A hajduk (, plural of ) is a type of irregular infantry found in Central,

Eastern Eastern or Easterns may refer to: Transportation Airlines *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 192 ...

, and parts of

Southeast Europe Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe is a geographical sub-region of Europe, consisting primarily of the region of the Balkans, as well as adjacent regions and Archipelago, archipelagos. There are overlapping and conflicting definitions of t ...

from the late 16th to mid 19th centuries, especially from Hajdú-Bihar county. They have reputations ranging from

bandit Banditry is a type of organized crime committed by outlaws typically involving the threat or use of violence. A person who engages in banditry is known as a bandit and primarily commits crimes such as extortion, robbery, kidnapping, and murder, e ...

s to

freedom fighter A freedom fighter is a person engaged in a struggle to achieve political freedom, particularly against an established government. The term is typically reserved for those who are actively involved in armed or otherwise violent rebellion. Termi ...

s depending on time, place, and their enemies. In the European lands of the Ottoman Empire, the term ''hajduk'' was used to describe bandits and

brigands Brigandage is the life and practice of highway robbery and plunder. It is practiced by a brigand, a person who is typically part of a gang and lives by pillage and robbery.Oxford English Dictionary second edition, 1989. "Brigand.2" first record ...

of the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

, while in

Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...

for the

West Slavs The West Slavs are Slavic peoples who speak the West Slavic languages. They separated from the common Slavic group around the 7th century, and established independent polities in Central Europe by the 8th to 9th centuries. The West Slavic langu ...

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an Ethnicity, ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common Culture of Hungary, culture, Hungarian language, language and History of Hungary, history. They also have a notable presence in former pa ...

, and

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

, and

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...

for the

Ukrainians Ukrainians (, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. Their native tongue is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian, and the majority adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, forming the List of contemporary eth ...

, it was used to refer to

outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them. ...

s who protected Christians against provocative actions by the Ottomans. By the 17th century they were firmly established in the Ottoman Balkans, owing to increased taxes, Christian victories against the Ottomans, and a general decline in security. Hajduk bands predominantly numbered one hundred men each, with a firm hierarchy under one leader. They targeted Ottoman representatives and rich people, mainly rich Turks, for plunder, punishment to oppressive Ottomans, revenge, or a combination of all. In Balkan folkloric tradition, the hajduk is a romanticised hero figure who steals from, and leads his fighters into battle against, the Ottoman authorities. They are comparable to the English legendary

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...

and his merry men, who stole from the rich (who as in the case of the hajduk happened to also be foreign occupiers) and gave to the poor, while defying seemingly unjust laws and authority. People that helped hajduks were called jataks. Jataks lived in villages and towns and provided food and shelter for hajduks. In return, hajduks would give them part of the loot. The hajduk of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries commonly were as much guerrilla fighters against the Ottoman rule as they were bandits and

highwaymen A highwayman was a robber who stole from travellers. This type of thief usually travelled and robbed by horse as compared to a footpad who travelled and robbed on foot; mounted highwaymen were widely considered to be socially superior to foo ...

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.Найден Геров. 1895-1904. Речник на блъгарский язик.ХайдукъЛ.Андрейчин и др. 2006. Български тълковен речник. Четвърто издание

Etymology

The etymology of the word ''hajduk'' is unclear. One theory is that ''hajduk'' was derived from the

Turkish Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The w ...

word ''haidut'' or ''haydut'' 'bandit', which was originally used by the

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

to refer to Hungarian and

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

infantry soldiers. Another theory suggests that the word comes from Hungarian ''hajtó'' or ''hajdó'' (plural ''hajtók'' or ''hajdók'') '(cattle) drover'. These two theories do not necessarily contradict each other because the Turkish word ''haidut'' or ''haydut'' is adapted from the Hungarian ''hajtó'' or ''hajdó'', just as many Slavic words were adapted from Turkish in what is known as Turcizam or Turkification. Other spellings in English include ''ajduk'', ''haydut'', ''haiduk'', ''haiduc'', ''hayduck'', and ''hayduk''. Forms of the word in various languages, in singular form, include: * ''hajdut'', in

