Ilija Gregorić

Who was Ilija Gregorić?

Ilija Gregorić was a Croatian soldier, best known as the military commander of rebels during the Croatian and Slovenian peasant revolt of 1573.

He was born in Marija Gorica, a village in Croatia. When Ottoman Turks raided Carniola in 1553, he was captured. He escaped captivity and became a professional soldier in the Military Frontier.

In 1564, he became a serf on the estates of infamous Ferenz Tahy. Three years later, as a semi-professional soldier, he raided Ottoman territories. He was again captured by the Turks, and brought as prisoner to Constantinople. He subsequently escaped, and returned to Croatia in 1572.

Due to his military experience, rebel peasants elected him as the captain of their army. Now in command of the rebel forces, he tried to spread the revolt in Slovenia. His forces were defeated at the battles of Krško and Sv. Petar.

Unlike Matija Gubec, he was not captured immediately and he tried to seek shelter in Ottoman territories. He was captured near Jasenovac and brought to Zagreb, where he was executed.