Elia Peraizza

Who is Elia Peraizza?

Elia Peraizza or Ilija Perajica was a Hajduk /uskok leader from Dalmatia.

According to old Italian sources, he came from a large family listed as Morlachs. The family was part of a larger clan, who inhabited large territories of Dalmatia, mostly centered around Zadar and Šibenik. They had their own parochial constitution. Italian documents claim the "people of Peraizza" have about four hundred armed at the moment but can mobilize about 1400 more.

Peraizza escaped from a Turkish prison and in 1685, with 1600 soldiers and people from the Cetina district, started an uprising. He collaborated with the Venice Republic against the Turks, thus changing the entire course of the Morean War. earning the title of the "sardar" and Venetian recognition of his rule over the liberated territory.

Recent research indicates that in autumn 1685 provveditore General Pietro Valier gave a large part of land around Zadar and Sibenik to "the new Morlach subjects from Lika and their harambasas Nakić and Peraica 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.