Stefan Nemanja had managed to secure the independence from the Byzantine Empire after the death of emperor Manuel I (1180), and then conquered the traditional fiefs of Duklja, Travunia and Hum on the Adriatic coast.

Nemanja gives Vukan, as heir presumptive, appanages of the conquered lands, including Hvosno and Toplica around 1190 as Grand Prince.

This was done as Nemanja preferred to see Stefan Nemanjić on the Serbian throne as he was married to Eudokia, the daughter of Byzantine Emperor Alexios III Angelos.

In 1196, at a State Council, Nemanja abdicated in favour of Stefan; Vukan had to recognize his brother as the new ruler of Serbia.

He found aid in Hungarian King Emeric (1196–1204) who at the time fought against the Second Bulgarian Empire and wanted Serbian assistance.

[7] Possibly Vukan abdicated in favour for George in his lifetime in order to secure his succession; Stefan might have had taken Zeta during an interregnum.

[7]) George soon also entered a military alliance with Venice against the Albanian Dimitri of the Progon family, who controlled a part of Albania from a mountain stronghold at Kroja (Arbanon).

[8] Arbanon remained to its traditional fidelities, Byzantine and Serbian, Orthodox; when Dimitri died, Gregory Kamonas succeeded in ruling Arbanon, and took Komnena as his second wife; ties were strengthened with Serbia, with which ties had been weakened by a Serbian attack on Scutari following the collapse of the Venetian duchy of Durazzo.