Balšić noble family

The House of Balšić ( sr-Cyrl, Балшић), or the Balsha ( sq, Balshaj) was a noble family that ruled " Zeta and the coastlands" (southern Montenegro and northern Albania), from 1362 to 1421, during and after the fall of the Serbian Empire. Balša (), the founder, was a petty nobleman who held only one village during the rule of Emperor Dušan the Mighty (r. 1331–1355), and only after the death of the emperor, his three sons gained power in Lower Zeta after acquiring the lands of ''gospodin'' Žarko (fl. 1336–1360) under unclear circumstances, and they then expanded into Upper Zeta by murdering ''voivode'' and ''čelnik'' Đuraš Ilijić (r. 1326–1362†). Nevertheless, they were acknowledged as ''oblastni gospodari'' of Zeta in edicts of Emperor Uroš the Weak (r. 1355–1371). After the death of Uroš (1371), the family feuded with the Mrnjavčevići, who controlled Macedonia. In 1421, Balša III, on his death, passed the rule of Zeta to his uncle, Despot Stefan the Tall.

Origin

According to the testimony of the Balšićs themselves, they connect their origins with the Nemanjić dynasty. Balša II from Shkodër, in the charter to the citizens of Republic of Ragusa from January 27, 1385 said:

"... prayers and supplications of my holy ancestors Simeon Nemanja, the first myrrh-bearer of Serbia and Saint Sava ..."

There has been speculation on their origin, which some deem unknown.Rudić 2006, p. 99: "О њиховом пореклу не знамо ништа" ,, "Према Чедомиљу Мијатовићу Балшићи су пореклом били француска, односно провансалска породица. Од њих су настали италијански Балшићи, од којих потичу српски Балшићи, а од њих румунски. Ч. Мијатовић, Балшићи, генеалошка студија, 150" Apart from Mavro Orbini's tale, there are really no other accounts on their origin.Fajfric, 44. Oblasni gospodari: "O njihovom poreklu se zna veoma malo, tako da osim navoda koje je ostavio Mavro Orbin drugih podataka skoro i da nema. Postoje neki fragmentarni navodi koji ukazuju da je rodonačelnik ove porodice, Balša, zapravo rod od "cara Nemanje" te da je držao oblast Bojane (u susedstvu Skadra), no to je sve veoma nesigurno." There exist fragmental assertions that they descended from "Emperor Nemanja". There has been various opinions about the family's origin.

In modern scholarship, Lee, Lubin, Ndreca, Galaty, Mustafa and Schon consider the Balsha as local Albanian lords. According to Malcolm, the Balšići were probably of Albanian stock who had been but culturally Serbicized to a large degree. Ćirković concluded that they are of non-Slavic origin, being referred to in medieval Serbian documents as "Albanian (arbanas) lords". Hösch mentions the Balšići as native Albanian families that gained political power after 1355. Murzaku says that the family had an Albanian origin. Madgearu mentions the Balšić as a noble Albanian family, however he states that their Albanian origin is unclear, due to the debate over the family's origin. Bartl views the origin of the Balšić family as Serbian, while Elsie mentions them as of "probably Slavic origin". Gelichi considers them Serbian-Montenegrin. Winnifrith states that they were Slavs who fought other Albanians.

In archaic accounts, Karl Hopf (1832–1873) considered "unquestionably part of the Serb tribe".Slijepčević 1974, p. 43: "Према Карлу Хопфу и Балшићи и Црнојевићи »припадају без спора српскоме племену».34) Милан Шуфлај вели: »Балшићи су румунскога и влашкога подријетла;" Ivan Stepanovich Yastrebov (1839–1894), Russian Consul in Shkodër and Prizren, when speaking of the Balšići, connected their name to the Roman town of Balletium (Baleč) located near modern Shkodër which delivers from Illyrian, related to the Albanian term ballë. According to Čedomilj Mijatović (1842–1934), the Balšić family had ultimate origin in the House of Baux from Provence (southeastern France); from that family sprung an Italian family (''del Balzo''), and from them the Balšići, and from them a Romanian family. Serbian historian Vladimir Ćorović (1885–1941) concluded, based on their name, that they had Roman (Vlach) origin. Croatian ethnologist Milan Šufflay (1879–1931) mentioned them as of "Romanian and Vlach origin". Croatian linguist Petar Skok considered them to have been of Vlach origin, and Serbian historian Milena Gecić supported his theory. Giuseppe Gelcich theorized on the origin in hi
''La Zedda e la dinastia dei Balšidi: studi storici documentati'' (1899)
The theory asserting them as descendants of the Frankish nobleman Bertrand III of Baux, a companion of Charles d'Anjou is regarded as highly improbable. German linguist Gustav Weigand (1860–1930) supported a mixed Albanian-Aromanian origin after he noted that the family name was included in a list of early Albanian surnames in Romania.

