Zdeslav, Duke of Croatia

Zdeslav
Duke of Croatia
Reign	878–May 879
Predecessor	unnamed son of Duke Domagoj
Successor	Branimir
Died	May 879 near Knin
Dynasty	Trpimirović
Father	Trpimir I
Religion	Christianity

Zdeslav (Croatian pronunciation: [zdêslaʋ], Latin: Sedesclavus)[1] was a duke (Croatian: knez) in Croatia from 878 until his death in 879. He was from the Trpimirović dynasty.[2]

Biography

Zdeslav was the son of Trpimir I. After his father's death in 864, an uprising was launched by a powerful Croatian nobleman from Knin called Domagoj. Zdeslav was exiled along with his brothers Petar and Muncimir to Constantinople.[3] Domagoj died in 876, and was succeeded by his son. Zdeslav overthrew him in 878 with the help of the Byzantines, expelled Domagoj's sons and restored peace with Venice.[4][5] The peace, at least in the case of Croatia, would practically last until the end of 10th century.[5] He most probably acknowledged the supreme rule of Byzantine Emperor Basil I, and Dalmatia (theme) influence expanded further into land, but not much.[5]

In 879, Pope John VIII asked Duke Zdeslav for an armed escort and protection for his legate who was crossing Croatia on his way to Bulgaria, ruled by Boris I.[5] In early May 879, Zdeslav was killed by arrows near Knin in an uprising led by Branimir, a relative from Domagoj, possibly instigated by Pope John VIII fearing Byzantine power.[2] However, something like that would have happened anyway because both Byzantine and Carolingian powers diminished in the region.[5]

References

1. Stipišić, Jakov (1999). "Croatia in diplomatic sources up to the end of the 11th century". In Ivan Supičić (ed.). Croatia in the Early Middle Ages: A Cultural Survey. London, Zagreb: Philip Wilson Publishers, AGM. p. 301. ISBN 0856674990.
2. Hrvatski leksikon (1996-1997) (in Croatian)
3. Fine, John Van Antwerp (1991). The early medieval Balkans: a critical survey from the sixth to the late twelfth century. University of Michigan Press. p. 257. ISBN 978-0-472-08149-3.
4. Iohannes Diaconus: Istoria Veneticorum, p. 140 (in Latin)
5. Goldstein, Ivo (1995). Hrvatski rani srednji vijek (in Croatian). Zagreb: Novi liber. p. 256, 259. ISBN 953-6045-02-8.

Further reading

• Klaić, Vjekoslav (1985). Povijest Hrvata: Knjiga Prva, Druga, Treća, Četvrta i Peta (in Croatian). Zagreb: Nakladni zavod Matice hrvatske. ISBN 978-86-401-0051-9.

Zdeslav of Croatia House of Trpimirović  Died: 879
Regnal titles
Preceded by Domagoj's unnamed son	Duke of the Croats 878–879	Succeeded by Branimir