While the term Vlachs had more meaning, primarily denote the inhabitants of Aromanian origin and also dependent shepherds in the medieval Serbian state.
The Old Roman culture was preserved mainly in maritime Dalmatia, while Eastern, Greek influence and linguistics prevailed in the hinterland.
The Vlach shepherds completely mixed with the Serbs, a result of the predominant pastoralist society and Christianity.
Also, Stefan Milutin in a deed of a gift to the monastery of Hilandar demanded that Vlachs coming to the kingdom must belong to the Holy Church, which also applied to foreigners as well as to dependent peasants.
[4] Hungarian historians who support the immigrationist theory on the origin of Romanians claim that the Serbia of 12th and 13th century with Greek-Orthodox population received a growing number of Vlach population which migrated from Dalmatian coast, Epirus, or Thessalonica and from Bulgaria after Kaliman Asen II was deposed and expelled.
[6] The vlasi (власи) or pastiri (пастири) are primarily the inhabitants of Aromanian origin and also dependent shepherds in the medieval Serbian state, part of the sebri social class.
[11] Nemanja's son, Stefan the First-Crowned, granted the Žiča monastery with 200 Vlach families from the Prokletije mountain, near Peć, Kosovo.
[11] King Stefan Uroš I of Serbia granted the Hilandar monastery with another 30 Vlach families from the Drim river.
[11] King Stefan Milutin's charter to the Banjska monastery granted it with six katuns (highland hamlets), and also made the first mention of the "Vlach law" (zakon Vlahom).
[5] Dušan's charters of the Monastery of the Holy Archangels and Hilandar mention duties of Vlachs regarding shepherding and annual giving away of either sheep, two horses for the purpose of transporting salt and other monastery needs, mowing hay, compensation in 30 perpers or construction workers.