Vlastimir dies. He is succeeded by his sons: Mutimir, Strojimir and Gojnik. Mutimir holds the supreme power.
853/854
The Bulgar Army led by Vladimir, the son of Boris I of Bulgaria, invaded Serbia in an attempt for vengeance for the previous defeat of Presian 839–842 against Vlastimir. The Serbian Army was led by Mutimir and his brothers, which defeated the Bulgars, capturing Vladimir and 12 boyars.[30] Boris I and Mutimir agreed on peace (and perhaps an alliance[30]), and Mutimir sent his sons Pribislav and Stefan to the border to escort the prisoners, where they exchanged items as a sign of peace, Boris himself gave them "rich gifts", while he was given "two slaves, two falcons, two dogs, and 80 furs".[31]
before 869
Mutimir sent envoys to Byzantine EmperorBasil I, asking him to baptize the lands.[32] He put Serbia under the suzerainty of the Byzantine Empire.[32]
869
The Saracens attacked Ragusa in 869.[33] The Ragusians asked Basil I for help, which he answered, sending a large flotilla with his admiralNiketas Ooryphas.[33] Ooryphas manages to add the neighbouring tribes of Zahumlje, Travunia and Konavli (Serbian Pomorje) in the operation.[33] The tribes were to aid with both fleets and land forces.[33]
The pagan Narentines sacked a ship with emissaries returning from Constantinople, which enraged Basil I, resulting in him sending a fleet, subsequently subduing them.[33]
By 871
Serbia is accounted Christian as of about 870.[34]
after 871, before 878
The first Serbian bishopric was founded at the political center at Ras, near modern Novi Pazar on the Ibar river.[34] The initial affiliation is uncertain, it may have been under the subordination of either Split or Durazzo, both then Byzantine.[34] The early church of Saint Apostles Peter and Paul at Ras, can be dated to the 9th–10th century, with the rotunda plan characteristic of first court chapels.[35] The bishopric was established shortly after 871, during the rule of Mutimir, and was part of the general plan of establishing bishoprics in the Slav lands of the Empire, confirmed by the Council of Constantinople in 879–880.[35][36]
An internal conflict among the dynastic brothers resulted in Mutimir banishing the two younger brothers to the Bulgarian court.[30][37] He kept Petar in his court, for political reasons.[38] Petar soon fled to Croatia.[37] The reason of the feud is not known, however, it is postulated that it was a result of treachery.[38]
Pribislav only ruled for a year when Petar returned in 892, defeating him in battle and seizing the throne, Pribislav fled to Croatia with his brothers Bran and Stefan.[30]
In 896, Klonimir returns from Bulgaria, backed by Tsar Boris, and invades Serbia, taking the important stronghold Dostinika (Drsnik, in Klina[42][43]). Klonimir was defeated and killed.[44]
Principality of Lower Pannonia's temporary holdings included territory in the east of the Danube [47] and in the south of the Drava,[47][48] i.e. parts of present-day central Hungary (between Danube and Tisa), northern Serbia (Bačka, west Syrmia) and eastern Croatia (west Syrmia, east Slavonia).
Second half of the 9th century
The seal of Strojimir (died between 880–896), the brother of Mutimir, was bought by the Serbian state in an auction in Germany. The seal has a Patriarchal cross in the center and Greek inscriptions that say: "God, help Strojimir (CTPOHMIP)".[49][50]
^Eginhartus de vita et gestis Caroli Magni, p. 192: footnote J10
^Serbian Studies. Vol. 2–3. North American Society for Serbian Studies. 1982. p. 29. ...the Serbs, a people that is said to hold a large part of Dalmatia
^Djokić, Dejan (2023). A Concise History of Serbia. Cambridge University Press. p. 61. ISBN9781107028388. 'a people that is said to hold a large part of Dalmatia'. This was a reference to the ancient Roman province of Dalmatia, which extended deep into the western Balkan interior, from the eastern Adriatic coast to the valleys of the Ibar and Sava Rivers.
^Encyclopædia Britannica: a new survey of universal knowledge, Volume 20, p. 341: "the eastern provinces (Branichevo, Morava, Timok, Vardar, Podrimlye) were occupied by the Bulgars."
^(Božidar Ferjančić), „Vizantijski izvori za istoriju naroda Jugoslavije II“ (fototipsko izdanje originala iz 1959), Beograd, 2007. ISBN978-86-83883-08-0 (str. 62)
^Grupa autora, „Istorija srpskog naroda I“ , Beograd, 1981. (str. 148)
^ abDe Administrando Imperio, ch. 29 [Of Dalmatia and of the adjacent nations in it]: "...the majority of these Slavs [Serbs, Croats] were not even baptized, and remained unbaptized for long enough. But in the time of Basil, the Christ-loving emperor, they sent diplomatic agents, begging and praying him that those of them who were unbaptized might receive baptism and that they might be, as they had originally been, subject to the empire of the Romans; and that glorious emperor, of blessed memory, gave ear to them and sent out an imperial agent and priests with him and baptized all of them that were unbaptized of the aforesaid nations..."
^Relja Novakovic, Gde se nalazila Srbija od VII do X veka (Where Serbia was situated from the 7th to 10th centuries) [Serbia, Belgrade: Narodna knjiga, 1981], pp. 61–63.
Fine, John Van Antwerp (1991). The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century. Michigan: The University of Michigan Press. ISBN0-472-08149-7.
