Miloradović Noble Family
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The Miloradović ( sr-Cyrl, Милорадовић) or later Stjepanović (Стјепановић), whose paternal parent house was Hrabren (Храбрен), were an Eastern Orthodox Bosnian Vlach noble family and a '' katun'' clan from Hum, and later
Sanjak of Herzegovina The Sanjak of Herzegovina (; ) was an Ottoman administrative unit established in 1470. The seat was in Foča until 1572 when it was moved to Taşlıca (Pljevlja). The sanjak was initially part of the Eyalet of Rumelia but was administrated int ...
, parts of present-day
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
, and whose some later branches embraced the Bosnian Serb ethnic identity, while others converted to Islam and became
Bosnian Muslims The Bosniaks (, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia, today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who share a common ancestry, culture, history and the ...
(modern days'
Bosniaks The Bosniaks (, Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia (region), Bosnia, today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who sha ...
). The members of the family served the
Kingdom of Bosnia The Kingdom of Bosnia ( / Краљевина Босна), or Bosnian Kingdom (''Bosansko kraljevstvo'' / Босанско краљевство), was a medieval kingdom that lasted for nearly a century, from 1377 to 1463, and evolved out of the ...
, 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 ...
, and 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 ...
. One branch of the Miloradović's established themselves as military leaders of
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
and were adopted into the
Russian nobility The Russian nobility or ''dvoryanstvo'' () arose in the Middle Ages. In 1914, it consisted of approximately 1,900,000 members, out of a total population of 138,200,000. Up until the February Revolution of 1917, the Russian noble estates staffed ...
. The family left behind several cultural-historical monuments important to Bosnian and Herzegovinian heritage, protected as such by the KONS state agency and the
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
.


Family background

It is deduced from written monuments that the Miloradović's
progenitor In genealogy, a progenitor (rarer: primogenitor; or ''Ahnherr'') is the founder (sometimes one that is legendary) of a family, line of descent, gens, clan, tribe, noble house, or ethnic group.. Ebenda''Ahnherr:''"Stammvater eines Geschlec ...
was Milorad Hrabren, of Hrabren klan from Donji Vlasi in Hum ''zemlja'', in present-day
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
, at the time part of
Bosnian Kingdom The Kingdom of Bosnia ( / Краљевина Босна), or Bosnian Kingdom (''Bosansko kraljevstvo'' / Босанско краљевство), was a medieval kingdom that lasted for nearly a century, from 1377 to 1463, and evolved out of the ...
. The family patronymic changed over time, and later surname Stjepanović also fared prominently. Ethnically they were Bosnian Vlachs and a '' katun'' clan, who distinguished themselves in service of local
Slavic Slavic, Slav or Slavonic may refer to: Peoples * Slavic peoples, an ethno-linguistic group living in Europe and Asia ** East Slavic peoples, eastern group of Slavic peoples ** South Slavic peoples, southern group of Slavic peoples ** West Slav ...
lords and became noble family, with members gaining status of '' vojvodas'' and ''
knyaz A , also , ''knjaz'' or (), is a historical Slavs, Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times. It is usually translated into English language, English as 'prince', 'king' or 'duke', depending on specific historical c ...
s''. They flourished later under Ottomans in
Sanjak of Herzegovina The Sanjak of Herzegovina (; ) was an Ottoman administrative unit established in 1470. The seat was in Foča until 1572 when it was moved to Taşlıca (Pljevlja). The sanjak was initially part of the Eyalet of Rumelia but was administrated int ...
as prominent Bosnian Ottoman nobility. An Eastern Orthodox by religion, some later branches embraced Bosnian Serb ethnic identity, while other converted to Islam and became
Bosnian Muslims The Bosniaks (, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia, today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who share a common ancestry, culture, history and the ...
(today
Bosniaks The Bosniaks (, Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia (region), Bosnia, today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who sha ...
). The members of the family served the Bosnian Kingdom,
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 ...
,
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 ...
. One branch of Miloradovićs established themselves as military leaders of
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
, and were adopted into
Russian nobility The Russian nobility or ''dvoryanstvo'' () arose in the Middle Ages. In 1914, it consisted of approximately 1,900,000 members, out of a total population of 138,200,000. Up until the February Revolution of 1917, the Russian noble estates staffed ...
.Schultz, C. C. (2004). . Taleon Club Magazine
2004 no. 8
Retrieved 2011-07-16. Archived fro
the original
on 2006-01-12, p. 70.
Treasure, Geoffrey (1985).
The making of modern Europe, 1648-1780
'. Routledge. , , pp. 611-618


