Stefan Nemanja, born around the year 1113 in Ribnica, Zeta (in the vicinity of present day Podgorica, capital of Montenegro), was the youngest son of Zavida, a Prince of Zahumlje, who after a conflict with his brothers, had been sent to Ribnica where he had the title of Lord.
Zavida (Beli Uroš) was most probably a son of Uroš I or Vukan.
As western Zeta was under Roman Catholic jurisdiction, Nemanja received a Catholic baptism.
After the defeat of Nemanja's kinsmen George of Duklja and Desa Urošević and the exodus of that branch of the Vojislavljević family by Constantinople, Zavida and his family had gone to the hereditary family estates of Rascia.
Upon his arrival in Ras, the capital of Rascia, Nemanja had been re-baptized in the Eastern Orthodox Church, in the Church of St. Apostles Peter and Paul which was an episcopal see.
When he reached adulthood, Nemanja had become "Prince (Župan) of Ibar, Rasina and Reke" after receiving the česti (parts of the state) by Emperor Manuel I Komnenos.
Manuel had appointed the first-born Tihomir as the supreme Grand Prince of the Serb lands, Stracimir ruled West Morava, Miroslav ruled Zahumlje and Travunia.
Manuel in 1163 had installed Nemanja's older brother Tihomir as Grand Župan of Rascia in Desa's place, which disappointed Nemanja greatly, as he had expected that he would get the throne.
Nemanja had met in Niš in 1162 with the Emperor, who had given him the region of Dubočica to rule over and declared him independent., also awarding him an imperial court title, as it is important for the Emperor to have the borderlands of the Empire ruled by loyal leaders.
Nemanja's Serb squadrons had fought in the Imperial Army in 1164 in Srem during the wars against the Kingdom of Hungary.
Nemanja rules independently, as he builds the Monastery of Saint Nicholas in Kuršumlija and the Monastery of the Holy Mother of Christ near Kosanica-Toplica, without the approval of his older brother, the Grand Župan of Rascia.
His brothers had invited him to a council at Ras, supposedly to resolve the situation, but instead they had imprisoned him and held him in a nearby cave.
The lands of Nemanja had been seized but Nemanja's supporters had complained to the church that Tihomir had done all this because of a disapproval of church-building and Nemanja had thus become targeted by the clergy, something that helps Nemanja greatly.
Nemanja in 1166 had rebelled against his older brother, the Grand Župan of Rascia, deposed him, and exiled him with his brothers, Miroslav and Stracimir.
The Emperor in response raises a mercenary army for Tihomir, made up of Greeks, Franks and Turks, which is defeated by Nemanja at the Battle of Pantino, south of Zvečan.
Tihomir drowns in the river of Sitnica, and the other brothers surrender to Nemanja, continuing to rule their previous lands.
Nemanja assumes the title of Grand Župan of all Serbia, and takes the first name Stefan (from Greek Stephanos meaning "crowned").
