Ilija Gregorić (c. 1520 – 1574) was a

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

n soldier, and a prominent peasant army commander from

Croatian and Slovenian peasant revolt Croatian may refer to: *Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , ...

of 1573. He was also known under the nickname "Prebeg" (The Escapee) for escaping twice from Ottoman captivity.

Biography

He originated from village of Ribnik, near

Karlovac Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. According to the 2011 census, its population was 55,705. Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County. The city is located on the Zagreb- Rijeka highway and railway line, south-west of Zagre ...

and was a serf on estates of

Stjepan Frankopan Stjepan is a Croatian masculine given name, variant of Stephen, used by ijekavian speakers. In Croatia, the name Stjepan was among the top ten most common masculine given names in the decades up to 1969. Notable people with the name include: * St ...

Ozalj Ozalj (, hu, Ozaly, german: Wosail or ''Woseil'') is a town in central Croatia, located north of Karlovac and southwest of Jastrebarsko, on the Kupa River. It is close to Žumberak in the north and the border with Slovenia in the northwest, wi ...

. When Ottoman

akinjis Akinji or akindji ( ota, آقنجى, aḳıncı, lit=raider, ; plural: ''akıncılar'') were Irregular military, irregular light cavalry, scout divisions (deli) and advance troops of the Ottoman Empire's Military of the Ottoman Empire, military ...

raided these lands in 1553, he was captured and taken into captivity. He nonetheless, escaped Ottoman captivity and settled again on

Brdovec Brdovec is a municipality in the Zagreb County, Croatia. The closest town to Brdovec is neighboring Zaprešić on the east. Demographics According to the 2001 census, there are 10,287 inhabitants, 92% which are Croats. They live in 13 settleme ...

, where he had a house and a

vineyard A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyards ...

. He also earnt his salary as a soldier on

Croatian Military Frontier The Croatian Military Frontier ( hr, Vojna krajina or ') was a district of the Military Frontier, a territory in the Habsburg monarchy, first during the period of the Austrian Empire and then during Austria-Hungary. History Founded in the late 16 ...

, under command of captains Lenković and Semenić. In 1564, as

Ferenc Tahy Ferenc Tahy de Tahvár et Tarkő, (also known as Franjo Tahi, or Tahy in Croatian and as Ferenc Tahi in Slovenian; 1526–1573) was a Hungarian– Croatian nobleman from the Tahy family, which draws its origins from Pilis County. He was known t ...

. bought one part of Susedgrad-Stubica seigniory, including Brdovec, Gregorić became his

serf Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which developed ...

. He took part in armed conflicts between Henning family and Tahy family for the control of Susedgrad castle. Three years later, as a semi-professional soldier, he raided Ottoman territories by order of Tahy's wife

Jelena Zrinski Jelena, also written Yelena and Elena, is a Slavic given name. It is a Slavicized form of the Greek name Helen, which is of uncertain origin. Diminutives of the name include Jelica, Jelka, Jele, Jela, Lena, Lenotschka, Jeca, Lenka, and Alena. Nota ...

. He was again captured by the Turks, and taken as prisoner to

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

. He somehow managed to get a hold on some axe, and break his

shackles A shackle (or shacklebolt), also known as a gyve, is a U-shaped piece of metal secured with a clevis pin or bolt across the opening, or a hinged metal loop secured with a quick-release locking pin mechanism. The term also applies to handcuffs ...

, which allowed him to escape again, after which he returned to Croatia in 1572. Due to his previous military experience, rebel peasants elected him as the captain of their army. Now in command of the rebel forces, he tried to spread the revolt in Slovenia. His forces were defeated at the battles of

Krško Krško (; german: Gurkfeld) is a town in eastern Slovenia. It is the seat of the City municipality of Krško. The town lies on the Sava River and on the northwest edge of the Krško Plain ( sl, Krško polje), which is part of the larger Krka Flat ...

and Sv. Petar. Unlike

Matija Gubec Matija Gubec (, hu, Gubecz Máté) ( 1548 – 15 February 1573), with his real name Ambroz Gubec (or ''Gobec''), was a Croatian / Slovenian (nationality still disputed) revolutionary, best known as the leader of the Croatian–Slovene Peasant Re ...

, he was not captured immediately and he tried to seek shelter in Ottoman territories. He was captured near Jasenovac and brought to

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

, where he was executed.

In popular culture

* Gregorić was portrayed by Serbian actor

Bata Živojinović Velimir "Bata" Živojinović ( sr-Cyrl, Велимир "Бата" Живојиновић; 5 June 1933 – 22 May 2016) was a Yugoslav and Serbian actor and politician. He appeared in more than 340 films and TV series, and is regarded as one of ...

in 1975 Yugoslav-Croatian movie

Anno Domini 1573 ''Anno Domini 1573'' ( sh, Seljačka buna 1573, en, 1573 Peasants' Revolt) is a 1975 Yugoslav/ Croatian feature film directed by Vatroslav Mimica. The film was selected for Directors' Fortnight section at Cannes Film Festival in 1976. It is a ...

References

1574 deaths Croatian rebels Croatian soldiers Executed Croatian people 16th-century Croatian military personnel Year of birth uncertain People from Marija Gorica 16th-century executions by the Ottoman Empire Croatian feudalism 16th-century farmers {{Croatia-bio-stub