Radič Crnojević ( sr-cyr, Радич Црнојевић, 1392–1396) was a lord of the
Crnojević family who maintained a domain in Upper Zeta. Radič later expanded his domain to parts of Lower Zeta, including
Grbalj,
Paštrovići and
Budva
Budva (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Будва, or ) is a town in the Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro. It had 27,445 inhabitants as of 2023, and is the centre of Budva Municipality. The coastal area around Budva, called the Budv ...
. Radič was a son of
Crnoje Đurašević.
Life
Radič revolted against the
Balšići who ruled the Lordship of Zeta. Radič frequently jeopardized the city of
Kotor
Kotor (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian language, Italian: ), is a town in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has ...
, maintaining bad relations with them. Radič also had maintained close relations with the
Republic of Ragusa
The Republic of Ragusa, or the Republic of Dubrovnik, was an maritime republics, aristocratic maritime republic centered on the city of Dubrovnik (''Ragusa'' in Italian and Latin; ''Raguxa'' in Venetian) in South Dalmatia (today in southernmost ...
, and was granted
Venetian citizenship on 30 November 1392.
The Zetan lord, Đurađ II, had problems that arose due to Zetan battles involving the Ottomans which Radič used to become independent of the Zetan lord. In late 1392, Đurađ II kidnapped the
sanjak-bey of
Skopje
Skopje ( , ; ; , sq-definite, Shkupi) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It lies in the northern part of the country, in the Skopje Basin, Skopje Valley along the Vardar River, and is the political, economic, and cultura ...
.
[Istorijski leksikon Crne Gore, 2.dio: ''Crnojevići''] Radič, with the help of his brothers Stefan and Dobrivoje, used this event to take control of Budva, as well as Saint Michael's Metohija,
in 1392 from the Balšići, thus becoming the Master of Budva. Radič ruled Budva till his death in 1396.
Radič also led an expedition in
Lezhë, seizing it from the
Dukagjini's, expelling them in the process. However, Radič's reign was very temporary as the Dukagjinis retook Lezhë in early 1393.
Death
In late April 1396, Radič and his brother Dobrivoje had made a significant move against Lord
Đurađ II (Balšić) of Zeta. They took the region of Grbalj and laid siege to Kotor. Unable to take the town, the council of Kotor agreed to pay him tribute. Đurađ became disliked by the Orthodox Christian commonfolk by these events. The Orthodox Crnojevići's takeover was welcomed by the people, resulting in Paštrović's crossing over to Radič's side. On 25 April or May 1396, the duo moved to battle Đurađ himself. This was a grave mistake as Đurađ's forces completely defeated the Crnojevići and killed Radič, managing to get a hold over a part of the Crnojević domain. Duke
Sandalj Hranić took the opportunity to conquer Budva after Radič's death, as well as marrying his widow, Jelena.
Jovan Markuš: Genealogy of the Crnojević family
Family
Radič married Jelena, of unknown origin. They had the following issue:
*Đurađ
Đurađ ( sr-Cyrl, Ђурађ, ; ) is a Serbian masculine given name, derived from the Greek ''Georgios''. It is also transliterated as Djuradj.
It is, along with the variant '' Đorđe'', the equivalent of the English '' George''. It was wides ...
(fl. 1413–1435), lord of Paštrovići and voivode of the Serbian Despotate
* Aleksa "Lješ" (fl. 1413–1427), lord of Paštrovići and voivode of the Serbian Despotate
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crnojevic, Radic
14th-century Serbian nobility
Radic
1396 deaths
Serbs of Montenegro
Year of birth unknown
14th-century births
14th-century Venetian people