Monastery of
Visoki Dečani,
SerbiaThe account of the contemporary
John VI Kantakouzenos describes the descent of the Serbian Empire into disintegration soon after the death of Uroš' father and his accession. However, Kantakouzenos mainly focused on the Greek lands rather than the Serbian core lands. Further the general disorder along with the powerlessness of the center represents the situation that arose much later in Uroš's reign. According to Mihaljčić, during the initial years of his rule the threats to the territorial integrity of Uroš's empire in the south came mainly from external attacks. The death of Uroš's father was quickly followed by the death of
Preljub, who governed the region of
Thessaly. In the spring of 1356,
Nikephoros Orsini landed a force on the coast of Thessaly and quickly overran it. He then followed up this success by driving despot
Simeon Uroš from
Aetolia and
Acarnania. Simeon was a paternal uncle and the closest male relative of young Emperor Uroš. Retreating to Epirus and western Macedonia, he seized
Kostur and proclaimed himself Tsar in hope of becoming co-ruler, or even replacing young Uroš on the Serbian throne. His claim was not widely welcomed, and the support he gained was limited to some southern regions. The Sabor (state council) held in
Skoplje did not accept Simeon's claims and following the endorsement of the magnates, Uroš became more energetic in his political activities, publishing a number of charters. In 1358, Simeon attacked the
Skadar region, trying to capture the old Serbia region of
Zeta, but was defeated. Defeated in the north, Simeon again turned to south, retaking
Epirus and
Thessaly in 1359, where he continued to rule with the title "emperor of Serbs and Greeks". There is one account, early in his reign, that is in contrast to his general record of incompetence. In 1356, Matthew Kantakouzenos, a pretender to the
Byzantine throne, gathered an army of 5,000 Turks and marched on
Serres, the Serbian-held capital of
Jovan Uglješa. Uroš V, whose mother ruled from Serres, decided to raise an army to defend his mother. In 1357, when Matthew and his Turks attacked, the Serbian army under
Vojihna of Drama (a major player in that region) came to aid. The Turks were defeated. Matthew Kantakouzenos was captured and held hostage until his ransom was paid by the
Byzantine Emperor John V Palaiologos. In following years, the
Serbian Empire gradually fragmented into a conglomeration of principalities, some of which did not even nominally acknowledge Uroš's rule. His position was not helped by his mother Helena, who started to rule autonomously from the in alliance with
Jovan Uglješa. A similarly autonomous posture was assumed by the
Dejanović family, the
Balšić family,
Nikola Altomanović. By 1365, the most powerful Serbian nobleman became Uglješa's brother
Vukašin Mrnjavčević who became co-ruler with Emperor Uroš and was granted the title of Serbian King. By 1369, as Uroš was childless, Vukašin designated his eldest son
Prince Marko as heir to the throne, with the title of "young king". Stefan Uroš V died childless in December 1371, after much of the
Serbian nobility had been destroyed by the
Turks in the
Battle of Maritsa earlier that year. The exact cause of his death at a relatively young age remains unknown. Vukašin's son
Prince Marko inherited his father's royal title, but real power in northern Serbia was held by
Lazar Hrebeljanović. The latter did not assume the imperial or royal titles (associated with the
Nemanjić dynasty), and in 1377 accepted King
Tvrtko I of Bosnia (a maternal grandson of
Stefan Dragutin) as titular king of Serbia. Serbia proper became a vassal of the Ottomans in 1390, but remained effectively ruled by the
Lazarević family and then by their
Branković successors until the fall of
Smederevo in 1459. The exceptional modesty and tolerance of this ruler was the main reason he was called "the weak", and also the reason he was canonized 211 years after his death. Stefan Uroš V was canonized by the
Serbian Orthodox Church. His body is kept in the
Jazak monastery on
Fruška Gora mountain. ==Legacy==