Hajduk
Encyclopedia
Hajduk is a term most commonly referring to outlaw
s, highwaymen
or freedom fighters in the Balkans
, Central-
and Eastern Europe
.
In Balkan folkloric tradition, the hajduk (hajduci or haiduci in the plural) is a romanticised hero figure who steals from, and leads his fighters into battle against, the Ottoman
authorities. They are comparable to the English
legend of Robin Hood
and his merry men, who stole from the rich (which in the case of the hajduci happened to be also foreign occupants
) and gave to the poor, while participating in a small guerrilla war against an unjust authority.
In reality, the hajduci of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries were as much guerrilla fighters against the Ottoman rule as they were bandits and highwaymen
who preyed not only on Ottomans and their local representatives, but also on local merchants and travellers. As such, the term could also refer to any robber and carry a negative connotation.
word haiduk or hayduk, which was originally used by the Ottomans
to refer to Hungarian
infantry soldiers. Another theory suggests that the word comes from the Hungarian
hajtó or "hajdó" (plural hajtók or "hajdók"), meaning a (cattle) drover. Indeed, these two theories do not necessarily contradict each other, as the Balkan word is said to be derived from the Turkish word haiduk or hayduk (bandit), while the Turkish is in turn believed to have been borrowed from Hungarian
and to have originally referred to Hungarian mercenaries who guarded the Hungarian-Turkish border.
Forms of the word in various languages include:
, led an insurrection against the Habsburg
Emperor
, whose army had recently occupied Transylvania
and begun a reign of terror. The bulk of Bocskay's army was composed of serf
s who had either fled from the war and the Habsburg drive toward Catholic
conversion, or been discharged from the Imperial Army. These peasant
s were known as the hajduk, a term associated in the Hungarian language
with the cattle drovers of the Great Plains. As a reward for their service, Bocskay emancipated the hajduk from the jurisdiction of their lords, granted them land, and guaranteed them rights to own property and to personal freedom. The emancipated hajduk constituted a new "warrior estate" within Hungarian feudal society. Many of the settlements created at this time still bear the prefix Hajdú such as Hajdúbagos, Hajdúböszörmény, Hajdúdorog, Hajdúhadház, Hajdúnánás, Hajdúsámson, Hajdúszoboszló, Hajdúszovát, Hajdúvid etc., and the whole area is called Hajdúság (Land of the Hajduk) (see Hajdú County
).
from Hungarian in the late 16th century. It was initially a colloquial term for a style of footsoldier, Hungarian or Turco-Balkan in inspiration, that formed the backbone of the Polish infantry arm from the 1570s until about the 1630s. Unusually for this period, Polish-Lithuanian hajduks wore uniform
s, typically of grey-blue woollen cloth, with red collar and cuffs. Their principal weapon was a small calibre matchlock
firearm, known as an arquebus
. For close combat they also carried a heavy variety of sabre
, capable of hacking off the heads of enemy pike
s and polearms. Contrary to popular opinion, the small axe they often wore tucked in their belt (not to be confused with the huge half-moon shaped berdysz axe, which was seldom carried by hajduks) was not a combat weapon, but rather was intended for cutting wood.
In the mid 17th century hajduk-style infantry largely fell out of fashion in Poland-Lithuania, and were replaced by musket
-armed infantry of Western style. However, commanders or hetman
s of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
continued to maintain their own liveried bodyguards of hajduks, well into the 18th century as something of a throwback to the past, even though they were now rarely used as field troops. In imitation of these bodyguards, in the 18th century wealthy members of the szlachta
hired liveried domestic servants who they called hajduks, thereby creating the meaning of the term 'hajduk' as it is generally understood in modern Polish.
; Serbian football teams Hajduk Kula
, FK Hajduk Beograd
, FK Hajduk Veljko
and Hajduk Lion; the Macedonian football team FK Hajduk - Vratnica; the pop-music project Haiducii
, and Romanian Roma musical troupe Taraful Haiducilor
are all named after the hajduci. The surnames of the fictional character George Washington Hayduke, invented by Edward Abbey
, actress Stacy Haiduk
, US national soccer team defender Frankie Hejduk
and Czech Republic national ice hockey team forward Milan Hejduk
, are likewise derived from this word.