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

; in the ordinary sense of "thief" * ''hayduk'' (հայդուկ), in

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

; used as a male given name, and it means "Armenian freedom fighter". * ''haydut'' (хайдут), ''haydutin'' (хайдутин) or ''hayduk'' (хайдук), in Bulgarian * ''haidouk'', ''haiduque'', in

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

* ''aiducco'', in

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

* ''hajdú'', in Hungarian * ''ajduk'' (ајдук), ''ajdutin'' (ајдутин), in

Macedonian Macedonian most often refers to someone or something from or related to Macedonia. Macedonian(s) may refer to: People Modern * Macedonians (ethnic group), a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with North Macedonia * Mac ...

* ''hajduk'', in

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

* ''Hajduk'', in

Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnic groups * Romani people, or Roma, an ethnic group of Indo-Aryan origin ** Romani language, an Indo-Aryan macrolanguage of the Romani communities ** Romanichal, Romani subgroup in the United Kingdom * Romanians (Romanian ...

* ''haiduc'', in

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...

* ''hajduk'' (хајдук), in

Serbo-Croatian Serbo-Croatian ( / ), also known as Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian (BCMS), is a South Slavic language and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. It is a pluricentric language with four mutually i ...

* ''hajduk'' (less common: ''hejduk''), in

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

* ''hajdúch'' in Slovak * ''hejduk'', in

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

* ''haydut'', in

; in the ordinary sense of "bandit" * ''hejduk'', in

Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish language ** Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji) **Central Kurdish (Sorani) **Southern Kurdish ** Laki Kurdish *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern ...

* ''gajduk'' (гайдук), in

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

* ''

haidamaka The haydamaks, also haidamakas or haidamaky or haidamaks ( ''haidamaka''; ''haidamaky'', from and ) were soldiers of Ukrainian Cossack paramilitary outfits composed of commoners (peasants, craftsmen), and impoverished noblemen in the easter ...

'' (гайдамака), in Ukrainian * ''haydamak'' (הײַדאַמאַק), in

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

Irregular military

Kingdom of Hungary

In 1604-1606,

István Bocskay Stephen Bocskai or Bocskay (, ; 1 January 155729 December 1606) was Prince of Transylvania and Hungary from 1605 to 1606. He was born to a Hungarian noble family. His father's estates were located in the eastern regions of the medieval Kingdom ...

, Lord of

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

, led an insurrection against the

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

, whose army had recently occupied

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

and begun a reign of terror. The bulk of Bocskay's army was composed of

serf Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery. It developed du ...

s who had either fled from the war and the Habsburg drive toward

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

conversion, or been discharged from the Imperial Army. These

peasant A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasan ...

s, freelance soldiers, were known as the ''hajduks''. 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 Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...

society. Many of the settlements created at this time still bear the prefix ''Hajdú'' such as Hajdúbagos,

Hajdúböszörmény Hajdúböszörmény is a town in northeastern Hungary with a population of approximately 30,000 people. History It is also home to one of the faculties of the University of Debrecen. It has a unique circular plan (like Paris) to the streets that ...

, Hajdúdorog, Hajdúhadház, Hajdúnánás, Hajdúsámson,

Hajdúszoboszló Hajdúszoboszló () is a town in Hajdú-Bihar county, Hungary, southwest of county seat Debrecen. It is the third largest town in Hajdú-Bihar county. Etymology The name comes from a Slavic personal name Soběslav (see e.g. Soběslav, Soběsl ...

, Hajdúszovát, Hajdúvid etc., and the whole area is called ''Hajdúság'' (Land of the Hajduk) (see

Hajdú County Hajdú, formerly known as Hajdúság, was an administrative county (Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary), comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. The capital of the county was Debrecen. The territory of the county is now part of the Hungarian county Hajd ...

