УБИСТВО ДМИТРА ЈАКШИЋА У СМЕДЕРЕВУ
MURDER OF DMITAR JAKŠIĆ IN SMEDEREVO

Summary/Abstract: Based upon the Serbian, Western and Ottoman primary sources and the relevant secondary sources, this paper examines the circumstances of the violent death of the Serbian noble Dmitar Jakšić and its consequences. In 1486, Matthias Corvinus, the King of Hungary, sent voivode Dmitar Jakšić, as an envoy, to his first diplomatic mission at the Ottoman court ruled by the Sultan Bayezid II. Brothers Stefan and Dmitar Jakšić were among the most distinguished Serbian nobles in Hungary. They became famous in the battles and, having known the Ottoman Empire well, Dmitar Jakšić was therefore chosen to be an envoy at the Ottoman court. After his mission was carried out successfully, on his return from Edirne, Dmitar Jakšić was mortally wounded in Smederevo on November 7th, 1486, and died thereof the following day. He was murdered by the Turkish warrior Ghazi Mustafa in an act of blood feud. Fearing that the assassination of the royal envoy could be used by the Hungarian king as an excuse to start another war between Hungary and the Ottoman Empire, Bayezid II ordered execution of the sanjak-bey of Smederevo, and did his best to convince the Hungarian ruler that he had no part in the murder. The Ottoman Empire was waging war in Asia Minor against the Mamelukes during which the sultan tried to avoid getting involved in another war in Europe. On the other hand, the king Mattias Corvinus was in the same position, as he was fighting the Habsburg forces in Austria, and could not break the truce he had with the Ottomans. Since both sides wanted to avoid the conflict, the incident was soon resolved, and the truce was renewed in 1488.

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