The term "haiduci" was used by the Romania
n resistance movement
Haiducii Muscelului
, between 1947 and 1959, which opposed the Soviet occupation and the Communist government
.
studies Primitive Rebels and Bandits by historian Eric Hobsbawm
, hajduks started appearing in western social and anthropological
literature. Hobsbawm invented the term "social bandit" to describe outlaws who operate on the edges of rural societies by fighting against authorities and sometimes helping the ordinary people. There has always been a degree of fluidity in their status, whereby, as described by John Koliopoulos
in his study of Greek
klephts, Brigands with a Cause, brigands would sometimes change sides and start acting on behalf of the authorities to preserve peace and suppress banditry, and vice-versa.
From the early 1980s, sociological studies started narrating the stories of hajduks, klephts, bandits, brigands, outlaws, rebels, and pirates in all parts of the planet, from Australia
to republican China
, the Balkans
, the American
Wild West, Cuba
and Mexico
.
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
s, highwaymen
Highwayman
A highwayman was a thief and brigand who preyed on travellers. This type of outlaw, usually, travelled and robbed by horse, as compared to a footpad who traveled and robbed on foot. Mounted robbers were widely considered to be socially superior to footpads...
or freedom fighters in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, Central-
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
.
In Balkan folkloric tradition, the hajduk (hajduci or haiduci in the plural) is a romanticised hero figure who steals from, and leads his fighters into battle against, the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
authorities. They are comparable to the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
legend of Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
and his merry men, who stole from the rich (which in the case of the hajduci happened to be also foreign occupants
Military occupation
Military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army. The territory then becomes occupied territory.-Military occupation and the laws of war:...
) and gave to the poor, while participating in a small guerrilla war against an unjust authority.
In reality, the hajduci of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries were as much guerrilla fighters against the Ottoman rule as they were bandits and highwaymen
Highwayman
A highwayman was a thief and brigand who preyed on travellers. This type of outlaw, usually, travelled and robbed by horse, as compared to a footpad who traveled and robbed on foot. Mounted robbers were widely considered to be socially superior to footpads...
who preyed not only on Ottomans and their local representatives, but also on local merchants and travellers. As such, the term could also refer to any robber and carry a negative connotation.
Etymology
The etymology of the word "hajduk" is unclear. One theory is that hajduk was derived from the TurkishTurkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
word haiduk or hayduk, which was originally used by the Ottomans
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
to refer to Hungarian
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
infantry soldiers. Another theory suggests that the word comes from the Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
hajtó or "hajdó" (plural hajtók or "hajdók"), meaning a (cattle) drover. Indeed, these two theories do not necessarily contradict each other, as the Balkan word is said to be derived from the Turkish word haiduk or hayduk (bandit), while the Turkish is in turn believed to have been borrowed from Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
and to have originally referred to Hungarian mercenaries who guarded the Hungarian-Turkish border.
Forms of the word in various languages include:
|
French language French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts... ) Italian language Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia... ) Hungarian language Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe.... ) Macedonian language Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora... ) Polish language Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries... ) Portuguese language Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095... ) Romanian language Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova... ) |
Serbian language Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries.... ), meaning sometimes "policeman" in older usage Swedish language Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish... ) Turkish language Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,... ) Kurdish language Kurdish is a dialect continuum spoken by the Kurds in western Asia. It is part of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian group of Indo-European languages.... ) Russian language Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics... ) Haidamaka The haidamakas, also haidamaky or haidamaks , were paramilitary bands in 18th-century Ukraine. The haidamak movement was formed mostly of local Cossacks and peasantry , against the Polish nobility in right-bank Ukraine... ) (Ukrainian Ukrainian language Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet.... ) Yiddish language Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages... ) |
Hungary
In 1604-1606, István Bocskay, Lord of BiharBihar (county)
Bihar is the name of a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is presently mostly in northwestern Romania, where it is administered as Bihor County, and a smaller part in eastern Hungary...
