Balša I

Balša (Serbian Cyrillic: Балша; Albanian: Balsha)^[1] or Balsha was a provincial lord of the Zeta in ca. 1362. He is the eponymous founder of the Balšić noble family.

Balša I Balsha I
Lord of Zeta
Coat of Arms of the Balsha family
Lord of Zeta
Reign	1356–1362
Successor	Gjergj I Balsha
Died	1362
Issue	Gjergj I Balsha Strazimir Balsha Balsha II Voisava Balsha
House	Balsha

Life

He was a nobleman and military commander during the rule of Emperor Dušan the Mighty (r. 1331–1355) but managed to expand his power after the death of Dušan (20 December 1355) and gained control of the island of Mljet.^[2] He began by taking lands previously held by Lord Žarko, in Lower Zeta (south of Lake Skadar, and is then recognized as a "provincial lord" in charters of Emperor Uroš the Weak (r. 1355–1371). In 1362 his sons defeated and killed Head of Upper Zeta Đuraš Ilijić and expanded further into Upper Zeta. He is believed to have died by this time.

He had three sons, Đurađ, Stracimir and Balša II, two of whom ruled the Principality of Zeta: Đurađ I and Balša II. He had a daughter Voisava Balsha who married Karl Thopia.^[3][4]