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Emperor Jovan Nenad (?-July 26, 1527) was a leader of Serbian mercenaries in Hungary who, using a period of struggle over Hungarian throne, created his state and crowned himself for emperor. He was born in town Lipova near river Mureş, in northern Banat (today in Romania).
In the Battle of Mohacs on August 29, 1526, Ottoman Turkey destroyed the army of Hungarian-Czech king Louis Jagellion, who was killed on the battlefield. After this battle Hungary ceases to be independent state and became devided in three parts: Royal Hungary on the North and West became Austrian province, Transylvania on the East became semi-independent state under Ottoman sovereignty, and a large part of it, former Central and Southern Hungary, became part of the Ottoman Empire and Habsburg Empire.
As king Ludevit had no children, Hungary has divided into two parties: one elected John Zapolya, a respected Hungarian noble, while the other declared for the king of Hungary a Habsburg, Ferdinand, Louis' brother-in-law. A part of this struggle was leader of Serbian mercenaries Jovan Nenad, whom his contemporaries have, for his dark complexion, called Black Man.
It is not certainly known who was Jovan Nenad. He himself claimed to be descendant of Byzantine and Serbian rulers. Some of his contemporaries have considered him a descendant of Serbian despots, while others thought he was a man of low rank. Right after the battle of Mohac, he appeared between Tisa and Danube as a leader of a Serbian regiment, and for a short time he banished Turks from Bačka and started to rule it, as well as parts of Banat and Srem. He created an independent, if short-lived state, and for its capital he chose Subotica. At the peak of his power, Jovan Nenad crowned himself for a Serbian emperor.
Serbian empire of Jovan Nenad
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Serbian empire of Jovan Nenad
His army was getting bigger by the day and in the beginning of 1527 it has around 15,000 men. When his enemies have conquered Subotica, he moved his capital to Segedin.
At first Emperor Jovan Nenad has supported Zapolya, but Hungarian Nobles, whose lands in Backa he took, have estranged Zapolya from him, so in the beginning of 1527 he stood next to Ferdinand. Jovan Nenad considered struggle around the Hungarian throne just a temporary occupation, while for his primary task he took fight against Turks for liberation of Serb lands. In the first half of 1527, Ferdinand was outside of Hungary, preparing to fight Zapolya, who was during that time sending armies after Jovan Nenad, wishing to destroy him before Ferdinand could come to Hungary.
The first Zapolya's army, led by Vladislav Csaky, was defeated by Jovan Nenad in early April, and Csaky himself was killed in the battle. The second army, led by duke of Erdely Petar Periny, was beaten by Jovan in late April near Seles on Tisa, while Periny has barely managed to rescue himself. The third army, which encompassed entire strength of Erdely and upper Hungary, led by Periny and bishop Cibak has won, at the end of june, on the Sedfal field a victory over Jovan's army, where around 8,000 of his men were slained. After a month, he managed to recover from this terrible defeat and recover his troops. By this time Ferdinand's army has entered Hungary too, and so Emperor Jovan moved to meet it. On his way he visited Segedin, where a Zapolya's supporter ambushed and shot him, so he died of wound on July 26, 1527 in Tornjos near Segedin. Ferdinand's army was met with weak resistance, as Zapolya's forces were weakened and tired by fights against Emperor Jovan, and so Ferdinand did for a short time banished Zapolya from Hungary. Soon afther the death of Emperor Jovan, his army has dispersed, which was the end of his state.
As the time passed, Emperor Jovan Nenad became a legendary figure for Serbs. Many historians consider him as a founder of today's Vojvodina, and in Subotica a monument to him iserected with inscription "Your thought has won" (Твоја је мисао победила). His thought is present day Vojvodina.
Monument to Emperor Jovan Nenad in Subotica
Serbian empire of Jovan Nenad
In the Battle of Mohacs on August 29, 1526, Ottoman Turkey destroyed the army of Hungarian-Czech king Louis Jagellion, who was killed on the battlefield. After this battle Hungary ceases to be independent state and became devided in three parts: Royal Hungary on the North and West became Austrian province, Transylvania on the East became semi-independent state under Ottoman sovereignty, and a large part of it, former Central and Southern Hungary, became part of the Ottoman Empire and Habsburg Empire.
As king Ludevit had no children, Hungary has divided into two parties: one elected John Zapolya, a respected Hungarian noble, while the other declared for the king of Hungary a Habsburg, Ferdinand, Louis' brother-in-law. A part of this struggle was leader of Serbian mercenaries Jovan Nenad, whom his contemporaries have, for his dark complexion, called Black Man.
It is not certainly known who was Jovan Nenad. He himself claimed to be descendant of Byzantine and Serbian rulers. Some of his contemporaries have considered him a descendant of Serbian despots, while others thought he was a man of low rank. Right after the battle of Mohac, he appeared between Tisa and Danube as a leader of a Serbian regiment, and for a short time he banished Turks from Bačka and started to rule it, as well as parts of Banat and Srem. He created an independent, if short-lived state, and for its capital he chose Subotica. At the peak of his power, Jovan Nenad crowned himself for a Serbian emperor.
Serbian empire of Jovan Nenad
Enlarge
Serbian empire of Jovan Nenad
His army was getting bigger by the day and in the beginning of 1527 it has around 15,000 men. When his enemies have conquered Subotica, he moved his capital to Segedin.
At first Emperor Jovan Nenad has supported Zapolya, but Hungarian Nobles, whose lands in Backa he took, have estranged Zapolya from him, so in the beginning of 1527 he stood next to Ferdinand. Jovan Nenad considered struggle around the Hungarian throne just a temporary occupation, while for his primary task he took fight against Turks for liberation of Serb lands. In the first half of 1527, Ferdinand was outside of Hungary, preparing to fight Zapolya, who was during that time sending armies after Jovan Nenad, wishing to destroy him before Ferdinand could come to Hungary.
The first Zapolya's army, led by Vladislav Csaky, was defeated by Jovan Nenad in early April, and Csaky himself was killed in the battle. The second army, led by duke of Erdely Petar Periny, was beaten by Jovan in late April near Seles on Tisa, while Periny has barely managed to rescue himself. The third army, which encompassed entire strength of Erdely and upper Hungary, led by Periny and bishop Cibak has won, at the end of june, on the Sedfal field a victory over Jovan's army, where around 8,000 of his men were slained. After a month, he managed to recover from this terrible defeat and recover his troops. By this time Ferdinand's army has entered Hungary too, and so Emperor Jovan moved to meet it. On his way he visited Segedin, where a Zapolya's supporter ambushed and shot him, so he died of wound on July 26, 1527 in Tornjos near Segedin. Ferdinand's army was met with weak resistance, as Zapolya's forces were weakened and tired by fights against Emperor Jovan, and so Ferdinand did for a short time banished Zapolya from Hungary. Soon afther the death of Emperor Jovan, his army has dispersed, which was the end of his state.
As the time passed, Emperor Jovan Nenad became a legendary figure for Serbs. Many historians consider him as a founder of today's Vojvodina, and in Subotica a monument to him iserected with inscription "Your thought has won" (Твоја је мисао победила). His thought is present day Vojvodina.
Monument to Emperor Jovan Nenad in Subotica
Serbian empire of Jovan Nenad