, led an insurrection against the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
Emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
, whose army had recently occupied Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
and begun a reign of terror. The bulk of Bocskay's army was composed of serf
SERF
A spin exchange relaxation-free magnetometer is a type of magnetometer developed at Princeton University in the early 2000s. SERF magnetometers measure magnetic fields by using lasers to detect the interaction between alkali metal atoms in a vapor and the magnetic field.The name for the technique...
s who had either fled from the war and the Habsburg drive toward Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
conversion, or been discharged from the Imperial Army. These peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
s were known as the hajduk, a term associated in the Hungarian language
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
with the cattle drovers of the Great Plains. As a reward for their service, Bocskay emancipated the hajduk from the jurisdiction of their lords, granted them land, and guaranteed them rights to own property and to personal freedom. The emancipated hajduk constituted a new "warrior estate" within Hungarian feudal society. Many of the settlements created at this time still bear the prefix Hajdú such as Hajdúbagos, Hajdúböszörmény, Hajdúdorog, Hajdúhadház, Hajdúnánás, Hajdúsámson, Hajdúszoboszló, Hajdúszovát, Hajdúvid etc., and the whole area is called Hajdúság (Land of the Hajduk) (see Hajdú County
Hajdú (county)
Hajdú, formerly known as Hajdúság, is the name of a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary in present-day eastern Hungary. The capital of the county was Debrecen...
).
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The word hajduk entered the Polish languagePolish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
from Hungarian in the late 16th century. It was initially a colloquial term for a style of footsoldier, Hungarian or Turco-Balkan in inspiration, that formed the backbone of the Polish infantry arm from the 1570s until about the 1630s. Unusually for this period, Polish-Lithuanian hajduks wore uniform
Uniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
s, typically of grey-blue woollen cloth, with red collar and cuffs. Their principal weapon was a small calibre matchlock
Matchlock
The matchlock was the first mechanism, or "lock" invented to facilitate the firing of a hand-held firearm. This design removed the need to lower by hand a lit match into the weapon's flash pan and made it possible to have both hands free to keep a firm grip on the weapon at the moment of firing,...
firearm, known as an arquebus
Arquebus
The arquebus , or "hook tube", is an early muzzle-loaded firearm used in the 15th to 17th centuries. The word was originally modeled on the German hakenbüchse; this produced haquebute...
. For close combat they also carried a heavy variety of sabre
Sabre
The sabre or saber is a kind of backsword that usually has a curved, single-edged blade and a rather large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger...
, capable of hacking off the heads of enemy pike
Pike (weapon)
A pike is a pole weapon, a very long thrusting spear used extensively by infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. Unlike many similar weapons, the pike is not intended to be thrown. Pikes were used regularly in European warfare from the...
s and polearms. Contrary to popular opinion, the small axe they often wore tucked in their belt (not to be confused with the huge half-moon shaped berdysz axe, which was seldom carried by hajduks) was not a combat weapon, but rather was intended for cutting wood.
In the mid 17th century hajduk-style infantry largely fell out of fashion in Poland-Lithuania, and were replaced by musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
-armed infantry of Western style. However, commanders or hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
s of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
continued to maintain their own liveried bodyguards of hajduks, well into the 18th century as something of a throwback to the past, even though they were now rarely used as field troops. In imitation of these bodyguards, in the 18th century wealthy members of the szlachta
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
hired liveried domestic servants who they called hajduks, thereby creating the meaning of the term 'hajduk' as it is generally understood in modern Polish.
Cultural influence
The Croatian football team HNK Hajduk SplitHNK Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian football club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Poljud Stadium and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and...
; Serbian football teams Hajduk Kula
FK Hajduk Rodic M&B Kula
Fudbalski klub Hajduk Kula is a Serbian football club based in Kula that play in the Serbian SuperLiga.-Beginning: KAFK:...
