Jovan Dragoslav

Dragoslav ( sr-cyr, Драгослав) or Jovan Dragoslav (Јован Драгослав; 1290–1315) was a Serbian nobleman with the titles of ''kaznac'', and then '' veliki kaznac'', serving King Stefan Milutin (r. 1282–1321). The ''kaznac'' was a financial-taxation office, translated into Latin '' camerarius'' (chamberlain). In the hierarchy of the Serbian court, ''kaznac'' ranked higher than '' stavilac'' and ''čelnik'', and lower than ''tepčija'' and '' vojvoda'', the supreme title. He was part of the generation of Serbian nobility that were empowered in the early 14th century.

Dragoslav served as ''kaznac'' in the area of Skopje, mentioned in ca. 1300, then was elevated to ''veliki kaznac'' some time prior to 1315. According to P. Grujić, he first served Milutin in ca. 1290 as ''sluga'', became ''kaznac'' in ca. 1300, then ''veliki kaznac'' in ca. 1315. P. Grujić stressed that his career started as ''sluga'' (a special court office, similar to ''stavilac''), mentioned in a confirmation of Ragusan privileges. Ferjančić was unsure of this, while the Serbian Institute of Byzantinology now agrees that Dragoslav began his rise on Milutin's court as ''sluga''. In 1300, he was mentioned along his wife ''kyra'' Jelena, and at that time held the region of Sušica which was around Žegligovo. He donated a vineyard, called Mavrovo, to the Monastery of St. George near Skopje, as part of Milutin's endowments. He founded the Church of the Virgin Hodegetria in the village of Mušutište, near Prizren, together with his wife, son and daughter in 1315. Dragoslav had acquired good master artists for his church. In an inscription in the church, his elevated title of ''veliki kaznac'' is mentioned — this meant that he was the supreme court administrator of state assets. According to Svetislav Mandić, he later had the title of '' despot''. It was possibly given to him by Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos (r. 1272–1328). Mandić also believes that he received the name Jovan from the church (as did Jovan Oliver), of a special honorable character, and was not born with it. According to some, Dragoslav married Teodora, the mother of Stefan Dušan and former Queen consort, sometime between 1322 and 1326, and thence received the title of ''despot''.

His church was destroyed with explosives in 1999 by ethnic Albanians.

See also

* Dragoš (fl. 1290s), ''veliki župan'' of Stefan Milutin
* Novak Grebostrek (fl. 1312–14), ''veliki vojvoda'' of Stefan Milutin

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dragoslav, Jovan
14th-century Serbian nobility
People of the Kingdom of Serbia (medieval)
Kosovo Serbs
13th-century births
14th-century deaths
Kaznac