After Emperor Dušan's death (1355), Gropa was a local ruler in the district of Ohrid. Prior to the Battle of Maritsa, Gropa was a vassal to the Mrnjavčević family; The "King of Serbia" Vukašin Mrnjavčević (r. 1365 – died 1371), held Western Macedonia as a co-ruler to Emperor Stephen Uroš V of Serbia (r. 1355 – died 1371).