Vuk Kosaca

Serbian Duke Vuk Kosaca, commander of the army of Serbian Tsar Dusan the Strong. Founder of the large Serbian ruling family Kosaca, which ruled the upper Podrinje and Herzegovina in the second half of the 14th and until the end of the 15th century. The mowers ruled from 1350 and the first possessions around the river Drina until the fall of Novi into the hands of the conquerors.

Year of birth: 1317

Place of birth: Rudine

Father’s name: unknown (local duke from Rudin)

Mother’s name: unknown

Descendants: Serbian Duke Vlatko Vukovic Kosaca, Serbian Duke Hrana Vukovic Kosaca

Religious affiliation: Orthodox Christian

Year of death 1359

There are no data for the names of the father and mother. There is information that his father was also a duke, which indicates that he was from a famous feudal family. His father had small estates around Rudine (Rogatica – Republika Srpska). That area was constantly under attack by the Hungarian invaders, so that the Serbian population there was militarily inclined and trained. The Serbian people still live in large numbers in those areas. He managed to preserve his culture and identity. Serbian Duke Vuk Kosaca was taught military skills from an early age, so it is not surprising that he gained fame as a knight in the army of Serbian Tsar Dusan the Strong.

The religious affiliation of the Serbian duke Vuk Kosaca was the Orthodox Christian religion. The entire Kosaca family continued its religious tradition. Through historical documents, we see that the Kosaca family was completely committed to the Orthodox Christian faith. This is shown by their temples-tombs (endowments) as well as the temples of the Serbian Orthodox Church that Kosaca built. They were built according to the customs of Byzantium and Orthodoxy. That spirit and cultural flow led the Kosaca family through a long reign of 133 years, from small ducal estates around the river Drina to the whole of Herzegovina.

Records indicate that he was a very temperamental person. This characteristic will be passed down through the generations of the Kosaca clan and will result in the desire and ability to rule and expand the territories ruled by the Kosaca clan. Serbian Duke Vuk Kosaca was a passionate hunter. One day he was hunting in northern Serbia with the great feudal lord Vladislav Rasisalic.

Branko Rasisalic (great feudal family)

During the hunt, Branko Rasisalic’s servant killed the hunting dog of the Serbian duke Vuk Kosaca. Due to that incident, Vuk got into a conflict with Branko and mortally wounded him during the fight. Inflicting injuries on his groin. Branko died from his wounds, and the Serbian duke Vuk Kosaca fled to Hungary due to the revenge of the people of Rasisalic.

After a short time spent in Hungary, he went to the court of the Serbian Tsar Dusan the Strong. Due to his military skills, Serbian Tsar Dusan Silni assigns him the role of commander in his army.

The reign of the Serbian Tsar Dusan considers it the golden age of Serbian history. The period from 1332 to 1355.

The war for the conquest of Epirus and Thessaly began in 1348. During that period, the plague raged in Europe, ravaging villages and towns. It greatly influenced the conquests of the Serbian army in the wars for Epirus and Thessaly. After the capture of Thessaly, the then Dusan’s deputy became Duke Preljub. After conquering Epirus, Dusan appointed his half-brother Simeon-Sinisa as his deputy. Serbian Duke Vuk Kosaca was a very brave and dedicated commander. He achieved great success in the wars for Epirus and Thessaly. Serbian Tsar Dusan Silni greatly appreciated Serbian Duke Vuk Kosaca. By entrusting him with the role of commander of his army, Serbian Duke Vuk Kosaca justified his trust. At the court of the Serbian emperor Dusan the Strong, Vuk received the title of Serbian duke Vuk Kosaca. He left the title of Serbian leader to his descendants as a blood inheritance.

Epirus (southern Albania and northwestern Greece)

Thessaly (Fertile part of northern Greece).

During that period, the Serbian Tsar Dusan Silni occupied large territories and expanded to the Balkans. Going out on three seas (Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean). Due to the great successes on the military field, the Serbian Tsar Dusan Silni rewards the duke with large estates in the area of ​​Rudin. The Serbian Tsar Dusan Silni practically occupied the whole of Bosnia in the eighth high mountains into which the army of Ban Stefan II Kotromanic withdrew. After he ruled Bosnia, Tsar Dusan was able to reward his faithful Serbian duke Vuk Kosaca with estates around the Drina River and in his native Rudine. Serbian Duke Vuk Kosaca got practically the whole place of Rudina and its surroundings.

Serbian duke Vuk Kosaca chooses the village of Kosace near the river Drina, as the center of his estates in 1350

In the future, the Drina River will become the main core of the territory for the Kosaca family, which they will rule in the 14th and 15th centuries. The village of Kosaca abounds with many signs that indicate the existence of the rule of the Kosaca family. Even after the Turkish conquests, the Drina River will remain the nucleus around which the Kosaca family will remain alive. Proof of that is the village of Vladikovi (Foca), where the branch of Vukovic Kosaca, led by the Serbian prince Ivan Vukovic Kosaca (brother of the uncle of the duke of St. Sava Stefan Vukcic Kosaca), took refuge. Toponyms confirm the life and reign of the Kosaca family in the village of Kosaca. The toponyms are dominated by images of soldiers with equipment and religious symbols. The crosses indicate the Christian and Orthodox religious characteristics of the Kosaca family.

This will be the starting point for further conquests of Hum and Herzegovina.

After receiving estates from the Serbian tsar Dusan Silni, Serbian duke Vuk Kosaca returned to Rudine and had two sons, Serbian duke Vlatko Vukovic Kosaca and Serbian duke Hrana Vukovic Kosaca.

At that time, the surname was given by his father’s name, so Vlatko and Hrana got the surname Vukovic. In the period from 1350 to 1359, the Mowers formed their nobility with a state system. At that time, the crowns of the Bosnian king Tvrtko I were still subordinated. They had a high degree of autonomy, which they inherited and worked to expand. A non-aggression agreement was made with the feudal family of Rasisalic. For a short period, that agreement was respected.

However, in 1359, one of Rasisalic’s relatives killed the Serbian duke Vuk Kosaca in an ambush and in a cruel way. At that time, the Kosaca family did not have a ruler, and that part to lead the duchy belonged to the eldest son of the Serbian duke Vlatko Vukovic Kosaca. It will turn out in the future that the Serbian duke Vlatko Vukovic Kosaca (lord of Hum, Dabar and the upper Podrinje) will manage to expand the territory of the future Principality of Herzegovina to historical borders and that it will last for a long period of time. We can freely say that it began with its final expansion in 1392 to Travunija, Hum and Konavle and large Dalmatian cities. When we summarize, we can freely say that the Serbian duke Vlatko Vukovic Kosaca won, the Serbian duke Sandalj Hranic shaped Kosaca, the duke of St. Sava Stefan Vukcic Kosaca stabilized the Principality of Herzegovina.

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