Mihailo Ovčarević

Mihailo Ovčarević (Serbian Cyrillic: Михаило Овчаревић; fl. 1550–79) was a Habsburg Serb vojvoda (commander) of the Šajkaši (river flotilla). Mihailo Ovčarević belonged to the Ovčarević family, a notable Serb family in Habsburg service in the 16th century, and was a relative of the earlier Petar Ovčarević (fl. 1521–41), a Šajkaši commander and spy, and contemporaries Dimitrije Ovčarević (fl. 1552–66), captain of Gyula, and Jovan Ovčarević (fl. 1557), an emissary.[1] He is mentioned in 1550 as a vojvoda of the Šajkaši.[1] After a denunciation, Emperor Ferdinand I had Mihailo imprisoned, where he stayed for several months until having proved his innocence.[1] As compensation, Ferdinand I issued him a yearly 50 gold coins, which was then changed to 25.[2] In 1557 he asked the War Council to appoint him a vojvoda in Komárno.[1] It is unknown whether he succeeded.[1] It seems that he continued living on his low pension which was not paid regularly;[3] the payment issue is evident from his many appeals.[2] He is last mentioned in 1579.[1]

View of Komárno with chaikas, 1597. Mihailo Ovčarević was a vojvoda (commander) of the Šajkaši, the river flotilla that defended the Danube and Sava rivers against the Ottomans.