Деспот Стефан Лазаревић и "господин" Ђурађ Бранковић
Despot Stefan Lazarević and "Sir" Djuradj Branković

Summary/Abstract: The relations between the Despot Stefan Lazarević and “Sir” Đurađ Branković had two different phases between 1397 (the death of Vuk Branković) and 1427 (the death of Stefan Lazarević). In the first phase, which lasted until 1411, these relations were hostile. Upon his return from the Angora battle, in 1402, the Despot imprisoned his nephew Đurađ. At the end of that same year, there was an armed conflict between the Lazarevićs and the Brankovićs in Kosovo. They had different policies during the first decade of the 15th century: the Despot was closer to the Hungarians, while the Brankovićs remained the Sultan's faithful vassals. Vuk's inheritors supported the 1409 rebellion of Vuk Lazarević against his brother. However, while taking part in Turkish intercorridors, “Sir” Đurađ experienced hardship, and even struggled to save his own life. That is why in 1411 he made peace with his uncle Stefan, effectively submitting to his authority. However, each one of them continued ruling his own region. They had different status. In the Branković lands, Turks had territorial oases, and took various forms of revenue. They had no such rights in the Lazarević lands, so Despot Stefan's revenue was much higher. As the Despot inherited Zeta in 1421, two years later, he left war and negotiations with Venice to his nephew Đurađ. Numerous documents from Venice show that Đurađ negotiated in 1423 in the name of the Despot Stefan. Already in 1424, he started speaking in his own name, and began to claim to be the lord of the parts of Zeta annexed to the Serbian state. This shift was more pronounced in the next year, and in 1426, he included his children in contracts with Venice. Venice documents also indicate that the state assembly in the mining Srebrenica, where Đurađ was officially presented as the inheritor of the Despot Stefan, took place in 1424 or 1425.

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