page_title: Dejan (magnate)
section_title: Uroš V's reign
hierarchical_section_title: Dejan (magnate) / Life / Uroš V's reign
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of the Serbian Empire in 1360 with territories of local rulers. Српски / srpski: Мапа Српског царства 1360. године са територијама локалних владара.
context_page_description: Dejan was a Serbian magnate who served Emperor Stefan Dušan as sevastokrator, and Emperor Uroš V as despot. He was married to Emperor Dušan's sister Teodora, and possessed a large province in the Kumanovo region, east of Skopska Crna Gora. It initially included the old župe of Žegligovo and Preševo. Uroš V later gave Dejan the Upper Struma river with Velbužd. Dejan built the Zemen Monastery, among others, and reconstructed several church buildings throughout his province.
  Dejan was one of the prominent figures of Dušan's reign and during the fall of the Serbian Empire after Dušan's death. Dejan is the progenitor of the Dejanović noble family, with his two sons, despot Jovan and gospodin Konstantin, also becoming powerful during the fall of the Serbian Empire and the ensuing Ottoman period.
context_section_description: Dejan received the title of despot sometime after August 1355, either from Emperor Dušan, who died on 20 December 1355, or from his heir Uroš V, most likely the latter. During the rule of Uroš V, Dejan was entrusted with the administration of the territory between South Morava, Pčinja, Skopska Crna Gora (his hereditary lands) and in the east, Upper Struma river with Velbužd (Kyustendil), a province notably larger than he had possessed during Dušan's life. This province was located in the very heart of the Balkans, and the important Via de Zenta, a trade route connecting the Adriatic with the interior of the Balkans, crossed it.  As the only despot, Dejan held the highest title in the Empire (this had earlier been the veliki vojvoda, Jovan Oliver). Dejan's daughter Teodora married Žarko, the lord of Lower Zeta, in 1356.
  Serbian historian M. Blagojević supported the view in historiography that Dejan also served as logotet (fl. 1362–1365), mentioned as the envoy of Emperor Uroš alongside ćesar Grgur in the peace talks with the Republic of Ragusa, which had been at war with Vojislav Vojinović in southern Dalmatia. The peace was concluded on 22 August 1362, in Onogošt (Nikšić), and the Emperor's charter confirmed the "old laws" and other laws regarding the Ragusans. Dejan and Grgur each received 100 ducats.
  Until Vojislav's death in December 1363, the Serbian nobles in the Greek lands showed themselves more ambitious, as they held more titles and greater independence (deriving from their more extensive possessions, and therefore, wealth) in relation to the nobility of the old Serbian lands. While Vojislav lived, his influence secured the preeminence of the old Serbian nobility. After Vojislav's death, Vukašin Mrnjavčević, who had previously served Emperor Dušan as a župan (count, holder of a župa, a "county" or "district") of Prilep, quickly gained a decisive influence on Emperor Uroš V. The nobility in the old Serbian lands was not at first alarmed at this, but Vukašin's ambition and his subsequent power moves woke up the simmering antagonism between the two groups. It was not only Vukašin's endless ambition that led to his success, as he had plenty of support from other nobles who benefited from him.
  It is not known for certain when Dejan died, as no Serbian or foreign sources have been found with information that could give historians clues to which year he died. S. Mandić said it may have been as early as 1358, and that Vukašin, who until then was veliki vojvoda, took Dejan's place as despot, and in turn Jovan Uglješa became veliki vojvoda. V. Ćorović believed it to have been sometime after the death of Vojislav (1363). M. Rajičić concluded that it was between 1366 and 1371, as he believed Jovan Oliver to have held his lands at least to 1366, and based on that the Pčinja pomenik (memorial book) said that Dejan had died after Jovan Oliver (this is refuted by S. Mandić). S. Mandić also believed that it was unlikely that Dejan took monastic vows before his death, as his children were still young. His wife Teodora took monastic vows as Evdokija and lived in Strumica and Velbužd, and she would until her death sign as basilissa (Empress), as did: Ana-Marija, the wife of Jovan Oliver; Marija, wife of despot Toma Preljubović; and Jefimija, the wife of Uglješa.
  Dejan built and reconstructed several churches and monasteries throughout his province, including the Zemen Monastery and the lost Arhiljevica Church. His two sons Jovan and Konstantin later became rulers of his domain.
caption: Map of the Serbian Empire in 1360 with territories of local rulers
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