Radoslav Čelnik | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Syrmia | |
 Radoslav Čelnik's province (1527–30) | |
| Reign | 1527–1532 |
| Predecessor | Emperor Jovan Nenad |
Radoslav Čelnik (Serbian Cyrillic:Радослав Челник,Hungarian:Cselnik Radoszláv;fl. 1526–1532), known asVojvoda Rajko (војвода Рајко), was aSerb general (vojvoda) in the army ofJovan Nenad, the titular Serbian Emperor who held present-dayVojvodina, who after the death of Jovan Nenad (1527) took part of the army fromBačka toSyrmia and acceded intoOttoman service. Radoslav then ruled over Syrmia as "Duke of Syrmia (Srem)", initially as an Ottoman vassal (1527–1530) and then as a Habsburg vassal (1530–1532), until the region was conquered by the Ottomans. His residence and capital was inSlankamen (sr).
Radoslav hailed fromOrahovica.[1][verification needed]
He was one of the generals of Jovan Nenad, the titular Serbian Emperor who occupied a province of the former Kingdom of Hungary which had been conquered by the Ottomans in 1526, in present-dayVojvodina. Jovan Nenad had defeated the Ottomans in Syrmia and the neighbouring regions, and had supported Ferdinand after John Zapolya refused to acknowledge his rule over Bačka, Banat and Syrmia. After defeating Zapolya's army he had himself proclaimed "Serbian Emperor". Jovan Nenad's army was then led by the chief general, Radoslav. In 1526, Radoslav held a province under Jovan Nenad, which included a town known asBelzond, nearSonta.[2] By the beginning of 1527 the army had ca. 15,000 soldiers. In 1527, he is mentioned alongside Emperor Jovan in Subotica as his "personal and general captain".[3]
After the murder of Jovan Nenad (1527) and fall of the territory, Radoslav had an army of 2,000 in UpperPodunavlje.[4] He had taken part of the destroyed and dispersed army fromBačka toSyrmia,[citation needed] and acceded intoOttoman service.[3]
Radoslav then ruled over Syrmia as an Ottoman vassal and styled himself as the "Duke of Syrmia (Srem)", while his residence was inSlankamen (sr).[citation needed]
At the same, he also secretly kept relations with theHabsburgs, which the Ottomans soon understood.[citation needed] Ferdinand had much hope in Radoslav.[5] When the Ottoman army passed through Srem, Radoslav Čelnik crossed into Habsburg territory, and then returned when they had left.[citation needed] In 1530 he denounced the Ottoman vassalage and officially became a Habsburg nobleman, entitled the rule of Syrmia.[citation needed] In 1532, the Ottomans conquered Syrmia.
With the Ottoman conquest of Syrmia in 1532,[6] Radoslav retreated toSlavonia, and later lived in his town calledNebojc.[7][8] It was located on the riverVuka, nearVukovar.[citation needed] Many Syrmian Serbs migrated into Hungary with the Ottoman conquest.[6]
He is enumerated inSerbian epic poetry, in the songMargita devojka i vojvoda Rajko (Маргита девојка и војвода Рајко).
He may be the same asveliki komornikRaka Milošević,[9] who served DespotJovan Branković.