The House of Jakšić ( sr-cyr, Јакшић, Јакшићи / ''Jakšići''; hu, Jaksics család) was a prominent Serbian

noble family Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteris ...

from the 15th and 16th century, in the

Serbian Despotate The Serbian Despotate ( sr, / ) was a medieval Serbian state in the first half of the 15th century. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is generally considered the end of medieval Serbia, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire and ...

and the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

. The eponymous founder, Jakša, was a ''Voivode'' (Duke) in the service of Serbian Despot Đurađ Branković, and after the fall of Serbia to the Ottomans (1459) his descendants joined the ranks of the Hungarian army, and gained prominence in wars against the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus granted them possessions in various counties, from Nădlac, to Syrmia and Valkó. The male line of the family died out in 1543.

History

Jakša

Jakša was a ''

voivode Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the ...

'' in the

, under '' Despot'' Đurađ Branković. Jakša was mentioned in 1452 as Đurađ's envoy in the

Republic of Ragusa hr, Sloboda se ne prodaje za sve zlato svijeta it, La libertà non si vende nemmeno per tutto l'oro del mondo"Liberty is not sold for all the gold in the world" , population_estimate = 90 000 in the XVI Century , currency = ...

. As an Ottoman vassal, Đurađ was forced to send an army to participate in the siege of Constantinople (1453). Sultan

Mehmed the Conqueror Mehmed II ( ota, محمد ثانى, translit=Meḥmed-i s̱ānī; tr, II. Mehmed, ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror ( ota, ابو الفتح, Ebū'l-fetḥ, lit=the Father of Conquest, links=no; tr, Fâtih Su ...

did not tell Đurađ his intentions, but said that the cavalry would travel to

Karaman Karaman, historically known as Laranda (Greek: Λάρανδα), is a city in south central Turkey, located in Central Anatolia, north of the Taurus Mountains, about south of Konya. It is the capital district of the Karaman Province. According t ...

. The sultan slaughtered civilians on his way to Constantinople, which he quickly besieged, Jakša hearing of this, wanted to return but was warned that if they would not continue, the sultan would destroy the Serbs. The cavalry reached the fallen Constantinople, which had been the cradle of Southeastern Christianity and culture, up until now serving as the capital of the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

. The event is recorded in the writings of

Konstantin Mihailović Konstantin Mihailović, also known as Constantine of Ostrovica, born in 1430, was a Serbian soldier and author of a memoir of his time as a Jannissary in the army of the Ottoman Empire. Mihailović was born in the village of Ostrovica, near Rud ...

, who was in the army of Jakša.

Jakšić brothers

Stefan and Dmitar Jakšić, the sons of Jakša (hence Jakšići), left

Jagodina ) , image_shield = Jagodina-grb.png , image_flag = FLAG Jagodina.png , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_map = File:Municipalities of Serbia Jagodina.png , map_caption = Location of Jagodina w ...

with 1200 warriors for Hungary. They were hospitably received by Matthias Corvinus, who gave them Nădlac (

Nagylak Nagylak ( ro, Nădlac or ) is a village in Csongrád-Csanád County, in the Southern Great Plain region of southern Hungary. Geography It covers an area of and in 2017 had a population of 433, 6% of whom is of Romanian Romanian may refer to: * ...

) and estates around Moriš, to rule as vassals in 1464. The operations of the Serbian nobility in

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

against Germany and Poland in the second half of the 15th century, were hugely successful and as such were lavishly celebrated. Dmitar held dozens of settlements of

Pomorišje Pomorišje (Serbian Cyrillic: Поморишје) is a historical geographical region on the banks of the river Mureș (Serbian: ''Moriš'') that in the past has had a sizable ethnic Serb population. The region is mostly divided between Romania an ...

, and with his cavalry detachment hidden in the woods, and great skill and courage, he led victories against the Polish armies at Humenné and Michalovce in 1473. Dmitar was the general of King Matthias in a battle of

Košice Košice ( , ; german: Kaschau ; hu, Kassa ; pl, Коszyce) is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of app ...

in 1474, of which he has been celebrated of in

Serbian epic poetry Serbian epic poetry ( sr, Српске епске народне песме, Srpske epske narodne pesme) is a form of epic poetry created by Serbs originating in today's Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia. The ...

. In 1476, Dmitar took part in the battle of

Pančevo Pančevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Панчево, ; german: Pantschowa; hu, Pancsova; ro, Panciova; sk, Pánčevo) is a city and the administrative center of the South Banat District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is located on ...

, alongside Despot

Vuk Grgurević Vuk Grgurević Branković ( sr-cyrl, Вук Гргуревић Бранковић; ca. 1439 – April 16, 1485) was a Serbian nobleman who was the titular despot of Serbia from 1471 until his death in 1485. He inherited the title of '' despot'' ( ...