). The Hajdú have always been an important pillar of Hungarian society and its defence. During the great Turkish attack of 1551/52, it was possible to recruit several hundred or even several thousand Hajdú troops from the Nyírség-Debrecen region for an action against the Turks. Among the Hungarians, the Hajdú lifestyle was significant. At the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, we know of tens of thousands of hajdú, who were also the first to fight in wars in the first half of the 17th century. Their activities were significant both as mercenaries and as Defence Forces. Hajdú life provided social mobility, as their success was illustrated by the fact that, although they were born as peasant or petty nobles, they often received substantial land donations from the ruler and became quasi-nobility.

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

The word ''hajduk'' was initially a colloquial term for a style of footsoldier, Hungarian or Turco-

Balkan The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

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 A uniform is a variety of costume worn by members of an organization while usually participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency serv ...

s, typically of grey-blue woolen cloth, with red collar and cuffs. Their principal weapon was a small calibre

matchlock A matchlock or firelock is a historical type of firearm wherein the gunpowder is ignited by a burning piece of flammable cord or twine that is in contact with the gunpowder through a mechanism that the musketeer activates by pulling a lever or Tri ...

firearm, known as an

arquebus An arquebus ( ) is a form of long gun that appeared in Europe and the Ottoman Empire during the 15th century. An infantryman armed with an arquebus is called an arquebusier. The term ''arquebus'' was applied to many different forms of firearms ...

. For close combat they also carried a heavy variety of

sabre A sabre or saber ( ) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the Early Modern warfare, early modern and Napoleonic period, Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such a ...

, capable of hacking off the heads of enemy

pike Pike, Pikes or The Pike may refer to: Fish * Blue pike or blue walleye, an extinct color morph of the yellow walleye ''Sander vitreus'' * Ctenoluciidae, the "pike characins", some species of which are commonly known as pikes * ''Esox'', genus of ...

s and

polearm A polearm or pole weapon is a close combat weapon in which the main fighting part of the weapon is fitted to the end of a long shaft, typically of wood, extending the user's effective range and striking power. Polearms are predominantly melee we ...

s. 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 A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour. By the mid-16th century, this type of musket gradually dis ...

-armed infantry of Western style. However, commanders or

hetman ''Hetman'' is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders (comparable to a field marshal or imperial marshal in the Holy Roman Empire). First used by the Czechs in Bohemia in the 15th century, ...

s of the

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 The ''szlachta'' (; ; ) were the nobility, noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Depending on the definition, they were either a warrior "caste" or a social ...

hired liveried domestic servants whom they called hajduks, thereby creating the meaning of the term 'hajduk' as it is generally understood in modern Polish.

Serbian Militia (1718–46)

The Serbs established a Hajduk army that supported the Austrians. The army was divided into 18 companies, in four groups. In this period, the most notable obor-kapetans were

Vuk Isaković Vuk Isaković ( sr-cyr, Вук Исаковић; fl. 1696–1759) was a Serb military commander in Austrian service during the Austrian-Ottoman Wars. He was the inspiration for the main character, Vuk Isakovič (Вук Исакович), in the ''S ...

from Crna Bara,

Mlatišuma Staniša Marković ( sr-Cyrl, Станиша Марковић; 1664–1740), known as Mlatišuma (Млатишума), was a Kingdom of Serbia (1718–39), Habsburg Serbian ''obor-kapetan, obercapitain'' of Kragujevac. He had joined the Austrians ...

from

Kragujevac Kragujevac ( sr-Cyrl, Крагујевац, ) is the List of cities in Serbia, fourth largest city in Serbia and the administrative centre of the Šumadija District. It is the historical centre of the geographical region of Šumadija in central Se ...

and

Kosta Dimitrijević Kosta may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Kosta (given name), a list of people with the given name or nickname * Kosta (surname), a list of people Places * Kosta, Estonia, a village * Kosta, Greece, a community * Kosta, Sweden, a village Other use ...

from

Paraćin Paraćin ( sr-Cyrl, Параћин, ) is a town and municipality located in the Pomoravlje District of central Serbia. Located in the Velika Morava river valley, north of Kruševac and southeast of Kragujevac, the town had a population of 22,349 ...

