Serbian hajduks


The Serbian hajduks were brigands and guerrilla freedom fighters throughout Ottoman-held Balkans, mainly in Serbia, organized into bands headed by a harambaša, who descended from the mountains and forests and robbed and attacked the Ottomans. They were often aided by foreign powers, such as the Republic of Venice and Habsburg monarchy, during greater conflicts.
The hajduks are seen as part of the Serbian national identity. In stories, the hajduks were described as heroes; they had played the role of the Serbian elite during Ottoman rule, they had defended the Serbs against Ottoman oppression, and prepared for the national liberation and contributed to it in the Serbian Revolution. The Chetniks also saw themselves as hajduks, freedom fighters.
The hajduk movement is known as hajdučija or hajdukovanje. Ranks included buljubaša and harambaša, adopted from the Ottomans.
People that helped hajduks were called jataks. Jataks lived in villages and towns and provided food and shelter for hajduks. In return, hajduks would give them part of the loot.

16th century

Starina Novak, a military commander in Wallachian service, is said to have been the oldest hajduk.
Deli-Marko, hajduk and military commander in Habsburg service.

18th century

On 26 November 1716, Austrian general Nastić with 400 soldiers and 500 hajduks attacked Trebinje, but did not take it over. A combined Austro-Venetian-Hajduk force of 7,000 stood before the Trebinje walls, defended by 1,000 Ottomans. The Ottomans were busy near Belgrade and with hajduk attacks towards Mostar, and were thus unable to reinforce Trebinje. The conquest of Trebinje and Popovo field were given up to fight in Montenegro. The Venetians took over Hutovo and Popovo, where they immediately recruited militarily from the population.

Kingdom of Serbia (1718–39)

The Serbs established a Hajduk army that supported the Austrians. The army was divided into 18 companies, in four groups. In this period, the most notable obor-kapetans were Vuk Isaković from Crna Bara, Mlatišuma from Kragujevac and Kosta Dimitrijević from Paraćin.
The most notable obor-kapetans were Vuk Isaković from Crna Bara, Mlatišuma and Kosta Dimitrijević from Paraćin. Apart from the obor-kapetans, other notable commanders were kapetans Keza Radivojević from Grocka and Sima Vitković from Valjevo. In Kragujevac, there were two companies of 500 soldiers each. He conquered Kruševac with his militia, and carried much cattle.

19th century

Great Eastern Crisis

During the Great Eastern Crisis, set off by a Serb uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1875 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Prince Peter adopted the nom de guerre of hajduk Petar Mrkonjić of Ragusa, and joined the Bosnian Serb insurgents as a leader of a guerilla unit.

Serbian Revolution

Among Serbian revolutionaries that had been active hajduks prior to the Revolution, were Stanoje Glavaš, Hajduk-Veljko, Stojan Čupić, Lazar Dobrić, and others.

List of notable hajduks

This is a list of notable people, in chronological manner. Hajduks who participated in the Serbian Revolution are also found in :Category:People of the Serbian Revolution.

Early modern period

Serbian Revolution

Rebels in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Rebels in Old Serbia and Macedonia

Literature

Hajduks in epic poetry

In Serbian epic poetry, the hajduks are cherished as heroes, freedom fighters against the Ottoman rule. There is a whole cyclus regarding the hajduks and uskoks. Among the most notable hajduks in the epics were Starina Novak, Mali Radojica, Stari Vujadin, Predrag and Nenad, Novak, Grujica Žeravica, etc.

Novels

Hajduks are the theme of many novels, such as Branislav Nušić's Hajduci, Miljanov et al. Srpski hajduci, etc.