. In 1479, Dmitar participated in the

Battle of Breadfield A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

with some 900 Serbs, the outcome was a decisive Hungarian victory. Dmitar is remembered as one of the most distinguished generals of the

Black Army of Hungary The Black Army ( hu, Fekete sereg, pronounced , Latin: Legio Nigra), also called the Black Legion/Regiment – possibly after their black armor panoply – is a common name given to the military forces serving under the reign of King Matthias Co ...

, which was primarily composed of

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

ns and Serbs. The brothers had risen in the ranks of barons through their military service, as did Vuk, Ladislaus Egervari, Paul Kinizsi and many more. Stefan is remembered for his victory in a duel against a Polish

swashbuckler A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, guile and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, daring, ...

that resulted in the withdrawal of the Polish army in 1490. The next year, in December 1491, another battle is fought at Košice between Polish King

John I Albert John I Albert ( pl, Jan I Olbracht; 27 December 1459 – 17 June 1501) was King of Poland from 1492 until his death in 1501 and Duke of Głogów (Glogau) from 1491 to 1498. He was the fourth Polish sovereign from the Jagiellonian dynasty, the s ...

and Hungarian King Vladislaus II. The Hungarian victory was largely due to the Serbian warriors led by Miloš Velmužević and the Jakšić brothers. Despot Vuk, Dmitar Jakšić, and his son Jovan Jakšić took part in the campaign of King Matthias against the Turks in 1481, when the Christian army arrived at

Kruševac Kruševac ( sr-cyr, Крушевац, , tr, Alacahisar or Kruşevca) is a city and the administrative center of the Rasina District in central Serbia. It is located in the valley of West Morava, on Rasina river. According to the 2011 census, t ...

. Jovan's detachment liberated

Golubac Golubac ( sr-cyr, Голубац, ; ro, Golubăț) is a village and municipality located in the Braničevo District of eastern Serbia. Situated on the right side of the Danube river, it is bordered by Romania to the east, Veliko Gradište to t ...

. With the retreat from Serbia, some 110,000 Serbs joined up, settling in the vicinity of

Timișoara ), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor) , image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg , map_caption = Location in Timiș County , pushpin_map = Romania#Europe , pushpin_ ...

. Dmitar, on his way back from Turkey as a deputy of the King at the Sultan's court, was attacked and seriously wounded near

Smederevo Smederevo ( sr-Cyrl, Смедерево, ) is a city and the administrative center of the Podunavlje District in eastern Serbia. It is situated on the right bank of the Danube, about downstream of the Serbian capital, Belgrade. According to ...

. He died from his wounds on November 8, 1486, while his brother Stefan died in 1489.

Last generation

In May 1514, an uprising was instigated by

György Dózsa György Dózsa (or ''György Székely'',appears as "Georgius Zekel" in old texts ro, Gheorghe Doja; 1470 – 20 July 1514) was a Székely man-at-arms (and by some accounts, a nobleman) from Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary who led a peasa ...

against the

Landed nobility Landed nobility or landed aristocracy is a category of nobility in the history of various countries, for which landownership was part of their noble privileges. Their character depends on the country. *The notion of landed gentry in the United Kin ...

. The uprising spread over a great part of south Hungary, over

Banat Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of T ...

Bačka Bačka ( sr-cyrl, Бачка, ) or Bácska () is a geographical and historical area within the Pannonian Plain bordered by the river Danube to the west and south, and by the river Tisza to the east. It is divided between Serbia and Hungary ...

Syrmia Syrmia ( sh, Srem/Срем or sh, Srijem/Сријем, label=none) is a region of the southern Pannonian Plain, which lies between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia and Croatia. Most of the region is flat, with the exce ...

. It affected a part of Serbs, the properties of the Jakšić brothers in Nădlac were destroyed and a part of the former Despot's. The greater part of Hungarian Serbs aided the royalty and nobility against the ''

kurucs Kuruc (, plural ''kurucok''), also spelled kurutz, refers to a group of armed anti-Habsburg insurgents in the Kingdom of Hungary between 1671 and 1711. Over time, the term kuruc has come to designate Hungarians who advocate strict national ind ...

''. Marko Jakšić, the son of Stefan, took part in the

Battle of Mohács The Battle of Mohács (; hu, mohácsi csata, tr, Mohaç Muharebesi or Mohaç Savaşı) was fought on 29 August 1526 near Mohács, Kingdom of Hungary, between the forces of the Kingdom of Hungary and its allies, led by Louis II, and thos ...

in 1526. The last nobility as

ktetor ''Ktetor'' ( el, κτήτωρ) or ''ktitor'' (; ka, ქტიტორი ''kt’it’ori''; ro, ctitor), meaning "founder", is a title given in the Middle Ages to the provider of funds for construction or reconstruction of an Eastern Orthodox ch ...

s of

Hilandar The Hilandar Monastery ( sr-cyr, Манастир Хиландар, Manastir Hilandar, , el, Μονή Χιλανδαρίου) is one of the twenty Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Mount Athos in Greece and the only Serbian monastery there. It wa ...

