Last Decades of the State of Duklja (Dioclia)

The last two rulers of the State of Duklja were knez (Prince) Radoslav and his son, veliki knez (Grand Prince) Mihailo, both belonging to the Vojislavljević dynasty. The reign of Prince Radoslav began around 1142, while the reign of Grand Prince Mihailo concluded no later than 1186. During this period, the state of Duklja struggled for its survival. Its primary adversary was Raška, while Byzantium served as its principal ally. Little is known about these relations, as well as the personalities and events from this period, owing to the scarcity of sources and historians’ limited interest in this topic. This paper examines the most significant events of the final period of the State of Duklja based on the available sources and literature.