Middle Ages

The
progenitor In genealogy, a progenitor (rarer: primogenitor; or ''Ahnherr'') is the founder (sometimes one that is legendary) of a family, line of descent, gens, clan, tribe, noble house, or ethnic group.. Ebenda''Ahnherr:''"Stammvater eines Geschlec ...
of Hrabren-Miloradović family was Milorad Hrabren, chieftain of Vlachs from Donji Vlasi. Milorad lived in the second half of the 14th century. In 1416, his son, Stipan (Stjepan), is mentioned in appeal by
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 a nobleman who fought in the Lower Neretva near Slivno along Petar Pavlović against
Sandalj Hranić Sandalj Hranić Kosača ( cyrl, Сандаљ Хранић Косача; 1370 – 15 March 1435) was a powerful Bosnian nobleman whose primary possessions consisted of Hum, land areas between Adriatic coast, the Neretva and the Drina rivers ...
and his Ottoman allies, in a quarrel between two most powerful Bosnian magnate families at the time, the Pavlović's and the Hranić's. Stjepan Miloradović had three sons: Petar Stjepanović, first mentioned in 1473 and the last time in 1486; Radoja Stjepanović, who died between 1475–1477, and Vukić Stjepanović, who was mentioned for the last time in 1496. They had land possessions between
Stolac Stolac ( sr-Cyrl, Столац) is an ancient city located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the region of Herzegovina. Stolac is one of the oldest cit ...
and
Mostar Mostar () is a city and the administrative centre of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina. Mostar is situated on the Neretva Riv ...
. Radimlja, near
Stolac Stolac ( sr-Cyrl, Столац) is an ancient city located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the region of Herzegovina. Stolac is one of the oldest cit ...
, was in their possession, and the famous graveyard with ''stećci'' there was most likely the clan's main
burial ground A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many dead people are buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ) implies th ...
, as a number of family members, at least five, have been buried there. There are
epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
s on five medieval ''stećak'' referring to the Miloradović family.


Ottoman period

During the Ottoman period, some members of the family were Christian
sipahi The ''sipahi'' ( , ) were professional cavalrymen deployed by the Seljuk Turks and later by the Ottoman Empire. ''Sipahi'' units included the land grant–holding ('' timar'') provincial ''timarli sipahi'', which constituted most of the arm ...
s. As Ottoman subjects, they were given privileges and possessions, some of which they used to erect churches and founded one monastery. The various family members in various times erected four of such buildings: the Church of Peter and Paul in Ošanići was built prior to 1505, its founder was duke Radoslav, the Church of St. Nicholas in Trijebanj, 15 km from the town of
Stolac Stolac ( sr-Cyrl, Столац) is an ancient city located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the region of Herzegovina. Stolac is one of the oldest cit ...
, is erected in 1534 as an endowment of duke Radoje Hrabren, in
Klepci Klepci is a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the 1991 census, the village is located in the Municipalities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, municipality of Čapljina. Demographics According to the 2013 census, its population was 163. ...
, the Church of the Transfiguration of Christ (St Luke), built by
sipahi The ''sipahi'' ( , ) were professional cavalrymen deployed by the Seljuk Turks and later by the Ottoman Empire. ''Sipahi'' units included the land grant–holding ('' timar'') provincial ''timarli sipahi'', which constituted most of the arm ...
Milisav Hrabren-Miloradović, most likely near the end of the 16th century, and the
Žitomislić monastery The Žitomislić Monastery ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Манастир Житомислић, Manastir Žitomislić, ) is а Serbian Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Annunciation and located near Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. History Building In 15 ...
in 1566 by duke Petar and his brother Ivan (with the Church of the Holy Annunciation in 1603). Brothers Petar and Vukić Hrabren founded the '' katun'' which was part of the Vlach group ''Donji Vlasi'' () of Blagaj
nahiye A nāḥiyah ( , plural ''nawāḥī'' ), also nahiyeh, nahiya or nahia, is a regional or local type of administrative division that usually consists of a number of villages or sometimes smaller towns. In Tajikistan, it is a second-level divisi ...
. This ''katun'' was the largest with 127 houses and 16 unmarried persons, out of 37 ''katuns'' with a total of 1383 houses and 177 unmarried persons. At the time, Petar Stjepanovič-Hrabren, along with knezs Vukac, Pavko, Stipan and Radivoj Popratović, was included in the order of Ragusan citizens, as well as in the Ottoman
timariot Timariot (or ''tımar'' holder; ''tımarlı'' in Turkish) was the name given to a Sipahi cavalryman in the Ottoman army. In return for service, each timariot received a parcel of revenue called a timar, a fief, which were usually recently conqu ...
. When the Ottoman
feudal system Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structuring socie ...
, which they were part of, started falling apart in Herzegovina in the 16th and 17th centuries, the clan started dispersing itself as they felt unsafe. The Miloradovići in Dubrava remained in Ottoman service as
sipahi The ''sipahi'' ( , ) were professional cavalrymen deployed by the Seljuk Turks and later by the Ottoman Empire. ''Sipahi'' units included the land grant–holding ('' timar'') provincial ''timarli sipahi'', which constituted most of the arm ...
with the Sultan's grant until the mid-17th century, when more Ottomanized nobility, which had the ruling power, pushed them aside.


