Voivode Mazarek

Mazarek
Voivode
15th century
Noble family Mazarek
Born Second half of the 14th century
Northern Albania
Died After 1422
Religion Christianity
Occupation Nobility of the Serbian Despotate

Voivode Mazarek (Serbian: Војвода Мазарек; fl. 1414–22) was Serbian nobleman and military officer who hailed from northern Albania. At the beginning of the 15th century he was governor of Rudnik and Ostrvica in Despotate of Serbia. Mazarek was one of commanders of Serbian troops during the Second Scutari War (1419—1423) between Serbia and Venice. After death of Balša III in 1421 Mazarek was appointed as governor of Zeta.

Rudnik and Ostrovica

In 1414 Mazarek was recorded as governor of Rudnik[1] and Ostrvica in Despotate of Serbia.[2]

Zeta

In August 1421 Serbian Despot Stefan Lazarević appointed voivode Mazarek to administer his possessions in Zeta.[3] Noblemen from Bar were then invited to a meeting in cathedral of St. George where they recognized the suzerainty of Serbian despot while Mazarek recognized their right to govern the city according to their own legislations.[4]

During the Second Scutari War (1419—1423) between Serbia and Venice, Mazarek was one of commanders of Serbian troops. At the end of 1421 the truce was signed and lasted until May 1422. Despot Stefan did not continue the war immediately after the truce because he was busy with other activities, but his voivode Mazarek undertook actions to prevent Venetian reinforcement of the Scutari garrison.[5] He erected several fortresses on the right bank of river Bojana from where he controlled the river. When Venetian captain Niccolo Capello was sent to transport food supplies and archers to the besieged Scutari using three galleys, Mazarek's forces on Bojana forced his galleys to retreat to the Adriatic sea.[6] In July 1422, the Venetian Senate ordered Niccolo Capello to return to Bojana and complete his mission, but he decided to wait for two galleys of providur and supracomite Marco Bembo and Marco Barbo carrying soldiers and material for destruction of the fortress Mazarek had erected in Sveti Srđ.[7] In November 1422 Venetian fleet destroyed Mazarek's fortresses on Bojana and reached Sveti Srđ. Due to low water level they could not continue their voyage trough Bojana.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Društvo za nauku i umjetnost Crne Gore. Odjeljenje društvenih nauka, Društvo za nauku i umjetnost Crne Gore (1975). Odjeljenje društvenih nauka. Društvo za nauku i umjetnost Crne Gore. p. 8.
  2. ↑ Bešić, Zarij M (1970). Istorija Črne Gore. Red. za istoriju Črne Gore. p. 139. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  3. ↑ Božić 1979, pp. 178, 179
    Деспот Стефан Лазаревић, када је августа 1421 дошао у Зету, није се тамо дуго задржао. Управу над поседнутим крајевима и градовима поверио је војводи Мазареку, Арбанасу који је већ одавно био у његовој служби. ... Мазарек је био и командант деспотових снага које су у позну јесен 1422 опседале Скадар и водиле борбе у Бојани.
  4. ↑ Božić 1979, p. 178
    Чим је стигао у тек освојени Бар, сазвао је градску властелу у цркву Св. Ђорђа. Ту је властела, као представник „општине" града Бара, признала власт српског деспота. А Мазарек је, као деспотов опуномоћеник, признао барској властели старо право да управља градом и да суди по својим статутима.
  5. ↑ Srejović, Dragoslav; Slavko Gavrilović; Sima M. Ćirković (1982). Istorija srpskog naroda: knj. Od najstarijih vremena do Maričke bitke (1371) (in Serbian). Srpska književna zadruga. p. 199. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  6. ↑ Godisnjak Pomorskog muzeja u Kotoru. Kotor: Pomorski muzej u Kotoru. 1968. p. 36. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  7. ↑ Božić 1979, p. 222
  8. ↑ Godisnjak Pomorskog muzeja u Kotoru. Kotor: Pomorski muzej u Kotoru. 1968. p. 37. Retrieved 3 August 2012.

Sources