Balša III

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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.

[edit] 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.

Balša III waged a 10-year war against Venice. In 1405, Ulcinj, Bar and Budva were seized by the Venetians. Balša then became a vassal to the Ottoman Turks. In 1409, however, Venice had purchased the rights to Dalmatia from Ladislas of Naples and began fighting for control of Dalmatian cities. After a huge effort, Balša seized Bar from the Venetians in 1412. Venice, pressed with difficulties, had no choice but to agree to return territories it had previously seized. ^[1]

Balša had waged a new war against Venice, which was connected to the war with the Hungaians and the Turks. In 1418, he conquered Shkodër from the Venetians, but lost Budva and Luštica with its salt works. In the next year, 1419, he made an unsuccessful attempt to recapture Budva. He went to Belgrade to ask for aid 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.