The Great Emperor of the Serbian People - Dusan the Mighty

THE MILESTONES OF THE RULE OF LAW

Born at the turn of the fourteenth century at Nemanjic's court, he soon understood the cruelties of those in power and the toll it took. He saw his grandfather blinding his own father to be able to succeed to the throne and in his early childhood he felt the dire consequences of what it meant being exiled from his own country. Dusan and his family were made to flee the country and leave for Constantinople and this harsh measure would prove to be a turning point and a decisive moment in the future creation of a great conqueror and a ruler. Dusan was flabbergasted by the great city which at the time was the European capital in every sense of the word. He at the time used to broaden his horizons by teaching Greek, law, theology and ancient philosophers , acquiring education and erudition along with learning about the practice of warfare. Upon his return to Serbia, his father becomes king and in so doing he inadvertently helps the history repeats itself, Dusan soon would overthrow his father from the throne and many will cast blame upon him for his incarceration. During one decade, the new king conquered Byzantine territories and extended the borders of the empire - for his new capital he seems to have chosen Skopje, in the now Macedonia. In this city he was proclaimed to be the Tzar and in so doing beginning to rule his empire. At that time, Serbia became the largest exporter of silver in Europe, money is being minted and entered into common use, this time also brought forth the famed Code of Law which laid the foundations of the state rule of law. The Patriarchate of Vaseljenska outraged by his coronation and proclamation of Serbian Archpatriarchy, casts anathema on the Serbian Church and rendering Dusan unable to ever be proclaimed a saint.

Personification of a powerful warrior and knight

Not everybody could have earned the nickname - the Mighty -. Dusan, tall in height , broad shouldered, long hair and broad-chinned was the image of a powerful medieval warrior and knight. He died a sudden death sadly, at the peak of his power and might, and the reasons for his untimely death were never unravelled. Dusan the Mighty was succeeded by his son Uros the Weakling, and from that moment on, the Serbian Empire began to emerge first only to decline sooner than it was created which only goes to reinforce the old saying:’ It is not difficult to conquer an empire, but it is difficult to preserve it’. Today, the remains of the greatest Serbian military and political ruler lie in the St. Mark's Church in Belgrade.

THE LIVES OF SERBIAN MEDIEVAL RULERS

Want to learn more about Dusan The Mighty? In the book Dušan silni from Luka Mičeta, you will find much more than this. Discover who were the knights of Dusan Silni and how they made possible the victory on Velbuzd. Read more about medieval Serbia in this insightful series Život srpskih srednjovekovnih vladara that you can find in your favorite online shop Serbianshop.

Explore More:

• Visit Visoki Dečani Monastery
  
• Exploit the exclusive book edition of Dušan's Code at serbianshop.com
• Visit the church of St Mark in Belgrade to see the emperors Dušan sarcophagus and relics
• Explore "The Coronation of Emperor Dušan" by Paja Jovanović at the National Museum in Belgrade.
• Explore our Car Dušan collection here.

Watch our video on Dušan the Emperor here: 

https://youtu.be/AZ0wSAPv2Kw