Mihailo Anđelović

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Mihailo Anđelović
Born Mihailo Anđelović
Title Grand Voivode

Mihailo Anđelović (Serbian: Михаило Анђеловић, Greek: Μιχαήλ Ἄγγελος) was a 15th-century Serbian-Greek nobleman in Serbia, Grand Čelnik (c. 1445), Grand Voivode (Duke), and one of Serbia's three-member regency briefly in 1458.

After the Ottoman conquest of Thessaly in 1394, the ruling Angeloi Philanthropenoi family took refuge in Serbia. A grandson of either Alexios or Manuel, Mihailo Anđelović, served as an official at the court of Đurađ and Lazar Branković.

Mihailo's brother Mahmud was captured in his infancy by Ottoman soldiers during a 1427 raid in Serbia and was brought to Edirne, where he was converted to Islam and became a Janissary (Infantry unit of the Sultan). Mahmud later rose to the highest ranks of the Ottoman Empire, becoming beylerbey (governor-general) of Rumelia (Ottoman Balkans) in 1451 and Grand Vizier in 1455. Thus, in the negotiations between Serbian Despot Lazar Branković and Mehmed II in January 1457, the two sides were represented by the brothers Mihailo and Mahmud Anđelović.

Owing to his personal talents, as well as his unique ability to positively steer negotiations with the Ottoman Empire due to his brother's position, Mihailo rose in rank in the Serbian Despotate, becoming Grand Čelnik (Palatine) in the 1440s and Grand Voivode in 1456/7.[1]

Because Lazar Branković had no sons, after his death a three-member regency was formed, on February 3, 1458. It included Lazar's brother, the blind Stefan Branković, Lazar's widow Helena Palaiologina and Grand Duke Mihailo Anđelović.

Mihailo hoped to become the new Despot of Serbia, and starting plotting with the Ottomans behind the regency's back. But after having secretly let a company of Ottoman soldiers into Smederevo, the population turned against him. The Ottoman company was captured or killed and he was imprisoned on 31 March 1458.[2] Stefan Branković became Despot of Serbia in his own right and ruled alongside Helena Palaiologina for the next twelve months.

Mihailo was soon entrusted as a captive to Damjan Đurđević, a Ragusan servant of the Despotate. At some point after November 1458, he managed to free himself from Đurđević. He soon joined up with his brother and was granted a timar in the Ottoman Empire. In 1463, he financed the repair and restoration of the Serbian Orthodox Monastery of Nova Pavlica,[3] the endowment of the 14th century Musić noble family.

Later, Mihailo and Mahmud Anđelović's Byzantine-Serbian descent and their blood relations with many Eastern Orthodox Christians from the Balkans and Anatolia were important for the future establishment of Islamic rule there. The use of kuls of Christian origin in high positions of the Ottoman court minimized the risks that they had to face in conquering and assimilating large Christian territories and populations.

Government offices
Preceded by
Regent of Serbia
3 February 1458 - 31 March 1458		 Succeeded by

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Веселиновић 2006, p. 196
  2. ↑ Веселиновић 2006, p. 90
  3. ↑ Р. Петровић, Откриће у Новој Павлици, Саопштења XV (1983) p. 245
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