Časlav | |||||
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archon (ἄρχων) | |||||
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Prince of Serbia | |||||
Reign | c. 927 – c. 960 | ||||
Predecessor | Zaharija | ||||
Successor | possibly Tihomir | ||||
Born |
before 896 Preslav, Bulgaria |
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Died |
c. 960 Sava banks |
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Dynasty | Vlastimirović dynasty | ||||
Father | Klonimir | ||||
Religion | Christianity |
Full name | |
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Časlav Klonimirović Vlastimirović |
Vlastimirović dynasty | |||
Časlav (Greek: Τσασλάβο, Serbian Cyrillic: Часлав ; c. 890s – 960) was Prince of the Serbs from c. 927 until his death in c. 960. He significantly expanded the Serbian Principality when he managed to unite several Slavic tribes, stretching his realm over the shores of the Adriatic Sea, the Sava river and the Morava valley. He successfully fought off the Magyars, who had crossed the Carpathians and ravaged Central Europe, when they invaded Bosnia. Časlav is remembered, alongside his predecessor Vlastimir, as founders of Serbia in the Middle Ages.
Časlav was the son of Klonimir, a son of Strojimir who ruled as co-prince in 851–880. He belongs to the first Serbian dynasty, the Vlastimirovićs (ruling since the early 7th century), and is the last known ruler of the family.
After the death of Prince Vlastimir, Serbia was ruled as an oligarchy by his three sons:Mutimir, Gojnik and Strojimir, although Mutimir, the eldest, had supreme rule.
In the 880s, Mutimir seized the throne, exiling his brothers and Klonimir, who was Strojimir's son, to the Bulgar Khanate; the court of Boris I of Bulgaria. This was most likely due to treachery. Petar, the son of Gojnik, was kept at the Serbian court of Mutimir for political reasons, but he soon fled to Croatia.