, FK Hajduk Beograd
FK Hajduk Beograd
FK Hajduk Beograd is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia.-Recent seasons:1 Championship abandoned officially on May 14, 1999 due to the NATO attacks on FR Yugoslavia.-Current squad:...
, FK Hajduk Veljko
FK Hajduk Veljko
FK Hajduk Veljko is a football club based in Negotin, Serbia.-References:* ast FSRIS....
and Hajduk Lion; the Macedonian football team FK Hajduk - Vratnica; the pop-music project Haiducii
Haiducii
- Life :Mitrache was born in Bucharest, Romania. After winning the title of Miss Bucharest, she became a singer, model, and actress. She sings in Romanian, in English and in Russian. She participated as the international host of the Festival di Sanremo 2004, and of "Stasera pago io revolution" of...
, and Romanian Roma musical troupe Taraful Haiducilor
Taraful Haiducilor
Taraf de Haïdouks are a taraf, i.e., a troupe of Romani-Romanian lăutari from the town of Clejani, the most prominent such group in Romania in the post-Communist Era. In the Western world it it has become known by way of French-speaking areas, where they are known as "Taraf de...
are all named after the hajduci. The surnames of the fictional character George Washington Hayduke, invented by Edward Abbey
Edward Abbey
Edward Paul Abbey was an American author and essayist noted for his advocacy of environmental issues, criticism of public land policies, and anarchist political views. His best-known works include the novel The Monkey Wrench Gang, which has been cited as an inspiration by radical environmental...
, actress Stacy Haiduk
Stacy Haiduk
Stacy Haiduk is an American actress. She is known for playing Lana Lang on Superboy from 1988 to 1992, Katherine Hitchcock on season 1 of seaQuest DSV from 1993 to 1994, Hannah Nichols on All My Children from 2007 to 2008, and the dual roles of Patty Williams and Dr...
, US national soccer team defender Frankie Hejduk
Frankie Hejduk
Frank Daniel "Frankie" Hejduk is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer. He formerly played as right back for Columbus Crew, where he was team captain, and the United States national team.-Youth and College:Hejduk attended San Dieguito High...
and Czech Republic national ice hockey team forward Milan Hejduk
Milan Hejduk
Milan Hejduk is a Czech professional ice hockey forward and the captain for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
, are likewise derived from this word.
The term "haiduci" was used by the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n resistance movement
Resistance movement
A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups, dedicated to opposing an invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign state. It may seek to achieve its objects through either the use of nonviolent resistance or the use of armed force...
Haiducii Muscelului
Romanian anti-communist resistance movement
An armed resistance movement against the communist regime in Romania was active from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s, with isolated individual fighters remaining at large until the early 1960s. Armed resistance was the first and most structured form of resistance against the communist regime...
, between 1947 and 1959, which opposed the Soviet occupation and the Communist government
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
.
In academics
In the early 1970s, after the publication of the now classic sociologicalSociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
studies Primitive Rebels and Bandits by historian Eric Hobsbawm
Eric Hobsbawm
Eric John Ernest Hobsbawm , CH, FBA, is a British Marxist historian, public intellectual, and author...
, hajduks started appearing in western social and anthropological
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
literature. Hobsbawm invented the term "social bandit" to describe outlaws who operate on the edges of rural societies by fighting against authorities and sometimes helping the ordinary people. There has always been a degree of fluidity in their status, whereby, as described by John Koliopoulos
John S. Koliopoulos
John S. Koliopoulos is a Greek historian, born in 1942.He is the author of Plundered loyalties : Axis occupation and civil strife in Greek West Macedonia, 1941-194, Brigands with a Cause and other books on Greek history, and co-author of Greece: A Modern Sequel with Thanos Veremis, Professor of...
in his study of Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
klephts, Brigands with a Cause, brigands would sometimes change sides and start acting on behalf of the authorities to preserve peace and suppress banditry, and vice-versa.
