Stojan Janković

Hrvatski biografski leksikon Stojan Janković

Explanation of name His given name was Stojan, his father was Janko Mitrović, hence Stojan Janković. Alternate name, his grandfather was Mitar, hence Stojan Mitrović

The major actor of the Venetian pro-immigration policies in the Ottoman territories during the Morean War was Stojan Janković Mitrović. Since the beginning of the war until his death in 1687, (which in folk traditions was related with the migration of a great number of the Ottoman Christian subjects from Rama in central Bosnia123) he led more than one thousand Morlachs under the Venetian rule. Moreover, the Venetian Senate knew to appreciate this by rewarding him repeatedly since the Candian War, including giving him the title of Cavaliere di San Marco124.

124 More about the role and influence of Stojan Janković in the Morean War see in ROKSANDIĆ, Triplex Confinium, p. 159-165. In the document issued by the Venetian Senate on 8th March 1670 Stojan Janković was entitled the Cavalier of St. Marco, it is emphasised that he brought numerous immigrants under the Venetian flag; see ASV, Senato Registri, 136, f. 9r: “ Hanno quelli della famiglia Mitrovich doppo haver abbandonato la Patria e il Paese Turchesco vivendo sotto questa fede, e con l’haver persecato molte case diportati sotto l’insegno della S. N. procurato gl’incontri più azzardosi anzi incontrando l’occasioni di cimentare le proprie vite godere gl’attestati de publici Rappresentanti della loro devotione e corraggio”.

In 1672 Morlachs finally had to withdraw from the territories of the new, but then lost Venetian properties. Governor General Zorzi Morosini ordered Morlach leader Stojan Janković Mitrović and General (Zuane Rados) Ivan Radoš who enjoyed respect and authority amongst the Morlachs, to move them closer to the Dalmatian cities and Venetian territory212 212 ASV, Senato Mar, Dispacci di Provveditori da Terra e Mar, Busta 382, No. 50. ASV, Senato Dispacci, Provveditori da Terra e Mar, Busta 382, No. 100: Governor General Zorzi Morosini in 1672 ordered to Colonel Rados to stop trespasses of border and confiscate cattle of those who continued passing the state border because of pastures in Bukovica.

As the situation with the increasing number of Morlachs immigrants as well as the tensions with the Ottomans grew, Governor General Lorenzo Donà had to establish a new position in the hierarchy of the local leaders. He entitled Count Ivan Radoš (Zuane Rados) as sopraintendente dei Morlacchi286 or Collonello della Natione Oltramarina287 286 MILUTINOVIĆ, Od Stojana Jankovića, p. 15. 287 ASV, Senato Mar, Registro, No. 138, f. 67v.

When in January 1671 Colonel Possedaria died, he was followed by his nephew also Francesco Possedaria. He was chosen as collonello e governatore of Nona308, but he needed to be publicly approved. Therefore in the meantime Count Radoš was sent to supervise this territory as temporary colonel and governor309 308 DAZ, Knjige Nina, book 5, f. 66r-66v, Copia tratta dal Libro Registro, elezioni, terminazioni publice e private sotto Giorgio Morosini, Provveditore Generale in Dalmazia et Albania.

Colonel Radoš was in charge of the new Morlach inhabitants and their settlement in different Venetian villages in contado di Zara. In February 1672 he settled 25 families from Ivosevzi and 11 of the Butoraz tribe in Boccagnazzo46 46 DESNICA, Istorija kotarskih, I, p. 162.

In June 1672 Governor General Zorzi Morosini sent Colonel Radoš to stop the immigration of ten families from San Giorgio into Venetian territory

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1. # Mayhew - Zadar between Ottoman and Venetian rules 1645-1718

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As he succeeded in escaping from captivity in Istanbul, Stojan Janković was already a favourite of folk songs, and the "Captivity of Janković Stojan" was one of the more popular and not just in the triple-borderlands.41 All this testifies that the burden of the defeat at Obrovac did not fall on Stojan Janković. If this had been the case he would not have been given the Order of St. Mark, and he would not have been given a deputy with such express limitations. By following documents that have been preserved, we may conclude that his status in the Venetian army grew for he himself, in accord with the norms of the time, on 15th January 1670, that is after the end of the Cretan war, giving detailed accounts of his family's and his own part in the wars, sought from the Venetian doge the position of captain of the cavalry and public acknowledgement. (Desnica 1, 141-142). His request was relatively quickly granted by a decision of the Senate on 13th March 1670, where it says of him: "sia fatto kavalier nel collegio nostro da sua serenità et dattagli in dono una colana d'oro con medaglia di San Marco per valore de ducati cento bona valuta, ..."42 The post-war good fortune of Stojan Janković continued, for on 10th august 1670 he was given houses and land belonging to Yusuf-aga Tunić in Greek Islam and 400 gonyals of land "di terreni arativi, vignati, prativi et inculti nelli confini presenti"40

4 1 Andreis in his Storia della città di Traù (History of the City of Trogir) writes about this: "The Venetian borderlands mourned the loss of almost 400 of its men, and Miljković and Janković were taken captive, and as respected people taken to Istanbul and held in the Sultan's court; but in the end, by the will of God, they escaped and returned to the territory of the Republic, which rewarded them, and moreover gave Janković gifts and the title of a Knight of St. Mark." Milutinovic, 1971, 222. "During the captivity of Stojan Janković in Istanbul, the Morlachs chose his replacement (with the title "Vice Harambassa"), Pavao Unčević, who "would carry out his duties until the said Stojan was free," which may be seen in the document drawn up by the general provveditore Cornaro, dated in Zadar 6th May 1666." Milutinovic, 1971, 222.

Count Ivan Radoš, with his experience of the Cretan war, at that time was given the position of "soprattendente" over all Morlachs in Dalmatia (Desnica 1, 336-337, 346).

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1. # Drago Roksandić, Nataša Štefanec (eds) CEU - Constructing border societies on the Triplex Confinium

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In the 17th-century, Stojan Janković was one of the Morlach leaders in Dalmatia. In the summer of 1685, Cosmi, the Archbishop of Split, wrote that Stojan had brought 300 families with him to Dalmatia, and also that around Trogir and Split there were 5000 refugees from Turkish lands, without food - seen as a serious threat to the defense of Dalmatia. Grain sent by the Pope proved insufficient, and they were forced to launch expeditions into Turkish territory.

from Migrations in Balkan history. p. 80 by Ivan Ninić