NEW FACTION: Duklja (SERBIA)

[Son of Fire]

Done and done...

[popovic]

1. Name the faction Raska or better yet Serbia. That is the name under which it was known throughout most of the medieval period.
2. Duklja (Docleia) was the first "official" Serbian kingdom. Their kings called themselves "kings of Serbs", and that is the title and the function they were generally accepted with until today. Therefore, Duklja=Serbia. Its just that the center of the Serbian state moved from Duklja region to Raska/Kosovo region during the Nemanjic dinasty. It stayed there for the most of the medieval period, that is why my first suggestion is in place.
3. Dubrovnik (Ragusa) has paid tribute THROUGHOUT its history to both the kings of Duklja and the kings of Raska/Serbia. Those kings might have not controlled the city itself, at least for prolonged periods of time, but they had a rule over it.

[clandestino]

I think that there shouldn't be any doubts about ''national'' affiliation of Dioclian state ( Duklja is modern term, it's first time recorded in 19th century in relation to ruins of antique city of Dioclea near Podgorica, Montenegro, term itself was never used in the middle ages ), according to the Byzantine sources the founder of Dioclian state was Stefan Vojislav who was archont of Serbs who fled from Constantinople, where he was held in captivity after first unsuccessful rebellion, and conquered land of Serbs ( chronicle of John Skylitzes ). When describing the battle between Vojislav and Byzantine army under patrikios Michael Skylitzes also calls Vojislav's men Serbs. Also Vojislav's successor Micheal is simply referred as king of Serbs and Tribals which was name often used to describe Serbs in Byzantine historiography. The continuation of Skylitzes' chronicle calls king Michael and his son Bodin as well as their men Serbs. Ceucamenos in his Strategicon also identify Vojilslav as Serb and Anna Comnena calls Michael and Bodin and their people Dalmats , name which she uses to describe Sebs in her Alexiade.
One very important note, in this period one has to make difference between Dioclia and Dioclian state, Dioclia proper was small region and political unit comprising roughly one third of present day Montenegro while Dioclian state comprised much larger territory, mostly one inhabited by the Serbs: Hum, Travunija, Dioclia proper, Raska ( Rascia ) and Bosnia. This is territorial spread of Dioclian state only during the reigns of Stefan Vojislav, king Michaela and king Bodin ( from cc. 1040 to 1100 ), after Bodin's death Raska, Bosnia and probably Hum became practically independent or became vassals of Hungary and Byzantium while Dioclian state became restricted to Dioclia proper and possibly Travunija.