From the early 1980s, sociological studies started narrating the stories of hajduks, klephts, bandits, brigands, outlaws, rebels, and pirates in all parts of the planet, from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to republican China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Wild West, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Albanian
- Çerçiz TopulliÇerçiz TopulliÇerçiz Topulli was an Albanian Renaissance armed fighter, writer, and patriot, and is a People's Hero of Albania. He was the younger brother of Bajo Topulli....
- Bajo TopulliBajo TopulliBajo Topulli was an Albanian freedom fighter. While he was a director in the Ottoman Secondary school in Monastir he founded in 1905 the "Committee for the liberation of Albania" in Korçë and led the first Albanian army against the Turkish Ottoman Empire after Skanderbeg's army and the League of...
- Mihal GramenoMihal GramenoMihal Grameno was an Albanian rilindas, politician, writer, freedom fighter, and journalist.-Biography:Born in Korçë in a merchant family, he studied there at the local secondary school before emigrating to Romania in 1885...
- Themistokli GermenjiThemistokli GërmenjiThemistokli Gërmenji was one of the activists of the Albanian National Awakening, the leader of the Albanian irregulars from 1909 to 1914, and the prefect of police of Autonomous Albanian Republic of Korçë from 1916 to 1917.- Biography :...
- Shahin KolonjaShahin KolonjaShahin Kolonja was an Albanian journalist and politician.Born in Starje, southern Albania Kolonja was a graduate of the school of civil service and had served as director of several idadiye schools. Later he was arrested in Bitola and sentenced to three years in prison for disseminating...
- Thimi MitkoThimi MitkoThimi Mitko was an Albanian rilindas and folklorist.Mitko was born in Korçë, Albania , where he attended the local Greek school. His uncle, Peti Mitko, had been one of the leaders of the Albanian Revolt of 1847 in Korçë and Tepelenë against the Turkish Tanzimat legislation...
- Isa BoletiniIsa BoletiniIsa Boletini was an Albanian nationalist figure and guerilla fighter, born in the village of Boletin near Mitroviça, Ottoman Empire...
- Ded Gjo LuliDed Gjo LuliDed Gjo Luli formally known as Dedë Gjon Luli Dedvukaj , was born in Traboin-Hoti . He hails from the tribe of Hot located in the region of Malësia...
- Baca Kurti Gjokaj
- Pretash Zeka UlajPretash Zeka UlajPretash Zeka Ulaj is one of the most prominent Albanian heroes of the 1911 Battle of Deçiq , near Tuzi, in which Albanians defeated the Turks...
- Osman TakaOsman TakaOsman Resul Taka was a well-known dancer of his time. After him is named the Dance of Osman Taka. His early life is not clear. He was born in Konispol in one of the most powerful and wealthy families of the town, the Taka family known also for Alush Taka a great patriot. During the mid 19th...
- Azem GalicaAzem GalicaAzem Bejta , commonly known as Azem Galica, was a Albanian nationalist and rebel who fought for the unification of Kosovo with Albania.-Life:Bejta was born in the village of Galica in the Drenica region of central Kosovo...
- Shote GalicaShote GalicaShote Galica , born as Qerime Radisheva was a remarkable warrior of çeta of the Kosovar insurgent national liberation with the goal of unification of all Albanian territories, and supporting a democratic national regime in Albania...
- Bajram CurriBajram CurriBajram Curri was an ethnic Albanian politician and activist within the Vilayet of Kosovo, Ottoman Empire. He is awarded the title Hero of Albania....
- Hasan PrishtinaHasan PrishtinaHasan Prishtina born Hasan Berisha was an Albanian politician, who served as Prime Minister of Albania in December 1921.-Biography:He studied politics and law in Istanbul...
- Marko Boçari
Armenian
- Andranik OzanianAndranik Toros OzanianAndranik Ozanian , Andranik Toros Ozanian , General Andranik , also as Antranik or Antranig was an Armenian general, political and public activist and freedom fighter, greatly admired as a national hero.-Early Age:Antranik Toros Ozanian was born in the church...
