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

Serbian Serbian may refer to: * Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular **Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans ** Serbian language ** Serbian culture **Demographics of Serbia, includes other ethnic groups within the co ...

noble family Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the rea ...

from the 15th and 16th century, in the

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

and the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...

. The eponymous founder, Jakša, was a ''Voivode'' (Duke) in the service of Serbian Despot

Đurađ Branković Đurađ Vuković Branković ( sr-Cyrl, Ђурађ Вуковић Бранковић, ; 1377 – 24 December 1456) served as the Serbian Despot from 1427 to 1456, making him one of the final rulers of medieval Serbia. In 1429, Branković was form ...

, 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 (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

Hungarian King This is a list of Hungarian monarchs; it includes the Grand Prince of the Hungarians, grand princes (895–1000) and the King of Hungary, kings and ruling queens of Hungary (1000–1918). The Principality of Hungary, Hungarian Grand Principality ...

Matthias Corvinus Matthias Corvinus (; ; ; ; ; ) was King of Hungary and King of Croatia, Croatia from 1458 to 1490, as Matthias I. He is often given the epithet "the Just". After conducting several military campaigns, he was elected King of Bohemia in 1469 and ...

granted them possessions in various counties, from

Nădlac Nădlac (; ; ) is a town in Arad County, western Romania. A former part of the town lies across the border with Hungary; this village is called Nagylak. An international border town, Nădlac is the main border crossing into western Romania from H ...

, to

Syrmia Syrmia (Ekavian sh-Latn-Cyrl, Srem, Срем, separator=" / " or Ijekavian sh-Latn-Cyrl, Srijem, Сријем, label=none, separator=" / ") is a region of the southern Pannonian Plain, which lies between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is div ...

and Valkó. The male line of the family died out in 1543.

History

Jakša

Jakša Brežičić Jakša ( sr-cyr, Јакша; 1452–53), was a military commander (''vojvodа'') in the service of Serbian Despot Đurađ Branković (r. 1427–56). Jakša is the eponymous founder of the Jakšić noble family In 1452, he was sent as a deputy ...

was a ''

voivode Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...

'' in the

, under '' Despot''

. Jakša was mentioned in 1452 as Đurađ's envoy in the

Republic of Ragusa The Republic of Ragusa, or the Republic of Dubrovnik, was an maritime republics, aristocratic maritime republic centered on the city of Dubrovnik (''Ragusa'' in Italian and Latin; ''Raguxa'' in Venetian) in South Dalmatia (today in southernmost ...

. As an Ottoman vassal, Đurađ was forced to send an army to participate in the

siege of Constantinople Constantinople (part of modern Istanbul, Turkey) was built on the land that links Europe to Asia through Bosporus and connects the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. As a transcontinental city within the Silk Road, Constantinople had a strategic ...

in 1453. Sultan

Mehmed the Conqueror Mehmed II (; , ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror (; ), was twice the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from August 1444 to September 1446 and then later from February 1451 to May 1481. In Mehmed II's first reign, ...

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

Karaman Karaman is a city in south central Turkey, located in Central Anatolia, north of the Taurus Mountains, about south of Konya. It is the seat of Karaman Province and Karaman District.Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

. 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 Janissary in the army of the Ottoman Empire. Mihailović was born in the village of Ostrovica, near Ru ...

, who was in the army of Jakša.

Jakšić brothers

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

Jagodina Jagodina ( sr-cyrl, Јагодина, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Pomoravlje District in central Serbia. It is situated on the banks of the Belica (river), Belica River, in the geographical region of � ...

with 1200 warriors for Hungary. They were hospitably received by

, who gave them

(

Nagylak Nagylak ( 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 2023 had a population of 365. As of 2022 83.2% were of Hungarian nationality, 13.7% of romani ...

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

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, 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 west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

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 ( sr-Cyrl, Поморишје) is a historical geographical region on the banks of the river Mureș () that in the past has had a sizable ethnic Serb population. The region is mostly divided between Romania and Hungary, with small par ...

, 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 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 approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...

in 1474, of which he has been celebrated of in

Serbian epic poetry Serbian epic poetry () is a form of epic poetry created by Serbs originating in today's Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia. The main cycles were composed by unknown Serb authors between the 14th and 19th centu ...

. In 1476, Dmitar took part in the battle of

Pančevo Pančevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Панчево, ; ; ; ; ) is a list of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the South Banat District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is located on the shores of rivers Timiș (ri ...

, alongside Despot

Vuk Grgurević Vuk Grgurević Branković ( sr-cyrl, Вук Гргуревић Бранковић; c. 1439 – 16 April 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'' (a ...

. In 1479, Dmitar participated in the

Battle of Breadfield The Battle of Breadfield (, , ) was the most tremendous conflict fought in Transylvania up to that time in the Ottoman–Hungarian Wars, taking place on October 13, 1479, on the Breadfield near the Transylvanian Saxons, Saxon village of Șibot, ...

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 (, pronounced , Latin: Legio Nigra), also called the Black Legion/Regiment – were the military forces serving under the reign of King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary. The ancestor and core of this early standing mercenary army appe ...

, which was primarily composed of

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

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, and guile, and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, ...

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 (; 27 December 1459 – 17 June 1501) was King of Poland Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of Roy ...

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-Cyrl, Крушевац, ) is a list of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Rasina District in central Serbia. It is located in the valley of West Morava, on Rasina (river), Rasina river. According to the 202 ...

. Jovan's detachment liberated

Golubac Golubac ( sr-Cyrl, Голубац, ; ) 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 the west and ...