Cultural influence

The Croatian football team

HNK Hajduk Split Hrvatski Nogometni klub Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split (), is a Croatian professional Association football, football Football team, club based in Split, Croatia, Split, that competes in the Croatian First Football League, Cro ...

; Serbian football teams

Hajduk Kula FK Hajduk Kula (Serbian Cyrillic: ФК Хајдук Кула) was a Serbian football club based in Kula. The club was named after a Hajduk, a much celebrated hero figure in the Serbian epic poetry. On 30 July 2013, just eleven days before start ...

FK Hajduk Beograd FK Hajduk Beograd () is a football club based in Lion, Belgrade, Serbia. They compete in the Belgrade First League, the fifth tier of the national league system. History After the breakup of Yugoslavia, the club started climbing up the league py ...

FK Hajduk Veljko FK or fk may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Flyer Killer, fictional automated robots in the ''Terminator'' film franchise * Fox Kids, a former American children's television programming block * Funky Kong, a video game character Place * ...

and

Hajduk Lion FK Hajduk Beograd () is a football club based in Lion, Belgrade, Serbia. They compete in the Belgrade First League, the fifth tier of the national league system. History After the breakup of Yugoslavia, the club started climbing up the league py ...

; the Macedonian football team FK Hajduk - Vratnica; Czech amateur football team Hajduk Lipník; the pop-music project

Haiducii Paula Monica Mitrache (born 14 June 1971), known by the stage name Haiducii (), is a Romanian singer and model. Her first single, "Dragostea din tei", was released in 2004, which is a cover of O-Zone O-Zone is a Moldovan Eurodance group an ...

, and Romanian

Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...

musical troupe Taraful Haiducilor are all named after the hajduci. The surnames of the fictional character

George Washington Hayduke George Washington Hayduke is a fictional character in Edward Abbey's novels ''The Monkey Wrench Gang'' and '' Hayduke Lives!'' Hayduke is portrayed as a rugged individualist in the books by Abbey, and has a predilection for working independently w ...

, invented by

Edward Abbey Edward Paul Abbey (January 29, 1927 – March 14, 1989) 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 nov ...

, actress

Stacy Haiduk Stacy Haiduk (born April 24, 1968) is an American actress. She starred as Lana Lang in the syndicated superhero series ''Superboy'' (1988–1992) and as Katherine Hitchcock in the NBC science fiction series, ''seaQuest DSV'' (1993–1994). Hai ...

, US national soccer team defender

Frankie Hejduk Frank Daniel "Frankie" Hejduk (born August 5, 1974) is an American former soccer player who played as a wingback and midfielder. At the club level he represented the Tampa Bay Mutiny, Bayer Leverkusen, St. Gallen, Columbus Crew, and the LA Ga ...

, Czech Republic national ice hockey team forward

Milan Hejduk Milan Hejduk (; born February 14, 1976) is a Czech–American former professional ice hockey forward. Nicknamed "the Duke", he spent his entire 14-year National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Colorado Avalanche and retired holding the recor ...

and Montenegrin theoretical physicist Dragan Hajduković, are likewise derived from this word. The term "haiduci" was used by the

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

resistance movement A resistance movement is an organized group of people that tries to resist or try to overthrow a government or an occupying power, causing disruption and unrest in civil order and stability. Such a movement may seek to achieve its goals through ei ...

Haiducii Muscelului, between 1947 and 1959, which opposed the Soviet occupation and the

Communist government A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...

. In the 2003 viral Moldovan pop song

Dragostea Din Tei "Dragostea din tei" (; Romanian: "Love From the Linden Tree") is a song recorded by Moldovan group O-Zone, released around July 2003 in Romania by Media Services as the lead single from their third studio album '' DiscO-Zone'' (2003). It was ...

, the singer begins by introducing himself as a 'haiduc'. In 2004, Haiducii herself released a successful cover of the song.

Notable hajduks

Armenian

Arabo Arabo or Arapo (, 1863–1895), born Arakel Mkhitarian, was an Armenian fedayi of the late 19th century. He was a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) political party. Arabo was born in the village of Kurter in the region of ...

(1863–1893) *

Aghbiur Serob Serob Vardanian (also spelled Serop Vartanian, ; 1864 – 24 November 1899), better known by his '' noms de guerre'' Aghbiur Serob () and Serob Pasha (), was a famed Armenian military commander who organized a guerrilla network that fought agains ...

(1864–1899) *

Andranik Andranik Ozanian, commonly known as General Andranik or simply Andranik (25 February 186531 August 1927), was an Armenian military commander and statesman, the best known '' fedayi'' and a key figure of the Armenian national liberation moveme ...

(1865–1927) *

Kevork Chavush Kevork Ghazarian (; 1870 – 28 May 1907), commonly known as Kevork Chavush or Gevorg Chaush (), was an Armenian '' fedayee'' leader in the Ottoman Empire and a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. Kevork Chavush attained a legendary ...

(1870–1907)

Albanian

Çerçiz Topulli Çerçiz Topulli (20 September 1880 – 17 July 1915) was an Albanian revolutionary and guerrilla fighter involved in the Albanian national movement operating in the mountainous areas of southern Albania. He was the younger brother of Bajo Topul ...

(1880–1915), important figure during the

Albanian National Awakening The Albanian National Awakening ( or ), commonly known as the Albanian Renaissance or Albanian Revival, is a period throughout the 19th and 20th century of a cultural, political, and social movement in the Albanian history where the Albanian ...

and Albanian national hero

Bulgarian

Delyo Delyo (, sometimes Делю, ''Delyu'') was a Bulgarians, Bulgarian rebel leader (''hajduk voivode'') who was active in the Rhodope Mountains in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Delyo was born in Belovidovo (today Zlatograd) in the Smolyan ...

(late 17th and early 18th centuries) * Chavdar Voyvoda (16th century) * Indzhe Voyvoda (c. 1755 – 1821) * Ilyo Voyvoda (1805 (?) – 1898) *

Angel Voyvoda Angel Stoyanov Kariotov (; 1812 – ), also known as Angel Vojvoda (Ангел войвода), 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. ...

(1812 – c. 1864) * Captain Petko Voyvoda (1844–1900) *

Panayot Hitov Panayot Ivanov Hitov () (November 11, 1830 – February 22, 1918) was a Bulgarian ''haidoutin (hajduk)'', national revolutionary and voivoda. Born in 1830 in Sliven (known as İslimiye at the time), he became a haidoutin in Georgi Trankin's band ...

(1830–1918) * Filip Totyu (1830–1907) *

Hadzhi Dimitar Dimitar Nikolov Asenov ( ; 10 May 1840 – 10 August 1868), better known as Hadzhi Dimitar ( ), was one of the most prominent Bulgarian voivode and revolutionaries working for the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule. Biography Early life ...

(1840–1868) *

Stefan Karadzha Stefan Karadzha (, ; 11 May 1840 – 31 July 1868) was a Bulgarian revolutionary from the national liberation movement and a cheta leader. He attempted to start a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire. Life He was born as Stefan Todoro ...

(1840–1868) * '' Rumena Voyvoda'' (1829 – 1862 or 1895)

Macedonian

* Karposh

Romanian

Iancu Jianu Iancu Jianu (; 1787 – 14 December 1842), also Ioniță Jianu, was a Wallachian Romanian hajduk. Biography Born in Caracal, Oltenia, Wallachia, in 1787, to the Jianu boyar family, as the youngest of four brothers. His father, Costache Jianu, w ...

