History of Vojvodina - Slavs

Slavs

Slavs (Severans, Abodrites, Braničevci, Timočani, and Serbs) settled in the territory of present-day Vojvodina in the 6th and 7th centuries AD, but pockets of Romanized population remained in the area. Serbs were recorded in northern Banat from the year 567. In the beginning of the 9th century, Syrmia was for the short time part of the state of Ljudevit Posavski (Pannonian Duchy or Pannonian Croatia) and after the Frankish conquest of the region, the Bulgarian Empire conquered its eastern part.

In the 9th century, the territory of present-day Vojvodina became a part of the Bulgarian Empire. Salan, a Bulgarian voivod (duke), ruled the territory of Bačka, and his capital city was Titel. Another Bulgarian voivod, Glad, ruled in Banat. His descendant was Ahtum, a voivod of Banat, the last ruler who opposed the establishment of the Kingdom of Hungary. Ahtum was an Orthodox Christian.

In the 11th century, the ruler of Syrmia was Sermon, a vassal of the South Slavic emperor Samuil, who ruled from Ohrid. Sermon produced his own golden coins in present day Sremska Mitrovica. After the Slavic Empire was defeated by the Byzantine Empire, Sermon was captured and killed because he chose not to co-operate with the new authorities.