Stefan Prvovenčani (lit. meaning: Stephen the first-crowned) or Stefan II, Nemanja (Стефан Првовенчани, Стефан II, Немања) (d. September 24 1228) was the ruler of the Serbian state of Raška who managed to promote it to the status of kingdom and to establish a long lasting ruling dynasty of Nemanjić.

Stefan Prvovencani was the second eldest son of the Grand Župan Stefan Nemanja, younger brother of Vukan who ruled over Zeta and older brother of Rastko Nemanjić (known as Saint Sava) who became the founder of the independent Serbian Orthodox Church. He inherited the title of Grand Župan in 1196 when his father retired as a monk.

His reign began with a struggle against Vukan, who expelled Stefan from Serbia with Hungarian support. Stefan turned to King Kaloyan of Bulgaria, who gave him an army of Cumans in exchange for eastern Serbian territories. The crisis ended when Sava negotiated a peace between the two brothers and Stefan's power was cemented. The Pope granted him the title of the King of Raška in 1217 resulted from his skillful diplomacy and persuasion. However, after Sava managed to gain an archbisphoric from the Greek patriarch, he crowned Stefan as an Orthodox King of the Serbs in 1219 and the Catholic Church made no further gains in Serbia.

See also: List of Serbian monarchs - History of Serbia

Source

• The Catholic Encyclopedia (1907) article at http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13732a.htm
• A Concise Historical Atlas of Eastern Europe