Hello Gavran,

There is not a lot of information about him on the internet. We will in due time add the Montenegrin department of pedigree's to our system but I don't have direct access at the moment. I don't know where you live and if you have access to a state archive library?

Hello,

Sorry I didn't answer to U're question, I was on the trip to Italy... Anyway, I live in Serbia, Belgrade actually, so if U know where I could direct my search here, it would be of great help. I checked the internet, and found very little of Mihailo III, just as U said. I found one version of 'Letopisi popa Dukljanina', where the old monk talks of St. Vladimir, duke Stefan Vojislav and his five sons, of Mihailo (king) and his son Konstantin Bodin in detail, and then all the way to Gradinja, Radoslav and Desa (who took Zeta and Zahumlje of Radoslav) but of the period after Radoslav and Desa I found rather skinny info. Almost nothing. To be honest, I don't know if monk wrote of the times after Radoslav at all, or to what year his letopis goes; I only know that it was written in the last years of XII century. Mihailo III should be Radoslav's son or close kin (or else I'm terribly wrong:() - I doubt that he could've succeded Desa. Now, how did Vukan took (I supose he took it) the throne of Duklja of Mihailo in 1186.,that's what I'd like to know. For there are some indications that say that Mihailo died three years later, in 1189. I'm sure U know more of this. Thanks for patience.

Yours,Gavran

Gavran,

You could check with the central archives in Belgrade at Karnegija to see what they hold. Otherwise you would need to go to Montenegro and do research there in the archives. The Letopis popa Dukljanina holds parts but not all information. Even with works from that time you always need to verify its origin.

It is difficult though the find out the legal aspects of succession from those days. Most of the families were related to each other in some way and not all actions are documented. If they were some were lost or repressed for various reasons. The main problem is that in our region the archives haven't been microfilmed, so you are stuck in going through each bookwork of that era by hand.

You can stop looking on the internet, there isn't much there on this specific topic.

One of the ways the Nemanjids were good rulers is that they knew how to "control" the local lords. It was needed because the Byzantines wanted to take over control, if it wasnt them it would be the Bulgarians.

Sergej,

Well, I know that Stefan Nemanja freed Duklja of Byzantines in 1186, and that from that year it became part of Nemanjids state - it is possible that Mihailo III just gave up the throne in Vukan's favour, or was put aside by court quarrels, but what happened to him after 1186.? I supose that's lost forever. I will check Karnegija though, there may be something of use... How should I formulate my search? Should I ask for Letopisi popa Dukljanina, or for some sort of Duklja's history? Or maybe Montenegrian history? Any particular book you can think of that I should first look into?

Gavran

Gavran,

It came with a price indeed. Serbs were charactirised by having different entities as you know. This was also their weakness, ever since the Unknown Archont died there was division. The Nemanjids wanted to reunite the old entity this made different deals with the local lords.

When you go to Karnergija just ask for documents from that era related to the polity. Dont look for Montenegro, that name didnt excist then and the concept we use today of statehood didn't excist then, it was more a family matter

Sergej,

Xe, xe, I know Montenegro didn't excist at that time, I meant - should I look for the history of Montenegro region, or something like that, even if it didn't always bear that name. U know how Montenegrians, pardon, Dukljans now talk of Duklja. Sorry, I shouldn't be talking like that. Anyway, thanks for everything, I'll look into those documents at Karnegija on monday and see what I can find out. If I'm stuck again, I'll let U know:)

My regards, Gavran.