Founded mid-14th century | Founder Milorad | |
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Titles vojvoda (duke), župan (count) | ||
The Miloradovići (Serbian Cyrillic: Милорадовићи) or Hrabreni (Храбрени), was a noble family and clan, whose members served the Kingdom of Bosnia, Republic of Ragusa, Ottoman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy and Russian Empire, between the 15th to 19th centuries.
Contents
Initial historical documents indicate that the Hrabreni were ethnically a katun Vlach clan from Herzegovina, who later embraced Serb ethnic identity, while religiously were Eastern Orthodox, with few early branches converted to Islam.
Middle Ages
The progenitor probably was certain Milorad, who as a chieftain of Vlach origin lived in the second half of 14th century. In 1416 is mentioned his son, Stipan, in appeal by Republic of Ragusa due to fighting along Petar Pavlović, a magnate of the Kingdom of Bosnia against Sandalj Hranić and Ottomans in the Lower Neretva near Slivno. He had three sons: Petar Stjepanović is first mentioned in 1473 and last time in 1486, Radoja Stjepanović died between 1475-1477, while Vukić Stjepanović was mentioned for last time in 1496. They had lands between Stolac and Mostar.
Members have been buried at Radimlja near Stolac, which was in their possession. Radimlja was most likely the clan's graveyard. There are epitaphs on five medieval stećci referring to the Miloradović family.
Ottoman period
During the Ottoman period, some members of the family were Christian sipahis. As Ottoman subjects, they were given privileges and possessions, where they founded churches. These include the Church of Peter and Paul in Ošanići, Church of St. Nicholas in Trijebanj and most importantly, the Žitomislić monastery (1550), among others. The katun formation by Petar and Vukić Hrabren was part of the Vlach group Donji Vlasi (Lower Vlachs) of nahiye Blagaj - and their katun was the largest with 127 houses and 16 unmarried persons out of 37 katuns, 1383 houses and 177 unmarried persons. At the time Petar Stjepanovič-Hrabren along knezes Vukac, Pavko, Stipan and Radivoj Popratović was included in the order of Ragusan citizens, as well was Ottoman timariot.
When the Ottoman feudal system, which they were part of, started falling apart in Herzegovina in the 16th and 17th centuries, the clan started dispersing itself as they felt unsafe. The Miloradovići in Dubrava remained in Ottoman service as sipahi with the Sultan's grant until the mid-17th century, when more Ottomanized nobility which had the ruling power pushed them aside. Those members of Miloradović-Stjepanović who remained in Žitomislić have taken collective surname Ljoljić and Kuzman, while those who converted to Islam have taken surname Opijač and today live in Dubrava near Stolac. From the Dubrava family, Jeronim Miloradović-Hrabren became an Austrian officer in the 18th century.
Miloradovich family in the Russian Empire
Since the 17th century some Miloradović members migrated to Russia, with occasional visits to Herzegovina carrying gifts and Church books. Mihailo Miloradović (ca. 1650–1725) and Metropolitan Danilo I Petrović-Njegoš had been recruited by Peter I of Russia to incite rebellion in Herzegovina against the Ottomans in 1710–11 (during the Pruth River Campaign), but after unsuccessful attempts Mihailo was forced to flee Herzegovina to Little Russia where he joined Peter's service as a colonel. Among Mihailo's descendants and prominent members of this branch include his grandson Andrej S. Miloradović (1726–96), a governor, and most importantly Mikhail Miloradovich (1771–1825), a Russian general prominent during the Napoleonic Wars. Count Grigorije Miloradović-Hrabren (1839–1905), a Russian colonel, visited manastir Žitomislić in 1883.
Legacy
The family coat of arms is included in the Korenić-Neorić Armorial (1595), the Fojnica Armorial (1675–88), and the General armorial of noble families in the Russian Empire (1807).
There are several families from Eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina that descend from this family.