Miloradovich branch in the Russian Empire

Since the 17th century some Miloradović members migrated to Russia, with occasional visits to Herzegovina carrying gifts and Church books. Mihailo Miloradović (ca. 1650–1725) and
Metropolitan Danilo I Petrović-Njegoš Danilo I Petrović-Njegoš (; 1670 – 11 January 1735) was the Metropolitan of Cetinje between 1697 and 1735, the first ''de facto'' vladika of Montenegro, and the founder of the House of Petrović-Njegoš—which ruled Montenegro from 1697 to 1 ...
had been recruited by
Peter I of Russia Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned jointly with his half-brother Ivan V until 1696. From this year, ...
to incite rebellion in Herzegovina against the Ottomans in 1710–11 (during the
Pruth River Campaign The Prut (also spelled in English as Pruth; , ) is a river in Eastern Europe. It is a left tributary of the Danube, and is long. Part of its course forms Romania's border with Moldova and Ukraine. Characteristics The Prut originates on the eas ...
), but after unsuccessful attempts Mihailo was forced to flee Herzegovina to
Little Russia Little Russia, also known as Lesser Russia, Malorussia, or Little Rus', is a geographical and historical term used to describe Ukraine. At the beginning of the 14th century, the patriarch of Constantinople accepted the distinction between wha ...
where he joined Peter's service as a colonel.Schultz, C. C. (2004). . Taleon Club Magazine
2004 no. 8
Retrieved 2011-07-16. Archived fro
the original
on 2006-01-12.
Among Mihailo's descendants and prominent members of this branch were his grandson
Andrei Miloradovich Andrei Stepanovich Miloradovich (Russian: Андре́й Степа́нович Милора́дович; 1727–2 May 1796) was a Russian military leader, statesman and lieutenant general. He is the father of general Mikhail Miloradovich. B ...
(1726–1796), a governor, and, most importantly,
Mikhail Miloradovich Count Mikhail Andreyevich Miloradovich (, , ; – ), spelled Miloradovitch in contemporary English sources, was a Russian general prominent during the Napoleonic Wars. On his father’s side, Miloradovich descended from the Serb noble family ...
(1771–1825), a Russian general who stood out in the course of the
Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
. Count Grigorije Miloradović-Hrabren (1839–1905), a Russian colonel, visited monastery Žitomislić in 1883.


Legacy

Most important cultural and religious legacy of Hrabren-Miloradović are Radimlja family cemetery near Stolac, three churches, church in
Klepci Klepci is a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the 1991 census, the village is located in the Municipalities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, municipality of Čapljina. Demographics According to the 2013 census, its population was 163. ...
the end of the 16th century, 1505 church in Ošanići, 1534 church in Trijebanj, and the monastery from the second half of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th century in Žitomislić. Family members who emigrated to
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
rose to prominence, as high-ranking Imperial army officials. Those members of Miloradović-Stjepanović who remained in
Žitomislić Žitomislić may refer to: * Žitomislić (village), located near Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina * Žitomislić Monastery The Žitomislić Monastery ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Манастир Житомислић, Manastir Žitomislić, ) is а Serbian ...
have taken collective surname Ljoljić and Kuzman, while those who converted to Islam have taken surname Opijač and today live in Dubrave at the outskirts of
Stolac Stolac ( sr-Cyrl, Столац) is an ancient city located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the region of Herzegovina. Stolac is one of the oldest cit ...
not far from Žitomislić. From the Dubrava family, Jeronim Miloradović-Hrabren became an Austrian officer in the 18th century.


Annotations


References


Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Miloradovic noble family History of Herzegovina Bosnian noble families Kingdom of Bosnia Ottoman period in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina Ottoman Bosnian nobility Nobility of Herzegovina Burials in Radimlja Vlachs in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina