The Seressaner (, , ) were an Habsburg military police unit in

Lika Lika () is a traditional region of Croatia proper, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by t ...

Croatian Military Frontier The Croatian Military Frontier ( or ') was a district of the Military Frontier, a territory in the Habsburg monarchy, first during the period of the Austrian Empire and then during Austria-Hungary. History Founded in the late 16th century out of ...

. The name is derived from

Saracens file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century History of Germany, German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to ...

("tent dwellers"). The Seressaner troops were established after the

Treaty of Karlowitz The Treaty of Karlowitz, concluding the Great Turkish War of 1683–1699, in which the Ottoman Empire was defeated by the Holy League at the Battle of Zenta, was signed in Karlowitz, in the Military Frontier of the Habsburg Monarchy (present-day ...

(1699). It had both military and police duties. The members were not paid, but were freed from paying all taxes. As an irregular unit, they wore folk costumes rather than military uniforms. Over the following century, each regiment had one section of the ''serežani'', led by a ''oberbaša'' or ''harambaša'' (sergeant), several ''unterbaša'' (corporal) and ''vicebaša'' (lance corporal). They organized the border patrols towards Bosnia, particularly on difficult terrain, and stopped incursions of bandits. They required extensive knowledge of the territory, good marksmanship and to be constantly under arms. They also maintained public law and order in the area of their regiment. There were also cavalry serežan units that served as escort to the high officers of Frontier regiments, carried urgent orders and carried out special patrol duties.

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Seressaner Military history of Croatia Military units and formations of the early modern period Military units and formations established in the 18th century Croatia under Habsburg rule History of Lika Military Frontier Army of the Habsburg monarchy

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