Mihailo Višević

Mihailo Višević was a medieval ruler of Zachlumia. He reigned from 910 till 930/940.

Family background

According to tradition, Mihailo Višević descended from a Slavic tribe (as such before moving to the Balkans) known as the "Litziki", generally from the upper strims of the modern-day river of Vistula (Visla) in Poland. The Litziki became sort of "warlords" of Zachlumia. Mihailo's father, Viš, reigned over Zachlumia, till his death, passing over rulership to Mihailo.

Expansion during the Serbo-Bulgarian conflicts

In 912, Mihailo kidnapped the Venetian Doge Orso II Participazio's son, Pietro Badoer, who was returning to Venice from Constantinople and sent him to Symeon, Tsar (Emperor) of Bulgaria, as a sign of loyalty. Mihailo generally maintained a pro-Bulgarian foreign policy hoping that that will help him to restore power in his realm.

In 917, there was a secret meeting between Prince Petar and Byzantine Dyrrachian strategos Lion Rabduch, somewhere in a palace in the Narentine frontier (Pagania). Byzantium was trying to gather the Magyars and Serbs into a massive coalition against the Bulgarians in order to destroy them. As a further attempt, Višević found out about this and informed Symeon about the meeting, who quickly acted to first subdue Serbia placing a friendly ruler, braking the potential alliance. Petar's cousin Pavle Branović was put to the throne by the Bulgarians. In 923, he quickly changed from pro-Bulgarian to pro-Byzantine, so the Bulgars once again replaced the Serbian ruler, this time with Zaharija Pribislavljević.

During the reigns of the weak Pavle and Zaharije, it is believed that Mihailo not only factually strengthened as ruler of his own land, but also further expanded his realm throughout coastal Serbia. In 924, Serbia wanted to loosen dependence from Bulgaria, so the Bulgarians ravaged wars onto Serbia. In the end, they finally succeeded in totally abolishing and annexing Serbia, rather than maintaining a form of vassal-state. This, giving full-scale independence to Prince Mihailo, also convinced him of the Bulgarian threat - Symeon simply continued to successfully conquer everything.

Croatian alliance

In 924 and 925, Mihailo closed by to Croatia, seeing a threat in Bulgarian expansion. He was recorded on the two Ecclesiastical Councils in Split as a representer of Serbs and as the master of the Bishopric of Ston. He went into an alliance with Tomislav I of Croatia against Bulgaria; this also meant eligious subjection to Rome (to the Archbishopric of Split). This led contemporary Croatian historians to consider that Zachlumia was a Croatian vassal-state.

Growth in power

As the Bulgarians got weaker, he saw a great power in the Balkans in Byzantium, so he began to return to it. In 926 he crossed the Adriatic with his navy and conducted the greatest success in his reign - on 10 July 926, he conquered the Italian City of Siponte, greatly jeopardized by Arab and Langobard intruders. As a reward, he received numerous Byzantine titles including 'patrikios' and 'hypatos', under Byzantine sovereignty recognized as the Viceroy of the region, becoming, after 927 and 928, the most powerful ruler in the Adriatic region.

Aftermath of his death

After his death, Zachumlia collapsed and was never longer a powerful and distinct realm. The overpowering influence of Prince Časlav Klonimirović, who from the hinterland of Zeta, slowly regained all of Serbia, including Zachlumia.