Stjepan Berislavić (Serbian:Стефан Бериславић,Hungarian:Beriszló István;c. 1505 – 1535) was a Croatian nobleman[1] andtitularDespot of Serbia from 1520 until his death in 1535. He was a prominentnobleman in several counties (Syrmia,Vukovar andPožega) ofKingdom of Hungary.^[2][3][4]

Stjepan Berislavić was member of the noble familyBerislavići Doborski,^[5] that expanded from Bosnia into thePožega County ofKingdom of Hungary.^[1] According to the family traditionBan Borić of Bosnia, who ruled from 1154 until c.1167, was an ancestor of the family.^[6]

Their royal title wasBan of Bosnia (Ban de Bosna), while noble titles were Lord ofPosavina (Signor de Posava) andPerpetual Count ofDobor (Comes Perpetuus de Dobor).^[7]

Stjepan was the elder son ofIvaniš Berislavić (d. 1514), who wasBan ofJajce (1511–1513) andtitularDespot of Serbia (1504–1514).^[8]

Stjepan's mother wasJelena Jakšić, a member of theSerbia's prominentJakšić noble family, who had previously been married toJovan Branković, the lastSerbian Despot of theBranković dynasty (1496–1502). As Jelena and his first husband had no male issue, the title of Serbian Despot became vacant upon Jovan's death in 1502. When Jelena remarried toIvaniš Berislavić in 1504, he received the title, from kingVladislaus II (d. 1516), and held it until his death in 1514.^[9][10]

From 1529, he has controlled regions in SlavonianPosavina, centered inBrod. During 1532 and 1533, he negotiated with kingFerdinand Habsburg, but no agreement was reached.

Since Stjepan wasc. nine years old when his father died, the title of Serbian Despot was granted to him only in 1520, by kingLouis II (d. 1526).^[11] After the Ottomanconquest of Belgrade in 1521, he tried to hold his fortress ofKupinik inSyrmia county, but the region was eventually lost to Ottoman invasion.^[12]

After the defeat at theBattle of Mohács (1526), Kingdom of Hungary became divided between two rival fractions, one led by KingFerdinand Habsburg and the other byJohn Zápolya, theDuke of Transylvania, who was also proclaimed King. At first, Stjepan Berislavić supportedZápolya (1526), but then pledged allegiance to Ferdinand, at the beginning of 1527. Learning of that, Zapolja tried to suppress Stjepan's authority overSerbs by appointing Serbian noblemanRadič Božić as titular Despot (1527–1528). In spite of that, Stjepan continued to act as Serbian Despot, and was recognized as such by King Ferdinand. In 1529, Stjepan fell out of Ferdinand's favor and was confined inBuda, but soon escaped.^[13][14]

At that time, Ferdinand's territories in Hungary were invaded again by the Ottomans, who acted as allies of rival kingJohn Zápolya, ruler of theEastern Hungarian Kingdom. Stjepan decided to join them, and in return received confirmation of his domains.

During the invasion, Stjepan was killed byjanissary on the orders from the Turkish governor ofBosniaGazi Husrev Bey, and his domain was conquered by the Ottomans.^[15][16]

In a letter written fromStoni Beograd, dated 1 May 1542, his widow, CatherineBatthyany (d. after 1542), formerDespotess of Serbia informs her brother,Ferenc Batthyány, formerBan of Croatia, thatMurat Bey Tardić already conqueredOrahovica and that she fears she will soon fall into the hands of theOttomans.^[17]

• Name: Serbian historiography uses Stefan or Stevan, while Croatian historiography uses Stjepan.^[18] In Hungarian historiography, his full name is written asBeriszló István.^[19]

• Berislavić noble family
• Despots of Serbia
• 16th-century Croatian nobility
• 16th-century Hungarian nobility
• 16th-century Serbian nobility
• 1500s births
• 1535 deaths

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