Balša I Explained

Balša (Serbian: Балша; sq|Balsha)^[1] or Balsha was a provincial lord of the Zeta in ca. 1362. He is the eponymous founder of the Balšić noble family.

Life

He was a nobleman and military commander during the rule of Emperor Dušan the Mighty (r. 1331–1355) but managed to expand his power after the death of Dušan (20 December 1355) and gained control of the island of Mljet. He began by taking lands previously held by Lord Žarko, in Lower Zeta (south of Lake Skadar, and is then recognized as a "provincial lord" in charters of Emperor Uroš the Weak (r. 1355–1371). In 1362 his sons defeated and killed Head of Upper Zeta Đuraš Ilijić and expanded further into Upper Zeta. He is believed to have died by this time.

He had three sons, Đurađ, Stracimir and Balša II, two of whom ruled the Principality of Zeta: Đurađ I and Balša II. He had a daughter Voisava Balsha who married Karl Thopia.^{[2] [3]}

References

Sources

• • Book: Fine, John Van Antwerp . The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest . The University of Michigan Press . Michigan . 1994 . 0-472-08260-4.
• D. Živković, Istorija Crnogorskog Naroda, 1989, Cetinje

Notes and References

1. Book: Catholicism, Culture, Conversion: The History of the Jesuits in Albania (1841-1946). 2006. Pontifical Oriental Institute (original from the University of California). 46.
2. Book: Elsie, Robert. Early Albania A Reader of Historical Texts, 11th-17th Centuries . 2003 . Harrassowitz. 978-3-4470-4783-8 . 52 . ...The aforementioned sons fled back to their country. Later on, the said Lord Charles married Lady Voisava, the daughter of Lord Balsha....
3. Book: Rudolf Künker, Fritz . The De Wit Collection of Medieval Coins Künker Auktion 137 - The De Wit Collection of Medieval Coins, 1000 Years of European Coinage, Part III: England, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Balkan, the Middle East, Crusader States, Jetons und Weights . 2008 . Numismatischer Verlag Künker. 284 . ...Karl Thopia was wedded to Vojsava, a daughter of Balsa I....