Despot Stefan Lazarević succeeded by his nephew Đurađ Branković (1427–1456) on the throne. Despite having three sons, due to tragic circumstances, he was succeeded by his youngest son Lazar.
Due to Đurađ’s anti-Turkish policy, the two older sons, Grgur and Stefan, were blinded on the order of Sultan Murat II while they were being held as hostages in the Anatolian city of Tokat. – The strong impression left by this cruel act is intensified by the fact that Murat II was married to Mara, Đurađ’s daughter and sister of the blinded princes, who would return to Serbia in 1444 in a prisoner exchange. – says historian Dr Boris Stojkovski.
In 1456, Lazar Branković, the last Serbian ruler, ascended the throne, receiving the title of despot from Byzantium, by marrying Helena Paleolog, niece of Byzantine Emperor John VII. Despot Lazar was also the last Serbian ruler who, before centuries of silence, worked to expand Serbian land.
After only two years of rule, despot Lazar dies, and neighboring countries see this as a favorable moment to expand at the expense of Serbia. His successors will receive this title from the Hungarian king in changed historical circumstances. The Branković dynasty left behind many endowments: Krušedol, Staro and Novo Hopovo, Đipša, Mesić Monastery…
You can watch the lecture of historian Dr Boris Stojkovski „Srem Brankovići – history and tradition“ on the YouTube channel of KCNS.
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