(1787–1842), hajduk in Oltenia, participant of the Wallachian Uprising * ( 1848–64), priest and hajduk in Oltenia, participant in the

1848 Revolutions The revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the springtime of the peoples or the springtime of nations, were a series of revolutions throughout Europe over the course of more than one year, from 1848 to 1849. It remains the most widespre ...

Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...

* Pintea the Brave (d. 1703), rebel in the area of

Maramureș ( ; ; ; ) is a geographical, historical and cultural region in northern Romania and western Ukraine. It is situated in the northeastern Carpathians, along parts of the upper Tisza River drainage basin; it covers the Maramureș Depression and the ...

. * * (1790–1818)

Greek

Odysseas Androutsos Odysseas Androutsos (; 1788–1790 – 1825; born Odysseas Verousis ) was a Greek armatolos in eastern continental Greece and a prominent figure of the Greek War of Independence. Born in Ithaca (island), Ithaca, the son of an Arvanites, Arva ...

(1788–1825) *

Markos Botsaris Markos Botsaris (; 1790 – 21 August 1823) was a Souliot chieftain, general of the Greek revolutionary army and hero of the Greek War of Independence.Brigands with a Cause, Brigandage and Irredentism in Modern Greece 1821–1912, by John ...

(1788–1823) *

Athanasios Diakos Athanasios Nikolaos Massavetas or Grammatikos (; 1788 – 24 April 1821) also known as Athanasios Diakos () was a Greek military commander during the Greek War of Independence, considered a venerable national hero in Greece. Early life Athan ...

(1788–1821) * Geórgios Karaïskákis (1782–1827) * Antonis Katsantonis (c. 1775 – 1808) *

Theodoros Kolokotronis Theodoros Kolokotronis (; 3 April 1770 – ) was a Greek general and the pre-eminent leader of the Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) against the Ottoman Empire. The son of a klepht leader who fought the Ottomans during the Orlov revolt ...

(1770–1843) *

Dimitrios Makris Dimitrios Makris (, 1772–1841) was a Greek klepht and armatolos who was one of the most powerful chieftains in West Central Greece. He joined the Filiki Eteria and became a revolutionary during the Greek War of Independence. Early life Dim ...

(c. 1772 – 1841) * Nikitas Stamatelopoulos (c. 1784 – 1849)

Hungarian

* Angyal Bandi *

Juraj Jánošík Juraj Jánošík (first name also ''Juro'' or ''Jurko'', ; ''Hungarian: Jánosik György'', baptised 25 January 1688, died 17 March 1713) was a Slovak highwayman. Jánošík has been the main character of many Slovak novels, poems, and films. ...

(1688–1713) *

Sándor Rózsa Sándor Rózsa (July 10, 1813 – November 22, 1878) was a Hungarian outlaw (in Hungarian: ''betyár'') from the Great Hungarian Plain. He is the best-known Hungarian highwayman; his life inspired numerous writers, notably Zsigmond Móricz and ...

(1813–1878) *

Jóska Sobri Jóska Sobri or Jóska Zsubri (born József Pap;Magyar Filmtudományi Intézet és Filmarchivum, Magyar Filmintézet, Magyar Nemzeti FilmarchívumFilmévkönyv 2002, p. 54 1810 – 17 February 1837) was a Hungarian bandit. He became a legendary ...

(1810–1837)

Ukrainian

Ivan Gonta Ivan Gonta (; 1768) was one of the leaders of the Koliivshchyna, an armed rebellion of peasants and Ukrainian Cossacks against Bar confederation in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Born in Rożyszki (modern Rozsishky) near Uman' in Br ...

(1721–1768) *

Ustym Karmaliuk Ustym Yakymovych Karmaliuk (also ''Karmelyuk''; ; March 10, 1787 – October 22, 1835) was a Ukrainian outlaw who fought against the Russian administration and became a folk hero to the commoners of Ukraine. He is often referred to as the "Ukrai ...

