Despot Đurađ Branković

Ally of the Turks

mentioned in Debrecen city (Hungary) at 1429

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durad_Brankovic
• http://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brankovics_Gy%C3%B6rgy_szerb_despota
• https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/soc.genealogy.medieval/XPwt...

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• http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SERBIA.htm#DjuradjVukovicdied1456

DJURADJ Vuković Branković, son of VUK Branković & his wife Mara Lazarević ([1375]-Semendria 24 Dec 1456). The Historia Byzantina of Michælis Ducæ Nepotis names "Georgius Wulci filius" and his mother "Maria Lazari filia et Stephani defuncti sorore"[403]. The nobles of Ragusa promised a welcome in their town for “Vlk Branković et dominæ Maræ et eorum filiis Gregorio, Georgio et Lazaro” by charter dated 9 May 1390[404]. Between 1398/1402, Sultan Bayezid I restored to him and his brother Grgur most of the lands confiscated from his father, possibly forcing him to purchase it with money which their father had smuggled out to Dubrovnik[405]. After returning to Serbia following the battle of Ankara, where he fought with the Ottomans against Timur Khan, tensions with his uncle Stefan Lazarević developed into war, but Djuradj was defeated by Stefan at Tripolje in Nov 1402[406]. “Gregorius et Georgius Branković cum matre Mara et fratre Lazaro” confirmed the privileges of Ragusa by charter dated 29 Dec 1405[407]. “Georgius, Serborum despotes” is named in a charter dated 14 Oct 1410[408], although it is unclear whether this document means that Djuradj had temporarily replaced Stefan Lazarević as ruler of Serbia or whether the latter had granted Djuradj the title despot (although he would have had no right to do so) as a mark of alliance. Whatever the true situation, “Stephanus, Serbiæ despotes” is named in a charter dated 1412[409], indicating that Djuradj had lost power if he had temporarily displaced Stefan. Djuradj was accepted as Stefan Lazarević's successor by a council of nobility held at Srebrnica, and succeeded following Stefan's death in Jul 1427, calling himself Lord [Gospodin] of Serbia[410]. He was awarded the title Despot by a Byzantine envoy in May 1429[411]. “Georgius, Serbiæ despotes” donated to “monasterio montis Atho Esphigmeni” by charter dated 11 Sep 1429, with “imagines Georgii et conjugis Irenæ et filiorum Gregorii, Stephani (et Lazari) et “filiarum Maræ et Cantacuzenæ”[412]. Immediately on his accession, he was faced with Hungarian troops invading to retake Mačva and Beograd in accordance with his predecessor's agreement with Sigismund King of Hungary and with attacks in the south by the Ottomans who retook Niš, Kruševac and Golubac and insisted on Djuradj accepting Ottoman suzerainty[413]. He installed his capital at the newly-built fortress of Smederevo at the confluence of the Morava and Danube Rivers, near Belgrade, until it fell to the Ottomans in Aug 1439[414]. By the end of the Ottoman campaign of 1439, Djuradj's only remaining Serbian territory was Novo Brdo, which fell in Jun 1441 when Serbia was annexed by the Ottomans[415]. A papally sponsored Hungarian/Serb led crusade in 1443 recaptured Smederovo, Niš and Sofija, but was turned back at Adrianople. Sultan Murad II negotiated peace terms under which he agreed to the restoration of the Serb state under Djuradj and a ten-year truce[416]. Djuradj refused to participate in the second crusade launched by the Hungarians the following year, with papal encouragement, in defiance of the agreed truce and reaffirmed his vassal ties to the Ottomans after their victory at Varna 10 Nov 1444. “Georgius, Serbiæ despotæ, et filii Gregorius, Stephanus et Lazarus” confirmed the privileges of the Ragusans by charter dated 17 Sep 1445[417]. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, many Greeks came to Serbia, Djuradj ransoming many from Turkish slavery[418]. Sultan Mohammed II attacked Serbia in 1454 and again in 1455, reducing Djurdje's control to the area north of the West Morava River. Djurdje was captured by Mihály Szilágyi and held for ransom, but died soon after his release[419]. Georgius Phrantzes records the death "anno 6965" of "Capistranus et Serviæ princeps et despota Georgius Bulcus"[420].

[m firstly ---. According to Nicol[421], the first wife of Djuradj Branković was the sister of Ioannes IV Emperor of Trebizond although he cites no source to support this. From a chronological point of view, this is unlikely to be correct as the father of Emperor Ioannes was born in 1382 and married in late 1395. There appears to be no evidence that Djuradj had a former wife[422].]

m [secondly] ([26 Dec 1414]) EIRENE Kantakouzene, daughter of THEODOROS Kantakouzenos & his wife Euphrosyne --- (-Rudnik 2 May 1457). The Masarelli Vatican manuscript names (in order) Theodora, Maria, and Eirene as the daughters of Theodoros & his wife, stating that Eirene married George of Serbia[423]. Theodoros Spandounes names "il signor Georgio Cantacusino nomato Sachatai…sua sorella Helena" as "moglie del Despoto Jurgo di Servia" but names her "Erina Cantacusina" in a later passage[424]. The manuscript Vaticanus latinus 4789 records that “le seigneur Georges Cantacuzène...et son frère le grand domestique de Constantinople” had three sisters and that they arranged the marriage of “la première...Irène au despote de Serbie”[425]. “Georgius, Serbiæ despotes” donated to “monasterio montis Atho Esphigmeni” by charter dated 11 Sep 1429, with “imagines Georgii et conjugis Irenæ et filiorum Gregorii, Stephani (et Lazari) et “filiarum Maræ et Cantacuzenæ”[426]. Georgius Phrantzes records the death 2 May in "anno 6965" of "Capistranus et Serviæ princeps et despota Georgius Bulcus…regina uxor eius"[427]. She became known as 'Prokleta [the Cursed] Jerina' in later Serbian epics[428]. It was rumoured that she was poisoned by her youngest son Lazar[429].

Djuradj & his [second] wife had [six] children: