The Nemanjić dynasty ruled over Serbia until the 14th century. 1169–96) conquered the neighbouring territories of Kosovo, Duklja and Zachlumia. With the decline of the Serbian state of Duklja in the late 11th century, Raška separated from it and replaced it as the most powerful Serbian state. The other Serb-inhabited lands, or principalities, that were mentioned included the "countries" of Paganija, Zahumlje, Travunija. The first Serb states, Raška and Duklja (825–1120), were formed chiefly under the Vlastimirović and Vojislavljević dynasties respectively. Prior to their arrival to the Balkans, Serbs were predominantly involved in agricalture, which is why they settled in areas which were cultivated even during Roman times. The region of "Rascia" ( Raška) was the center of Serb settlement and Serb tribes also occupied parts of modern-day Herzegovina and Montenegro. White Serbs from White Serbia came to an area near Thessaloniki and then they settled area between Dinaric Alps and Adriatic coast. The numerous Slavs mixed with and assimilated the descendants of the indigenous population (Illyrians, Thracians, Dacians, Romans, Celts). This area was frequently intruded by barbarians in the 5th and 6th centuries. What is today central Serbia was an important geo-strategical province, through which the Via Militaris crossed. The Danube and Sava frontier was overwhelmed by large-scale Slavic settlement in the late 6th and early 7th century. Up until the late 560s their activity was raiding, crossing from the Danube, though with limited Slavic settlement mainly through Byzantine foederati colonies. Main articles: White Serbs and White SerbiaĮarly Slavs, especially Sclaveni and Antae, including the White Serbs, invaded and settled Southeastern Europe in the 6th and 7th century. Hanna Popowska-Taborska argued native Slavic provenance of the ethnonym, claiming that the theory advances a conclusion that the ethnonym has a meaning of a family kinship or alliance, which was also argued by a number of other scholars. The most prominent theory considers it of Proto-Slavic origin.
The tradition of slava, the family saint feast day, is an important ethnic marker of Serb identity, and is usually regarded their most significant and most solemn feast day.
When the Principality of Serbia gained independence from the Ottoman Empire, Orthodoxy became crucial in defining the national identity, instead of language which was shared by other South Slavs ( Croats and Bosniaks). Three elements, together with the legacy of the Nemanjić dynasty, were crucial in forging identity and preservation during foreign domination: the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Serbian language, and the Kosovo Myth. In the 19th century, the Serbian national identity was manifested, with awareness of history and tradition, medieval heritage, cultural unity, despite living under different empires. The identity of Serbs is rooted in Eastern Orthodoxy and traditions.
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