''Veliki vojvoda'' ( sr-cyr, велики војвода; from ''veliki'' = great and '' vojvoda'' = duke) was a military and noble title in use during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

and the

Modern period The term modern period or modern era (sometimes also called modern history or modern times) is the period of history that succeeds the Middle Ages (which ended approximately 1500 AD). This terminology is a historical periodization that is applie ...

in the Western

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

. It is often translated into "

grand duke Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. In status, a grand duke traditionally ranks in order of precedence below an emperor, as an approxi ...

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Middle Ages

''Veliki vojvoda'' was a title used in

Serbia in the Middle Ages Serbia in the Middle Ages refers to the medieval period in the history of Serbia. The period begins in the 6th century with the Slavic migrations to Southeastern Europe, and lasts until the Ottoman conquest of Serbian lands in the second half ...

and the

Kingdom of Bosnia The Kingdom of Bosnia ( sh, Kraljevina Bosna / Краљевина Босна), or Bosnian Kingdom (''Bosansko kraljevstvo'' / Босанско краљевство), was a medieval kingdom that lasted for nearly a century, from 1377 to 1463, and ...

Serbia

It signified superiority over the other '' vojvodas''. The title-holder commanded the army on occasions when the monarch did not attend in military campaigns, usually with lesser important military operations inside the country, or when a detachment was sent to aid allies. Another term used for the title was "standard-bearer" (''stegonoša'', la, vexilifer). *

Novak Grebostrek Novak Grebostrek ( sr-cyr, Новак Гребострек, 1312–14) was a ''veliki vojvoda'' of Serbian King Stefan Milutin (r. 1282–1321), who commanded a Serbian contingent supporting Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos against Tur ...

( 1312), served

Stefan Milutin Stefan Uroš II Milutin ( sr-cyr, Стефан Урош II Милутин, Stefan Uroš II Milutin; 1253 – 29 October 1321), known as Stefan Milutin ( sr-cyr, Стефан Милутин, Stefan Milutin), was the King of Serbia between 1282&nd ...

Hrelja Hrelja also known as Protosebastos Hrelija ( sr, Хреља; bg, Хрельо, ''Hrelyo''), also known as Stefan Dragovol (Стефан Драговол) or Hrelja Ohmućević ( sr, Хреља Охмућевић) was a 14th-century semi-independe ...

( 1320s–31), served

Stefan Dečanski Stefan Uroš III ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош III, ), known as Stefan Dečanski ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Дечански, ; 1276 – 11 November 1331), was the King of Serbia from 6 January 1322 to 8 September 1331. Dečanski was the son of ...

Gradislav Borilović Gradislav Borilović ( sr-cyr, Градислав Бориловић, gr, Μποριλοβίκης; 1325–1352) was a Serbian magnate in the service of Stefan Uroš III Dečanski (r. 1321-1331) and Stefan Dušan (r. 1331-1355), having the ti ...

( 1333), served

Stefan Dušan Stefan Uroš IV Dušan ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош IV Душан, ), known as Dušan the Mighty ( sr, / ; circa 1308 – 20 December 1355), was the King of Serbia from 8 September 1331 and Tsar (or Emperor) and autocrat of the Serbs, Gr ...

Jovan Oliver Jovan Oliver Grčinić ( sr, Јован Оливер Грчинић; ca. 1310-1356) was a magnate of the Serbian Emperor Dušan the Mighty (r. 1331-1355), holding the titles of ''sebastokrator'' and ''despotes'', and the rank of "great voivode", s ...

( 1341–55), served

Nikola Stanjević Nikola Stanjević ( sr-Cyrl, Никола Стањевић, fl. 1355–1366) was a magnate who served Emperor Stefan Dušan (r. 1331–55) as ''veliki vojvoda'' (general), and who was still alive during the rule of Emperor Uroš V (r. 1355–71), wh ...

( 1355–66), served Stefan Dušan and/or

Stefan Uroš V Saint Stefan Uroš V ( sr-cyrl, Свети Стефан Урош V, ; 13362/4 December 1371), known in historiography and folk tradition as Uroš the Weak ( sr-cyr, Урош Нејаки, Uroš Nejaki), was the second Emperor (Tsar) of the Serb ...

Uglješa Mrnjavčević Jovan Uglješa Mrnjavčević ( sr-Cyrl, Јован Угљеша Мрњавчевић; fl. 1346–1371), known as Jovan Uglješa ( sr-Cyrl, Јован Угљеша), was a Serbian medieval nobleman of the Mrnjavčević family and one of the mo ...

( 1358), served

Radoslav Mihaljević Radoslav Mihaljević ( sr-cyr, Радослав Михаљевић; 1426–d. 1436) was a Serbian magnate ('' velikaš'') in the service of Despots Stefan Lazarević (r. 1402–27) and Đurađ Branković (r. 1427–56), with the title of '' veliki ...

( 1426–d. 1436), served

Stefan Lazarević Stefan Lazarević ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Лазаревић, 1377 – 19 July 1427), also known as Stefan the Tall ( sr, Стефан Високи / ''Stefan Visoki''), was the ruler of Serbia as prince (1389–1402) and despot (1402–1427), ...

Mihailo Anđelović Mihailo ( sr-cyr, Михаило) or Mihajlo () is a Serbian masculine given name, a variant of the Hebrew name '' Michael''. Common as a given name among Serbs, it is an uncommon surname. It may refer to: * Mihailo Vojislavljević ( fl. 1050� ...

( 1456–58), served

Lazar Branković Lazar Branković ( sr-cyr, Лазар Бранковић; c. 1421 – 20 February 1458) was a Serbian despot, prince of Rascia from 1456 to 1458. He was the third son of Đurađ Branković and his wife Eirene Kantakouzene. He was succeeded by his ...

There are also mentions of the title-holders 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 ...

regarding the

Battle of Kosovo The Battle of Kosovo ( tr, Kosova Savaşı; sr, Косовска битка) took place on 15 June 1389 between an army led by the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and an invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan ...

, such as Dimitrije.

Bosnia

Modern period

Montenegro

The title was adopted in the

Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro The Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro ( sr, Митрополство Црногорско, Mitropolstvo Crnogorsko) was an ecclesiastical principality that existed from 1516 until 1852. The principality was located around modern-day Montenegro. It ...

Mirko Petrović-Njegoš Mirko Petrović-Njegoš ( sr-cyr, Мирко Петровић-Његош; 19 August 1820 – 1 August 1867) was a Montenegrin military commander, politician and poet, belonging to the House of Petrović-Njegoš. He was given the title of ''veliki ...

bore the title, as "Grand Duke of Grahovo".

References

Sources

* * * *{{cite book, last=Purković, first=Miodrag, title=Srpska kultura srednjega veka, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3nZpAAAAMAAJ, year=1985, publisher=Izd. Srpske pravoslavne eparhije za zapadnu Evropu Serbian noble titles Military ranks * Serbian Empire Serbian Despotate Bosnian noble titles