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'Balša III' (1387 - 28 April 1421, Belgrade) was the fifth and last ruler of Zeta from the House of Balša, from April 1403 - May 1421. He was the son of Đurađ II. His wife was Mara, the granddaughter of the Balša Family rival, Karl Thopia.

Contents

Reign

See also

Reign

In April 1403, Đurađ II's 17-year old son, Balša III, inherited the rule of Zeta as his father died in consequence of the injuries suffered in the Battle of Gračanica. As he was young and inexperienced, his main advisor was his mother, Jelena, a sister of the ruler of Serbia at the time, Stefan Lazarević. Under the influence of his mother, Jelena, Balša III reverted the order of the state religion, passing the law whereby declaring Christian Orthodox as the official confession of the state, while Catholicism became a tolerant confession.
Balsa III continued the politics of his father. In 1418, he conquered Shkodër from the Venetians, but lost Budva. In the next year, 1419, he made an unsuccessful attempt to recapture Budva. He went to Belgrade to ask for help from Stefan Lazarević, but never returned to Zeta. In 1421, before his death and under the influence of his mother Jelena, he passed the rule of Zeta to his uncle, Despot Stefan Lazarević.

See also

★ House of Balšić

★ Principality of Zeta