(1787–1835) *

Maksym Zalizniak Maksym Zalizniak (), (born early 1740s in Medvedivka near Chyhyryn - date and place of death unknown, after 1768) was a Ukrainian Cossack and leader of the Koliivshchyna rebellion. History Zalizniak was born in a poor peasant family of Ort ...

(1740–1768)

Ukrainian Carpathians

Oleksa Dovbush Oleksa Dovbush (, ; 1700 – 24 August 1745) was a famous Ukrainian outlaw in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, leader of the movement, who became a folk hero. Biography Oleksa was born in the Hutsul village of Pechenizhyn, Kolomyi ...

(1700-1745)

Czech, Polish and Slovak

(1688–1713) *

Matěj Ondra z Leskovce Matej is a given name that originates from the Slavic nations of Central and Eastern Europe. It is one of the most common male names in Slovakia and Slovenia, and is also common in Croatia. The name is originally derived from Matthias the Apostle. ...

* Ondráš

Serbian

Starina Novak Starina Novak ( sr-Cyrl, Старинa Новак; ; , meaning "Old Novak") was a Serb ''hajduk'' (brigand and rebel) who distinguished himself in many battles against the Ottoman Empire. He is considered a national hero by both the Serbs and th ...

(1530s–1601), Wallachian-employed guerrilla commander, former peasant in Timok * Deli-Marko (fl. 1596–1619), hajduk and military commander in Habsburg service *

Bajo Pivljanin Bajo Pivljanin ( sr-cyr, Бајо Пивљанин – 7 May 1685), born Dragojlo Nikolić ( sr-cyr, Драгојло Николић), was a Serbian ''hajduk'' commander mostly active in the Ottoman territories of Herzegovina and southern Dalma ...

(fl. 1669–85), Venetian-employed guerrilla leader *

Stanislav Sočivica Stanislav "Stanko" Sočivica ( 1715 – 1777) was a Serbian ''hajduk'' (brigand) active in the Ottoman territories in western Balkans (sanjaks of Herzegovina, Bosnia and Montenegro). Born in a village close to Bileća, his family owned a farm s ...

(1715–1776), brigand leader in Ottoman Bosnia *

Karađorđe Đorđe Petrović (; ; – ), known by the sobriquet Karađorđe (; ), was a Serbian revolutionary leader who led a struggle against the Ottoman Empire during the First Serbian Uprising. He held the title of Grand Vožd of Serbia from 14 ...

(1763–1817), supreme leader of the

Serbian Revolution The Serbian Revolution ( / ') was a national uprising and constitutional change in Serbia that took place between 1804 and 1835, during which this territory evolved from an Sanjak of Smederevo, Ottoman province into a Revolutionary Serbia, reb ...

Stanko Arambašić Stanko Arambašić ( sr-Cyrl, Станко Арамбашић; Levač in the village of Kolare, Ottoman Empire, today Serbia, 1764 - Smederevo, Ottoman Empire, 21 September 1798) was a Serbian Free Corps commander who liberated parts of Serbia dur ...

(1764–1789),

Bimbaša A ''binbashi'', alternatively ''bimbashi'', (from , "chief of a thousand", "chiliarch") is a major in the Turkish people, Turkish army, of which term originated in the Ottoman army. The title was also used for a major in the Egypt under Muhammad ...

Mustafa Pasha Mustafa Pasha may refer to: People Chronologically (by birth year where known): * Çoban Mustafa Pasha (died 1529), Ottoman vizier and governor of Egypt (1522–23) * Koca Mustafa Pasha (fl. 1511–1512), Ottoman grand vizier (1511–12) * Kar ...

