Morlachs | |
War: | the Cretan War (1645–69) and the Great Turkish War (1683–99) |
Active: | 1645–1699 |
Ideology: | Christianity |
Leaders: | See list |
Area: | Dalmatian hinterland |
Size: | 1,500 (Cretan War) |
Partof: | Venetian army |
Allies: | Republic of Venice |
Opponents: | Ottoman Empire |
The Morlach troops was an irregular military group in the Dalmatian hinterland, composed of Morlachs (a pre-modern ethnic identity of Slavic speaking people of diverse ethnic origin[1]), that was hired by the Republic of Venice to fight the Ottoman Empire during the Cretan War (1645–69) and the Great Turkish War (1683–99).
The leaders, called harambaša (tr. "bandit leader") and serdar ("commander-in-chief"), held several titles in Venetian service.
With the Cretan War (1645–69), a solid organization was needed, with an officer commanding over several harambaše. At first this position was undetermined.[2] Priest Stjepan Sorić is mentioned as "governator delli Morlachi", Petar Smiljanić as "capo", Vuk Mandušić as "capo direttore", and Janko Mitrović as "capo principale de Morlachi", Jovan Dračevac as "governator" etc.[3] [2] This "Uskok" or "Morlach" army had less than 1,500 fighters.[4]
The rebel fighters are enumerated in Croatian and Serbian epic poetry, of which there is a cyclus.