- AraboAraboArabo born Arakel was a famed Armenian military commander of the later 19th century, one of the first fedayees .Arabo studied at Arakelots monastery school in Mush. Since late-1880s he led Armenian fedayee groups of Sasun and Taron...
- Dro
- Garegin Nzhdeh
- Monte MelkonianMonte MelkonianMonte Melkonian was a famed Armenian commander during Nagorno-Karabakh war. Melkonian had no prior service record in any country's army before being placed in command of an estimated 4,000 men in the war...
- Serob AghpurSerob PasaSerob Vartanian, more prominently known by his nom de guerre Aghbiur Serob or Serob Pasha born Serob Vardanian was a famed Armenian military commander who organized a guerrilla network that fought against the Ottoman Empire during the latter 19th century.- Life as a...
Bulgarian
- DelyoDelyoDelyo was a Bulgarian rebel leader who was active in the Rhodope Mountains in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.Delyo was born in Belovidovo in the Smolyan region in the 17th century. He headed an armed detachment of rebels in the central Rhodopes and acted against the Ottoman authorities'...
- Chavdar Voyvoda
- Indzhe VoyvodaIndzhe VoyvodaIndzhe Voyvoda was a renowned leader of an armed band of outlaws in Ottoman-held Bulgaria...
- Captain Petko Voyvoda
- Angel VoyvodaAngel VoyvodaAngel Stoyanov Kariotov , also known as Angel Vojvoda , was one of the biggest voivods in Bulgarian history, who led the well-organized band in the regions of Plovdiv and Haskovo around 1832 and 1862. He was born in the Rodоpean village Dragoynovo in the Municipality Parvomay. The Angel peak in...
- Karposh VoyvodaKarposh's RebellionKarposh’s Rebellion or Karposh’s Uprising is a name used for a Christian anti-Ottoman uprising in the Central Balkans that took place in 1689.-Prelude:...
- Ilyo VoyvodaIlyo VoyvodaIliya Markov Popgeorgiev, better known as Ilyo Voyvoda or Dedo Iljo Maleshevski, was a Bulgarian revolutionary from the region of Macedonia, who is considered a national hero in both Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia...
- Hadzhi DimitarHadzhi DimitarDimitar Nikolov Asenov , better known as Hadzhi Dimitar , was one of the most prominent Bulgarian voivods and revolutionaries working for the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.-Early life:...
Croat
- Ivo SenjaninIvo SenjaninIvo Senjanin was a Croatian uskok and hajduk who led numerous military exploits against the Ottoman Turks. Due to few historical sources, much of what is known about him today is mainly attributed to legend and folklore detailing his life and accomplishments with a medieval romanticism.-Life:Ivo...
- Mijat TomićMijat TomicMijat Tomić was a Croat hajduk from Bosnia and Herzegovina. -Biography:He was born in the village of Brišnik near Tomislavgrad. Although his exact birthdate is unknown, it is known that he lost his parents at a young age, and by 1640, had two brothers and two sisters...
- Andrijica ŠimićAndrijica ŠimicAndrijica Šimić was a hajduk from Herzegovina.Andrija Šimić was born in Grude, in a Croatian family of seven children: he had a brother and five sisters. At the age of only ten, he moved to Mostar to work for Ottoman aga Tikvina as a wage worker...
- Ivan Bušić RošaIvan Bušić RošaIvan Bušić-Roša was a Croatian hajduk from the Imotska krajina.He was born in the village of Vinjana Donjih near Imotski to a devout Roman Catholic family in the 18th century; his exact birthdate is not certain...
- Petar MrkonjićPetar MrkonjicPetar Mrkonjić was a Croatian hajduk from Imotski Krajina.Little is known about Mrkonjić, except that he was active during the Cretan War between the Venetian Republic and Ottoman Empire, and has been documented as Petar Imoćanin...
- Elia PeraizzaElia PeraizzaElia Peraizza or Ilija Perajica was a Hajduk /uskok leader from Dalmatia.According to old Italian sources, he came from a large family listed as Morlachs. The family was part of a larger clan, who inhabited large territories of Dalmatia, mostly centered around Zadar and Šibenik...