, were the Jakšići. Despotissa Angelina Branković asked Vasili III for help to Hilandar. The Hilandar clerics had in the mid 16th century asked Emperor Ivan IV for protection and material aid. Ivan the Terrible became the new ktetor of

. He was the great-grandson of Stefan Jakšić. The last Jakšić nobleman died in 1543.

Serbian epic poetry Serbian epic poetry ( sr, Српске епске народне песме, Srpske epske narodne pesme) is a form of epic poetry created by Serbs originating in today's Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia. The ...

Post-Kosovo cycle. * Dioba Jakšića * Dioba Jakšića (iz Crne Gore) * Jakšići kušaju svoje ljube * Jakšićima dvori poharani * Ženidba Jakšića Mitra (iz

Sinja The Sinja Valley is located in the Jumla District in Karnali Province, of Nepal. The valley was the ancient capital city of the Khasa Kingdom and is considered a historically significant place. The valley is also considered as the birthplace of ...

) * Ženidba Jakšića Mitra (iz Srema) * Ženidba Teodora Jakšića * Ropstvo i Ženidba Jakšića Šćepana * Dva Jakšića i sestra im Jela

Genealogy

* Jakša Brežičić, ''voivode'' of Despot Đurađ Branković. **Stefan Jakšić (?-1489), married Milica (fl. 1506) ***Dmitar Jakšić, died young. ***Stefan Jakšić (?-1520) ***Marko Jakšić (?-1537), married Poliksena ****Stefan Jakšić, ****Jovana Jakšić, married to Mihailo Bakić (1536) ****Jelisaveta Jakšić, married Nikola of Dóc (Dóczy Miklós). ****Marija Jakšić, married Koloman Artandi ( Ártándy Kelemen) ****Milica (Potencija) Jakšić, married Jovan Kendefi. ****Margita Jakšić, married Božidar Patočija. ****Sholastika Jakšić, married Vladislav Zelemiri. ****Ana Jakšić, married Gáspár Bánffy de Losonc, then Antal Kendi. ***

Ana Jakšić Anna Glinskaya (russian: Анна Глинская; sr, Ана Глинска / Ana Glinska; died c. 1553), née Ana Jakšić ( sr-Cyrl, Ана Јакшић / Ana Jakšić; russian: Анна Якшич, Anna Yakshich) was a Serbian and Russian n ...

, married Vasili Lvovich Glinsky ****

Elena Glinskaya Elena Vasilyevna Glinskaya (russian: Елена Васильевна Глинская; 1510 – 4 April 1538) was the Grand Princess consort of Russia, as the second wife of Grand Prince Vasili III and de facto regent of Russia for 5 consecutiv ...

, married Vasili III Ivanovich *****

Ivan the Terrible Ivan IV Vasilyevich (russian: Ива́н Васи́льевич; 25 August 1530 – ), commonly known in English as Ivan the Terrible, was the grand prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and the first Tsar of all Russia from 1547 to 1584. Ivan ...

Grand Prince of Moscow This is a list of all reigning monarchs in the history of Russia. It includes the princes of medieval Rus′ state (both centralised, known as Kievan Rus′ and feudal, when the political center moved northeast to Vladimir and finally to Mosco ...

1547–1584 ***

Jelena Jakšić Jelena Jakšić ( sr-Cyrl, Јелена Јакшић; c. 1475 – after 1536) was titular Despotissa of Serbia, first by marriage with Jovan Branković, who was titular Despot of Serbia from 1493 to 1502, and then by marriage with Ivaniš Berisl ...

, married Despot

Jovan Branković Jovan Branković ( sr-Cyrl, Јован Бранковић; ; c. 1465 – 10 December 1502) was the titular Despot of Serbia from 1493 until his death in 1502. The title of despot was given to him by Hungarian king Vladislas II of Hungary. From 1 ...

, then Jovan Berislavić ***Irina Jakšić, married Matija Hercegović Kosača. **Dmitar Jakšić (?-1486), married Jelena Branković ***Jovan Jakšić ***Dmitar Jakšić (?-1510) *** Petar Jakšić, married Katarina Csáki (Csáki Katalin). ****Dmitar Jakšić (?-1539) ****Nikola Jakšić (?-1539) ****Jovan Jakšić (?-1543) *** Đorđe Jakšić

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Extern links

The Noble House of Jaksic
(RTS Documentary - Official Channel) {{DEFAULTSORT:Jaksic noble family 15th-century Serbian nobility 16th-century Serbian nobility Serbian noble families Serbian Despotate Hungarian nobility