User talk:Zoupan/Miloš Belmužević

Miloš Belmužević (Милош Белмужевић; 1430s–1501) was a Serbian magnate in the service of Despots Đurađ Branković (r. 1427–56) and Lazar Branković (r. 1456–58), with the title of vojvoda, later serving Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus (r. 1458–90). The Serbian Despotate was a vassal state of the Kingdom of Hungary. He was among the most respected Serbian noblemen of the 15th century.

Early life
Miloš Belmužević hailed from a prominent family from Zeta that had served Despot Stefan Lazarević (r. 1402–1427). The family had asserted itself in the service of Despot Đurađ. Miloš's career started in the 1430s. Đurađ Velmužević, "the Despot's nobleman", went from the still unconquered Zetan lands to Hungary in the beginning of 1443, where a Christian campaign was prepared. Vuk Belmužević and Đurađ Velmužević had gubernatorial functions in Zeta, serving the Serbian Despotate.

Service under Đurađ and Lazar
Miloš, in all probability the son Vuk, distinguished himself in the unsuccessful wars against the Republic of Venice and their vojvoda Stefanica Crnojević. Miloš, who was the youngest of the mentioned Belmuževići, was noted as "the last vojvoda of Serbia" in Zeta, which after Ottoman conquests in 1455 was cut off from the Serbian Despotate and limited to the Medun fortress. In the beginning of 1456, with the Despot's consent, he transferred the fortress to the Ottomans, since it was previously offered to the knez of Kotor. At the time of Despot Lazar, he had possessions in Serbia, and was also the commander of Srebrenica (now in Bosnia and Herzegovina).

Withdrawal
After Despot Lazar's death (1458), a third-member regency was established as Lazar was heirless, made up of Lazar's brother, the blind Stefan Branković, Lazar's widow Helena Palaiologina and magnate Mihailo Anđelović. Miloš fell out with the regency, and then lived either under Ottoman rule or in the territory of herzog Stefan Vukčić. In the meantime, Serbia was led into chaos as Mihailo Anđelović plotted with the Ottomans, unsuccessfully taking over Smederevo, and King Stephen Tomašević of Bosnia took over most of the Serbian lands west of the Drina, except Teočak. In August 1464, when the Ottomans campaigned in Bosnia, Miloš received permission to retreat to territory of the Republic of Ragusa. That year, he moved his family to Ston (now in Croatia). From there, as his ancestor had done, he went to Hungary.

Service under Matthias Corvinus
In the next decades, he fought for King Matthias Corvinus against the Ottoman Empire and other enemies to the Hungarian crown. The royal charters issued for Miloš Belmužević are only preserved from the end of the 15th century, however, in his testament (dated to 1495) he tells of the time when he entered the service of "the shining king Matthias". He had received a call, and guarantees of free stay in Hungary. From then on, he "rightly and faithfully" served Matthias. Miloš was married to Olivera, of unknown background, with whom he had a son, Vuk, and a daughter, Milica. He lost his son just prior to his own death. He married off his only daughter, Milica, to Stefan Jakšić, the son of vojvoda Jakša, who had like Miloš served Despot Đurađ.

Matthias died in 1490, without a heir, his illegitimate son John Corvinus unrecognized by the Hungarian nobility. Instead, Vladislaus Jagiellon, the maternal great-grandson of Emperor Sigismund, was called from Poland, crowned the same year (as Vladislaus II).

Last years
In 1491 a new conflict arose between Vladislaus II and his brother John I Albert of Poland. In December, a battle was fought between the two, in which Serbian warriors under the leadership of the Jakšić brothers and Miloš defeated John's forces; John left Hungary never to return or meddle in Hungarian affairs, while later being on good terms with his brother as the King of Poland.

Miloš died in 1501–02. After his death, the Jakšić family inherited his estates of Feketeegyház (Feketić) and Fejéregyház (Bela Crkva) with the plain (puszta) of Bozja-Bokor.

Legacy
Miloš Belmužević was among the most respected Serbian noblemen of the 15th century. Serbian lords fought in many important battles of the Kingdom of Hungary, gaining reputation in the Hungarian nobility; more prominent individuals included Vuk Grgurević, Stefan Jakšić, Dmitar Jakšić, and Miloš Belmužević, who all were celebrated as heroes and efficient warriors. With Miloš's death, his family died out, and so did the Branković family, while the Jakšić family were on their way to lose their faith and language, assimilating into Hungarians.

Annotations

 * Mylos Belmosewyth