Stefan Berislavić

Stefan Berislavić (Hungarian: Beriszló István, d. 1535) was a Hungarian–Croatian magnate who served as the Despot of Rascia between 1520 and 1526. He was a member of the Berislavići Grabarski.

A member of the Berislavići Grabarski from the Požega County of Slavonia, Stefan was the son of Ivaniš Berislavić (d. 1514), who served the Kingdom of Hungary as Despot of Serbia (r.  1504–14), and Ban of Jajce (r.  1511–13). His mother was Jelena Jakšić, of the Serbian Jakšić noble family, who had previously been married to the last Serbian Despot of the Branković dynasty, Jovan Branković (r.  1496–1502), who died in 1502; as the couple had no issue, the Serbian Despot title was inherited by Jelena, who remarried in 1504 to Ivaniš, who in turn received the title, holding it until his death in 1514.

Stefan was less than ten years old when his father died, thus, the Despot title was recognized to him only in 1520. After the defeat of the Hungarians at Mohács (1526), the Hungarian nobility was divided into two sides; one led by King Ferdinand Habsburg, on whose side Berislavić stood, and one led by John Zápolya, the Duke of Transylvania. Stefan died in 1535. After the fall of Hungary, there were two more titular Despots, Radič Božić (1527–28), received by Zápolya, and Pavle Bakić (1537), received by Ferdinand.

Family of Stefan Berislavić
2. Ivaniš Berislavić                                   1. Stefan Berislavić                                         12. Jakša                       6. Stefan Jakšić                             3. Jelena Jakšić                                   14. Miloš Belmužević                       7. Milica Belmužević

Annotations

• Name: He was crowned "Stefan, Despot of Rascia" (Stefan despot Raške). Croatian historiography use Stjepan, while Serbian historiography use Stefan, Stevan and Stjepan. In Hungarian, his full name is written Beriszló István.