Serbs - History

History

Further information: History of Serbia and History of the Serbs

The Serbs are a Slavic people, specifically of the South Slavic subgroup, which has its origins in the 6th and 7th century communities developed in Southeastern Europe (see Great Migration). Slav raids on Eastern Roman territory are mentioned in 518, and by the 580s they had conquered large areas referred to as Sclavinia. In 649, Constantine III relocates conquered Slavs "from the Vardar" to Gordoservon (Serb habitat). Among communities part in the Serb ethnogenesis are the Romanized Paleo-Balkan tribes of Illyrians, Thracians and Dacians, Celts, Greek colonies and Romans.

In 822, the Serbs are mentioned as "inhabiting the larger part of Dalmatia" (Serbian lands), and Emperor Constantine VII (r. 913–959) writes in his work "De Administrando Imperio" about the Serbs, mentioning the White Serbs that "migrated from Βοϊκι" and formed a principality, as well as an early chronological list of Serbian monarchs starting from the 7th century. The Serbs subsequently developed a Byzantine-Slavic culture, like the neighbouring Bulgarians (who derive their ethnonym from the Turkic Bulgars, founders of their state). The establishment of Christianity as state-religion took place around 869 AD, during the rule of Emperor Basil I (r. 867–886). The Serbian Orthodox Church was established in 1219. By the time of the Serbian Empire, the Serbo-Byzantine cultural sphere had besides the initial territories in Central Balkans, much of the Macedonia region and Epirus.

The Battle of Kosovo in 1389 (see Ottoman wars in Europe and Serbian–Ottoman wars) marked the beginning of the fall of the Serbia, and prompted several migrations of Serbs from their lands in the south towards the Christian lands in the north of the Ottoman borders, crossing the Danube and Sava rivers to Central Europe (today's Vojvodina, Slavonia, Transylvania and Hungary proper). The Great Serbian Migrations refers to the relocation of peoples in two waves in the 17th century of tens of thousands Serbian families. Apart from the Habsburg Empire, thousands were attracted to Imperial Russia (Nova Serbia and Slavo-Serbia).

Serbian refugees and military served in great European armies, and were the progenitors or instrumental in several foreign military structures: Hussars (light cavalry in Hungary and Poland), Seimeni (infantry in Moldavia and Wallachia), Stratioti (light cavalry mercenaries in southern and central Europe, 15th - 18th c.), Uskoks, etc. They were also part of official ranks, such as the Serbian Militia, a branch of the Austrian army under Leopold I. The Serbs, in times of Ottoman occupation, organized several revolts and guerilla units, planned both inside and outside the Ottoman borders. The Hajduks, who were brigands and freedom fighters, have retained an important part in Serbian identity. The Serbian Revolution was fought from 1804-1815, and resulted in the liberation of Serbia.