's ''Popular Army''. and officer of the

Serbian Free Corps The Serbian Free Corps (), known simply as ''frajkori'' ( sr-cyr, фрајкори), was a volunteer militia composed of ethnic Serbs, established by the Habsburg monarchy, to fight the Ottoman Empire during the Austro-Turkish War (1787–1791). T ...

during Kočina Krajina. *

Stanoje Glavaš Stanoje Stamatović ( sr-cyr, Станоје Стаматовић), known as Stanoje Glavaš (Станоје Главаш; 21 February 1763 – 15 February 1815) was a Serbian hajduk and hero in the First Serbian Uprising. Life Glavaš was born i ...

(1763–1815), commander in the Serbian Revolution *

Stojan Čupić Stojan Čupić (, sr-cyr, Стојан Чупић; ca. 1765 – 1815) was a Serbian revolutionary general (''vojvoda''), one of the most important commanders of the First Serbian Uprising. He was active in the Mačva region. __NOTOC__ Early li ...

(c. 1765–1815), commander in the Serbian Revolution *

Hajduk Veljko Veljko Petrović ( sr-cyr, Вељко Петровић, ; c. 1780 – 1813), known simply as Hajduk Veljko (Хајдук Вељко, ǎjduːk v̞ɛ̌ːʎkɔ, was one of the '' vojvodas'' (military commanders) of the Serbian Revolutionary force ...

(c. 1780–1813), commander in the Serbian Revolution *

Zeka Buljubaša Jovan Gligorijević ( sr-cyr, Јован Глигоријевић, 1785–1813), known as Zeka Buljubaša (Зека Буљубаша), was a Serbian revolutionary captain ('' buljubaša'') and nobleman active during the First Serbian Uprising. ...

(c. 1785–1813), commander in the Serbian Revolution *

Golub Babić Golub Babić ( sr-cyr, Голуб Бабић; 7 September 1824 – 19 December 1910) was a Bosnian Serb guerrilla chief and one of the most prominent rebel commanders of the 1875–77 Herzegovina Uprising in the Ottoman Empire's Bosnia Vilay ...

(1824–1910), commander in the 1875–77 Herzegovina Uprising * Petar Popović Pecija (1826–1875), rebel leader in Bosnian Krajina *

Ivan Musić Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was the Bu ...

:sr:Иван Мусић (1848–1888), commander in the 1875–77 Herzegovina Uprising * Jovo Stanisavljević Čaruga (1897–1925), outlaw in Slavonia

Croatian

* Petar Mrkonjić (fl. 1645–69), Venetian-employed guerrilla * Ilija Perajica (fl. 1685), Venetian-employed guerrilla leader *

Ivan Bušić Roša Ivan Bušić (1745–1783), nicknamed Roša (from Italian ''rosso'', "red", as in red-haired) was a ''hajduk'' (guerilla fighter) ''harambaša'' (commander) from the Imotski frontier (''Imotska krajina'', in modern Croatia), who served the Republi ...

(1745–1783), Venetian-employed guerrilla leader * Ivo Senjanin (d. 1612), Habsburg ''uskok'' *

Andrijica Šimić Andrija "Andrijica" Šimić (1833 – 5 February 1905) was a Herzegovinian hajduk. Biography Andrija Šimić (Andrijica is a diminutive form) was born in Grude, into an ethnic Croat family of seven children: he had a brother and five sisters. A ...

(1833–1905), outlaw in Herzegovina *

Mijat Tomić Mijat Tomić (died 1656) was a hajduk who led brigands which fought against Ottoman Empire rule in present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina. Biography He was born in the village of Brišnik near Tomislavgrad. Although his exact birth date is uncertain, ...

(1610–1656), brigand leader in Ottoman Bosnia

References

External links

{{Commonscat, Hajduks
Metaweb entry on "Haiduks"
Bandits Guerrillas Hungarian mercenaries Hungarian words and phrases Irregular units and formations Ottoman period in the Balkans Outlaws Slavic titles Polish mercenaries Serbian mercenaries Transylvania in the Kingdom of Hungary Turkish words and phrases