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

Timișoara Timișoara (, , ; , also or ; ; ; see #Etymology, other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega (Tisza), Bega River, Timișoara is consider ...

. 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 list of cities in Serbia, 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, ...

. 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'', Romanian: ''Gheorghe Doja''; – 20 July 1514) was a Székely man-at-arms from Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary who led a peasants' revolt against the kingdom's landed nobility during the reign ...

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. The landed nobility show noblesse oblige, they have duty to fulfill their social resp ...

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

Banat Banat ( , ; ; ; ) is a geographical and Historical regions of Central Europe, historical region located in the Pannonian Basin that straddles Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. It is divided among three countries: the eastern part lie ...

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. ...

. 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 indep ...

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

Battle of Mohács The Battle of Mohács (; , ) took place on 29 August 1526 near Mohács, in the Kingdom of Hungary. It was fought between the forces of Hungary, led by King Louis II of Hungary, Louis II, and the invading Ottoman Empire, commanded by Suleima ...

in 1526. The last nobility as

ktetor ''Ktetor'' () or ''ktitor'' (; ka, ქტიტორი ; ), meaning 'founder', is a title given in the Middle Ages to the provider of funds for construction or reconstruction of an Eastern Orthodox church or monastery, for the addition of icons ...

s of

Hilandar The Hilandar Monastery (, , , ) is one of the twenty Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Mount Athos in Greece and the only Serbian Orthodox monastery there. It was founded in 1198 by two Serbs from the Grand Principality of Serbia, Stefan Neman ...

, 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 () is a form of epic poetry created by Serbs originating in today's Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia. The main cycles were composed by unknown Serb authors between the 14th and 19th centu ...

Post-Kosovo cycle. * Dioba Jakšića * Dioba Jakšića (iz Crne Gore) * Jakšići kušaju svoje ljube * Jakšićima dvori poharani * Ženidba Jakšića Mitra (iz Sinja) * Ženidba Jakšića Mitra (iz Srema) * Ženidba Teodora Jakšića * Ropstvo i Ženidba Jakšića Šćepana * Dva Jakšića i sestra im Jela

Genealogy

, ''voivode'' of Despot

. **Stefan Jakšić (?-1489), married Milica Belmužević (fl. 1506) ***Dmitar Jakšić, died young. ***Stefan Jakšić (?-1520) ***Marko Jakšić (?-1537), married Polyxena of Moldavia ****Stefan Jakšić, ****Jovana Jakšić, married to Mihailo Bakić (1536) ****Jelisaveta Jakšić, married Miklós Dóczy de Dóc (Dóczy Miklós). ****Marija Jakšić, married Kelemen Ártándy de Ártánd ( Ártándy Kelemen) ****Milica (Potencija) Jakšić, married János Kendeffy. ****Margita Jakšić, married Boldizsár Patócsi. ****Sholastika Jakšić, married Domokos Dobó de Ruszka, then László Kamarás de Zelemér. ****Ana Jakšić, married Gáspár Bánffy de Losonc, then Antal Kendy. ***

Ana Jakšić Anna Glinskaya (; ; ; died ) was a Serbian and Russian noblewoman. She was the daughter of Serbian voivode Stefan Jakšić () from the Jakšić family. Her sister Jelena Jakšić () was the titular despotissa of Serbia. Anna was married to ...

, married Vasili Lvovich Glinsky ****

Elena Glinskaya Elena Vasilyevna Glinskaya (; – 4 April 1538) was the grand princess consort of Moscow as the second wife of Vasili III of Russia, and '' de facto'' regent of Russia from 1533 until her death in 1538. She was the mother of the first crowned ...

, married Vasili III Ivanovich *****

Ivan the Terrible Ivan IV Vasilyevich (; – ), commonly known as Ivan the Terrible,; ; monastic name: Jonah. was Grand Prince of Moscow, Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1533 to 1547, and the first Tsar of all Russia, Tsar and Grand Prince of all R ...

Grand Prince of Moscow The Grand Prince of Moscow (), known as the Prince of Moscow until 1389, was the ruler of the Grand Principality of Moscow. The Moscow principality was initially established in the 13th century as an appanage within the Vladimir-Suzdal grand prin ...

1547–1584 *** Jelena Jakšić, 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 (court title), despot was given to him by Hungarian king Vladislas I ...

, then Despot Jovan Berislavić ***Irina Jakšić, married Matija Hercegović Kosača, titular Duke of Saint Sava **Dmitar Jakšić (?-1486), married Jelena Branković ***Jovan Jakšić ***Dmitar Jakšić (?-1510) ***

Petar Jakšić Petar Jakšić (born 20 July 2001) is a Serbian water polo player. He represented Serbia at the 2024 Summer Olympics The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an internation ...

, married Katarina

Csáki Csáki or Csáky is a Hungarian family name. It may refer to: *Viktória Csáki, Hungarian handballer * András Csáki, Hungarian musician * Csaba Csáki, Hungarian theoretical physicist *György Csáki, a Count of the Székelys (1402–1403) * ...

(Csáki Katalin). ****Dmitar Jakšić (?-1539) ****Nikola Jakšić (?-1539) ****Jovan Jakšić (?-1543) ***

Đorđe Jakšić Đorđe ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе; transliterated Djordje) is a masculine given name of Slavic origin, common in Serbian. It is derived from Greek ''Georgios'' (''George'' in English). Other variants include: Đurđe, Đurađ, Đura, Đuro, Georgi ...

References

Sources

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

External links

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