Crnojevići / Црнојевићи) was a medieval Serbian noble family[1][2] that held Zeta, or parts of it; a region north of Lake Skadar corresponding to southern Montenegro and northern Albania, from 1326 to 1362 CE, then 1403 until 1515.

They ruled the territory of Zeta, north of Lake Skadar, roughly corresponding to modern-day Southern Montenegro and Northern Albania.

[3] Đuraš Vrančić, a nobleman who served King Stefan Milutin (r. 1282–1321) in the Kingdom of Serbia,[4] is the earliest known progenitor of the family.

[5] His grandson Đuraš Ilijić (son of Ilija Đurašević) was a military leader under Tsar Stefan Dušan and head of Upper Zeta from 1326 until 1362.

In 1355, the Croatian duchess and sister of Emperor Dušan, Jelena Nemanjić Šubić, had come greatly under pressure by the Hungarian King who attacked one of her cities in Croatia, (Skradin).

[10] He was buried in the Church of Saint Michael on Prevlaka with the inscription "in Emperor's Stefan's name the third knight" (Serbian: у цара Стефана трети витез).

[12] As the Serbian Empire crumbled, the House of Crnoje became virtually independent in Upper Zeta (region around modern Cetinje.

There were territorial losses to the Đuraševići, led by the brothers Đurađ and Aleksa (also called Lješ), both sons of the late Radič.

He secured a leading position in his family and married Mara, the daughter of prominent nobleman Gjon Kastrioti.

[18] When his contacts with the King of France on starting an anti-Ottoman war became known to the Turks, he had to flee Montenegro, which fell under direct Turkish rule.