History

The Balšić family was first mentioned in a charter of Emperor Stefan Uroš V, dated 29 September 1360.
According to Mavro Orbini (writing in 1601), Balša, the eponymous founder, was a petty nobleman that held only one village in the area of Lake Skadar during the rule of Emperor Dušan the Mighty (r. 1331-1355). Only after the death of the emperor, Balša and his three sons gained power in Lower Zeta after acquiring the lands of ''gospodin'' Žarko (fl. 1336-1360) and by murdering ''voivode'' and ''čelnik'' Đuraš Ilijić (r. 1326-1362†), the holders of Lower and Upper Zeta, respectively.Fajfrić, ch. 44, Oblasni gospodari: ''"Balša o kojem ćemo sada govoriti beše veoma siromašan zetski vlastelin i za života cara Stefana držao je samo jedno selo. Ali kad je umro car, a kako njegov sin Uroš nije bio valjan vladar, počeo je s nekoliko svojih prijatelja i sa svojim sinovima Stracimirom, Đurđem i Balšom da zauzima Donju Zetu." "Posle toga krenuo je sa svojim ljudima na osvajanje Gornje Zete, koju je držao Đuraš Ilijić i njegovi rođaci. Đuraša ubiše Balšini sinovi, neke njegove rođake zarobiše, a ostali napustiše zemlju. I tako su Balšini sinovi zagospodarili i Gornjom Zetom" "Isto tako pali su u njihove ruke Dukađini koji su imali mnogo poseda u Zeti. Neke su poubijali, a druge bacili u tamnicu. Pri osvajanju ovih i drugih pokrajina više su se služili lukavstvom i prevarama nego silom oružja"'' Balša dies the same year, and his sons, the ''Balšić brothers'', continue in ruling the province spanning Podgorica, Budva, Bar and Shkodër.

The Balšići managed to elevate themselves from petty nobility to provincial lords.Recueil de travaux de l'Institut des études byzantines: Volume 21 1982, "За разлику од Лазаревића, Бранковића и Драгаша, ближих или даљих рођака Немањића и потомака најугледцијих властеоских породица, први Балшићи су прави скоројевићи који су из редова ситне властеле доспели ..."

Heads

* Balša I / Balsha I. ( 1360–62)
* Đurađ I / Gjergj I. (1362–1378), ord ofShkodër
* Balša II / Balsha II. (1378–1385), ord ofShkoder and Durrës
* Đurađ II / Gjergj II. (1385–1403), ord ofShkoder, Budva, Podgorica, Durrës,
Drisht and Lezhë, ''Autokrat of Zeta and the coastlands''
* Balša III / Balsha III. (1403–1421), ord ofBar

Family tree

Simplified family tree:

*Balša I / Balsha I. ( 1360–62)
** Stracimir / Strazimir Balsha
*** Đurađ II Balšić / Gjergj Balsha II
**** Balša III / Balsha III.
**Đurađ I / Gjergj Balsha I, married Olivera Mrnjavčević (1st) and Teodora Dejanović (2nd)
***Jelisaveta / Jelisanta (d. 1443), Olivera's daughter
***Gojslava / Goisava (d. 1398), married Radič Sanković, lord of Nevesinje, Popovo Polje and Konavli
*** Jevdokija, married Esau de' Buondelmonti, the ruler of Epirus (1385–1411)
**** Giorgio de' Buondelmonti, ruler of Epirus 1411
***Konstantin / Konstantin Balsha, married Helena Thopia
**** Stefan Balšić "Maramonte" (fl. 1419–40), pretender to Zeta
***Jelena / Elena
*** Đurađ / Gjergj (illegitimate)
**** Stefan Strez Balšić
*****Ivan / Gjon
***** Gojko
**Balša II / Balsha II.
*** Ruđina / Rugjina
** Vojislava / Voisava, married Karl Topia, the "Prince of Albania", with whom she had one son, Gjergj Thopia, Duke of Durazzo, and two daughters, Helena Thopia, Lady of Krujë, married Konstantin Balšić / Konstantin Balsha, and Vojislava / Voisava

Annotations

References

Sources

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External links

Rodoslovlje, ''Balšić''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Balsic Noble Family

People of the Serbian Empire
Medieval Montenegro
League of Lezhë
Principality of Zeta