Stefan II Crnojević

Stefan II Crnojević
Lord of Zeta
Coat of arms
Reign	1496–1499
Predecessor	Đurađ Crnojević
Successor	post abolished
Noble family	Crnojević
Father	Ivan Crnojević
Mother	Goisava Arianiti
Born	1469[1]
Died	1499 Scutari, Sanjak of Scutari, Ottoman Empire
Religion	Eastern Orthodoxy

Stefan Crnojević (Serbian: Стефан Црнојевић, 1469–1499), or Stephen II^[2] was a ruler of the Principality of Zeta between 1496 and 1499.

Conspiring with Ottomans against Đurađ

Until 1496, the ruler of Zeta had been Stefan's older brother Đurađ Crnojević, who maintained frequent correspondence with other Christian feudal states with intention to establish an anti-Ottoman coalition. When his brother Stefan betrayed him to the Ottomans in 1496,^[3] Đurađ proposed to accept Ottoman suzerainty under Feriz Beg, if they accepted to recognize him as governor in Zeta. Feriz Beg refused the proposal and invited Đurađ to either come to Scutari to clarify his anti-Ottoman activities, or to flee Zeta. When Feriz Beg attacked Zeta with strong forces in 1496, Đurađ decided to flee to the Republic of Venice.^[4]

Lord of Zeta

Stefan remained in Zeta hoping that the Ottomans would accept his suzerainty, but they only used him in order to easier gain control over his domains.^[5] Stefan was lord of Zeta only nominally, while Ottomans collected taxes from its population.^[6] In 1497 Feriz Beg captured Grbalj and put it under his effective military control, although it was still part of Zeta governed by Stefan Crnojević.^[7] In 1499 Feriz Beg formally annexed Zeta to the territory of his Sanjak of Scutari,^[7][4] after he became suspicious toward Stefan because of his contacts with Venice. Feriz Beg then invited Stefan Crnojević to Scutari, where he had him imprisoned. Stefan probably died in prison since he was never mentioned again in historical sources.^[8] According to some authors, after his brother had fled Zeta, Stefan was only an Ottoman spahi, who in 1499 went to Hilandar and became a monk, taking the monastic name Marko.^[9]

Ancestry

Ancestors of Stefan II Crnojević

16. Radič Crnojević               8. Đurađ Đurašević                       4. Stefan I Crnojević                             9. Jelena                       2. Ivan Crnojević                                   20. Pal Kastrioti               10. Gjon Kastrioti                       5. Mara                             11. Voisava Tripalda                       1. Stefan II                                         12. Komnen Arianiti                       6. Gjergj Arianiti                             3. Gojislava or Voisava                                   7. Maria Muzaka

References

1. Lovrenović 2005, p. 94.
2. John Bagnell Bury (1923). The Cambridge medieval history. University Press. p. 587. Meanwhile, Montenegro was governed by Stephen II till 1499
3. društvo 1935, p. 194.
4. Jovanović 1947, p. 52.
5. Gavrilović 1981, p. 429.
6. Glasnik 1969, p. 31.
7. Pavle S. Radusinović 1978, p. 44.
8. Марковић 1969, p. 154.
9. Kalezić 2002, p. 2083.

Sources

• društvo, Cetinjsko istorijsko (1935). Zapisi; Glasnik cetinjskog istorijskog društva.
• Jovanović, Jagoš (1947). Stvaranje Crnogorske države i razvoj Crnogorske nacionalnosti: istorija Crne Gore od početka VIII vjeka do 1918 godine. Obod.
• Марковић, Томаш (1969). Историја школства и просвјете у Црној Гори. Завод за издавање уџбеника Социјалистичке Републике Србије.
• Glasnik (1969). Istorijski Glasnik.
• Pavle S. Radusinović (1978). Stanovništvo Crne Gore do 1945. godine: opšta istorijsko-geografska i demografska razmatranja. Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti.
• Gavrilović, Slavko (1981). Istorija srpskog naroda. Srpska književna zadruga.
• Kalezić, Dimitrije M. (2002). P - Š. Savremena administracija.
• Lovrenović, Dubravko (2005). Fojnički grbovnik. Rabic.