- Stanislav SočivicaStanislav SočivicaStanislav "Stanko" Radović Sočivica was a merchant and hajduk , who served the Republic of Venice and fought the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans. He held the rank of harambaša, or capo principale...
Romanian
- Iancu JianuIancu JianuIancu Jianu was a Wallachian Romanian hajduk.-Biography:Born in Caracal, Oltenia, Wallachia, to the Jianu boyar family, as the youngest of four brothers...
(early 19th century) from Oltenia region, befriended and fought together with freedom fighter Tudor Vladimirescu in the emancipation Revolution of 1821 - Gheorghe MagheruGheorghe MagheruGeneral Gheorghe Magheru was a Romanian revolutionary and soldier from Wallachia, and political ally of Nicolae Bălcescu.-A Pandur and radical conspirator:...
- Avram IancuAvram IancuAvram Iancu was a Transylvanian Romanian lawyer who played an important role in the local chapter of the Austrian Empire Revolutions of 1848–1849. He was especially active in the Ţara Moţilor region and the Apuseni Mountains...
Serb
- Mali RadojicaMali RadojicaMali Radojica is a Serbian hajduk and Serb epic poem of the same name. The poem follows his life surviving torture by the Turks in an Ottoman prison, later successfully escaping with the help of a Turkish girl who is in love with him. The song belongs to the Hajduk-Uskok cycle....
, outlaw from epic poetry, in Dalmatia - Bajo Pivljanin, outlaw from Herzegovina
- Jovan Nenad, rebel against the Hungarian rule in South Hungary
- Radoslav ČelnikRadoslav CelnikRadoslav Čelnik was a duke of Srem in the 16th century. At first, Radoslav Čelnik was a general commander of Emperor Jovan Nenad's army. In 1527, when Emperor Jovan Nenad was murdered and his army was dispersed, Radoslav Čelnik, together with part of the former emperor's army moved from Bačka to...
, Jovan Nenad's subcommander, liberator of SyrmiaSyrmiaSyrmia is a fertile region of the Pannonian Plain in Europe, between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia in the east and Croatia in the west.... - Starina NovakStarina NovakStarina Novak was a Serbian Hajduk who distinguished himself in many battles against the Ottoman Empire. He is considered a Serbian national hero and is highly respected in neighboring Romania as a national hero as well.-Life:...
, ally of Michael the Brave - Stanoje GlavašStanoje GlavašStanoje Stamatović Glavaš , was a Serbian hajduk and a hero in the First Serbian Uprising. In 1790s, with Lazar Dobrić, he was the co-leader of a hajduk company based in Austrian-held Srem, which frequently crossed the Ottoman border, and attacked Ottoman forces and caravans in Pashaluk of...
, voivode in the First Serbian Uprising - Stojan ČupićStojan CupicStojan Čupić , also known as "Zmaj od Noćaja" , was a Serbian voivod, one of the most important leaders of the First Serbian Uprising. He was born in Piva in Herzegovina and his original surname was Dobrilović. He later moved to Salaš Noćajski in Mačva, where he was adopted by Strahinja Čupić, and...
, voivode in the First Serbian Uprising - Hajduk Veljko, voivode in the First Serbian Uprising
- Čučuk StanaČučuk StanaČučuk Stana was a Serbian female hajduk and the second wife of Hajduk Veljko. She is also a character in Serb epic poetry.She was born in 1795, in the village Sikole near Negotin, Serbia to a family of Herzegovinian migrants. She had two sisters, Stojna and Stamena and later, a little brother...
, wife of Hajduk Veljko - Jovo Stanisavljević ČarugaJovo Stanisavljevic CarugaJovan "Jovo" Stanisavljević , known by his nickname Čaruga was a 20th-century Serb outlaw in Slavonia in the early 20th century....
, SlavoniaSlavoniaSlavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
n outlaw
Greek
- Theodoros KolokotronisTheodoros KolokotronisTheodoros Kolokotronis was a Greek Field Marshal and one of the leaders of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire....
