Uroš II
Grand Prince of Serbia
Uroš II (Serbian: Урош II) was the Serbian Grand Prince from c.1145 to 1162. A member of the Vukanović dynasty and son of Uroš I, he ruled a Serbia which was dependent on the politics of the neighbouring powers of the Byzantine Empire and Kingdom of Hungary. Uroš II sought to rid Serbia of Byzantine supremacy, as his father had tried, and relied on his brother Beloš, the most influential at the Hungarian court through the dynastic marriage of their sister Jelena with Stephen II (r. 1116–1131) that produced Hungarian king Géza II (r. 1141–1162). Using the opportunity when Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos fought the Normans, Uroš II revolted and raided Byzantine territory, which resulted in two Byzantine campaigns against Serbia in 1149–1150 which ended with Byzantine victory and renewal of vassal obligations. He swore fealty once again in 1153 after a planned rebellion, and was ousted in 1155 by the pro-Hungarian faction in Serbia that chose Desa, the youngest brother of Uroš and Beloš. Manuel however supported Uroš II and he was reinstated, ruling for many years as loyal to Byzantium, until another rebellion in 1162 led to his removal.
Early life
Uroš II was the oldest son of Uroš I (r. 1112–1145). He was born before 1115. The identity of his mother remains unknown; Serbian chronicles mention Ana as the wife of Beli Uroš ("White Uroš"). He had two younger brothers, Beloš and Desa, and two sisters, Jelena and Marija.
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