Konstantin Mihailović

Who is Konstantin Mihailović?

Konstantin Mihailović was a Serbian who served as a Janissary during the 15th century for the Ottoman Empire. Born in the village of Ostrovica, near Rudnik in Serbian Despotate around 1430, Mihailović is remembered for having kept memoirs of his service and in doing so he allowed a unique insight into life in the Ottoman Army. His memoirs were written at the end of 15th century, probably in period 1490—1501 under the name Memoirs of a janissary. Konstantin Mihailović wrote his memoirs with aim to present as many as possible details about state and military structure of Ottoman Empire. He believed that only those who know Ottoman Empire well can successfully fight against it. This motif was the basis for writing his memoirs, emphasised in the text he wrote about Skanderbeg.