- Geórgios KaraïskákisGeorgios KaraiskakisGeorgios Karaiskakis born Georgios Iskos was a famous Greek klepht, armatolos, military commander, and a hero of the Greek War of Independence.- Early life :...
- Markos BotsarisMarkos BotsarisMarkos Botsaris was a Souliote captain and a hero of the War of Greek Independence. Markos Botsaris is among the most revered national heroes in Greece.-Early life:...
- Athanasios DiakosAthanasios DiakosAthanasios Diakos , a Greek military commander during the Greek War of Independence and a national hero, was born Athanasios Nikolaos Massavetas in the village of Ano Mousounitsa, Phocis.-Early life:...
- NikitarasNikitarasNikitaras was the nom de guerre of Nikitas Stamatelopoulos , a Greek revolutionary in the Greek War of Independence. Due to his fighting prowess, he was known as the "Τουρκοφάγος" , literally "Turk-Eater"....
- Odysseas AndroutsosOdysseas AndroutsosOdysseas Androutsos ; was a hero of the Greek War of Independence.-Early life:He was born in Ithaca in 1788, however his family was from the village of Livanates in Phthiotis prefecture...
- Antonis KatsantonisAntonis KatsantonisAntonis Katsantonis was a notable Greek klepht who lived in the era before the Greek War of Independence.-Early life:According to the local historical tradition of the Evrytania Prefecture, he was a Sarakatsanos klepht leader born in the village of Marathos, Agrafa...
See also
- Bandolero, a similar figure in Spain, especially 19th century in Andalusia.
- Bushrangers of AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
- FedayeeArmenian irregular unitsArmenian irregular units, also known as Fedayees were Armenian civilians who left their families to form armed brigades. Armenian fedayees were volunteers and, literally, "one who is ready to sacrifice his life" for his people)...
- HaidamakaHaidamakaThe haidamakas, also haidamaky or haidamaks , were paramilitary bands in 18th-century Ukraine. The haidamak movement was formed mostly of local Cossacks and peasantry , against the Polish nobility in right-bank Ukraine...
- Hajduk (soldiers)Hajduk (soldiers)The Hajduk were Hungarian irregular or mercenary soldiers in the 16th and 17th centuries, and a liveried bodyguard of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 17th and 18th centuries. In Serbia and the Banat region in the 18th century, hajduk referred to an infantry soldier, though the term is now...
- HaydukeHaydukeHayduke is a term and verb used among environmental activists and people who cite cult "revenge" books. It is the name of George Washington Hayduke, a fictional character based on Edward Abbey's friend Doug Peacock in Abbey's cult classics The Monkey Wrench Gang and Hayduke Lives!...
- KlephtKlephtKlephts were self-appointed armatoloi, anti-Ottoman insurgents, and warlike mountain-folk who lived in the countryside when Greece was a part of the Ottoman Empire...
- ArmatoloiArmatoloiArmatoloi , were Greek Christian irregular soldiers, or militia, commissioned by the Ottomans to enforce the Sultan's authority within an administrative district called an Armatoliki...
- RappareeRappareeRapparees were Irish guerrilla fighters who operated on the Jacobite side during the 1690s Williamite war in Ireland. Subsequently the name was also given to bandits and highwaymen in Ireland - many former guerrillas having turned to crime after the war was over...
- UskoksUskoksThe Uskoks were Croatian Habsburg soldiers that inhabited the areas of the eastern Adriatic and the surrounding territories during the Ottoman wars in Europe. Etymologically, the word uskoci itself means "the ones who jumped in" in Croatian...
- AyyarunAyyarunÁyyār, refers to a person associated with a class of warriors in Iraq and Iran from the 9th to the 12th centuries. The word literally means vagabond...
- ZeibeksZeibeksZeibeks or sometimes Zeybeks were irregular militia and guerilla fighters living in the Aegean Region of the Ottoman Empire from late 17th to early 20th centuries, generally of Turkmen and Yörük origins....