Ilija Perajica
Venetian Dalmatian harambaša and Morlach commander in the Great Turkish War.
Ilija Peraica, also known as Elia Peraizza, was a Venetian Dalmatian harambaša and serdar who led Morlach troops during the Great Turkish War. Venetian records describe his large clan as Morlachs, living mainly around Zadar and Šibenik in Dalmatia. The clan had its own parochial constitution, first noted in 1611 and later recorded by priest Bonaventure Biloglava in 1679 and 1686. According to Venetian documents, the “people of Peraizza” fielded 400 men-at-arms and could mobilize roughly 1,400 more.
Quick Facts
- Also known as
- Elia Peraizza
- Title
- harambaša, serdar
- Year of death
- 1685
- Place of death
- Rogoznica
- Number of men-at-arms
- 400
Facts from the source article.
Life
Peraica escaped from a Turkish prison and in 1685, with 1,600 soldiers and people from the Cetina district, started an uprising. He collaborated with the Republic of Venice against the Turks, thus changing the entire course of the Morean War, earning the title of "sardar" and Venetian recognition of his rule over the liberated territory. Recent research indicates that in autumn 1685 provveditore generale Pietro Valier gave a large part of land around Zadar and Šibenik to "the new Morlach subjects from Lika and their harambasas Nakić (Nachich) and Peraica (Peraiza)" although he doubted their intentions and had previously conducted long negotiations with them. Still, according to Venetian documents, Peraica was given rule to share with fellow hajduk Stojan Janković. He died while fighting Ottomans at Rogoznica (1685).
Peraizza family name
Notably, another Peraizza, Francesco (Frano Peraica) was an official Venetian representative in Split around 1675. There might be confusion over the family name as it was written in four different ways in different documents (Peraizza, Peraiza, Perajica, Peraica) and by different governments. Today several variants of the name can still be found in Dalmatia.
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