Janko Draškovic
Encyclopedia
Janko Drašković was a Croatia
n national reformer, politician and poet. He was a member of the Drašković family
, one of the oldest Croatian noble families.
. He lived all his life in the Trakošćan
family castle, and he held the noble title of grof, or count
.
Known to be very broadly educated, he was even considered the best-educated person in Croatia at the turn of the 19th century. A lover of literature, he wrote poetry himself, but this is not what makes him a part of Croatian history. As a young man, he embarked upon a military career, but was forced to retire due to health issues.
Janko Drašković’s Croatia was part of Hungary, under Habsburg rule. Because the kingdom was so large, Hungary attempted processes of unification, starting with culture and language, known as magyarisation. This process became more intense on Croatia in the 1820s-1830s: for example, the Hungarian Diet of 1825-27 insisted on Magyar
as the official language for Croatia, and in 1827 the Sabor act made Magyar a compulsory subject in Croatian secondary schools. As a reaction, Ljudevit Gaj
led the creation of a Croatian national movement, called the Illyrian movement
, in 1831, that fought for a Croatian political and cultural renewal.
Janko Drašković, even though he was already at the age of 62, promptly joined the movement and published in 1832 his “Dissertation”, which was considered the political, economic, social and cultural program of the Croatian Illyrian movement. The name of the work is usually contracted, as the full name was Disertacija iliti razgovor, darovan gospodi poklisarom zakonskim i budućim zakonotvorcem kraljevinah naših za buduću dietu ungarsku odaslanem, držan po jednom starom domorodcu kraljevinah ovih (Dissertation, or Treatise, given to the honourable lawful deputies and future legislators of our Kingdoms, delegated to the future Hungarian Diet; by an old patriot of these Kingdoms). It was written as a plea to the members of the Croatian Parliament who were to be elected representatives in the joint Hungarian-Croatian Diet in Pressburg (today's Bratislava
).
In his pamphlet, Janko Drašković envisioned a “Great Illyria” that would include all the south Slav provinces of the Habsburg Empire, that is, Croatia, Slavonia
, Dalmatia
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
, Rijeka
, and the Military Frontier
(Vojna Krajina). He urged this “great Illyria” to be administratively independent from Hungary, with a “bannus” (ban
) responsible directly to the king. If the Habsburg monarchy were to refuse these terms, Janko Drašković recommended that the united Croatian lands should secede.
He wrote the Dissertation in the Štokavian dialect, the language the Illyrian movement adopted instead of the Kajkavian dialect
of Zagreb because a majority of Croats
spoke it.
Drašković also advocated for the adoption of the Štokavian dialect as the official language. The Dissertation was the first political pamphlet published in the Štokavian dialect, and because of this was the model when the Croatian language was standardized later on.
Janko Drašković dedicated all his energy to his political activity and to the battle against magyarisation. In 1838, largely due to his contribution, a reading room was founded in Zagreb called the Ilirska čitaonica, which became the focal meeting point of the 'Illyrians'.
In 1842, he became the first chairperson of the Matica Hrvatska
, the Croatian cultural and publishing society. He was also a member of the original Croatian People's Party (up to the Revolutions of 1848
).
He died in Radgona in 1856, while en route to a spa in Germany. Since 1893, his remains rest at the Illyrian arcade part of the Zagreb cemetery Mirogoj.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n national reformer, politician and poet. He was a member of the Drašković family
House of Draškovic
The House of Drašković, also spelled Draskovich in English, is one of the oldest Croatian noble families, originally descended from lower-rank nobility of the Lika region.There are no reliable data on them before the 15th century...
, one of the oldest Croatian noble families.
Biography
Janko Drašković was born in 1770 in ZagrebZagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
. He lived all his life in the Trakošćan
Trakošcan
Trakošćan is a castle located in northern Croatia that dates back to the 13th century ....
family castle, and he held the noble title of grof, or count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
.
Known to be very broadly educated, he was even considered the best-educated person in Croatia at the turn of the 19th century. A lover of literature, he wrote poetry himself, but this is not what makes him a part of Croatian history. As a young man, he embarked upon a military career, but was forced to retire due to health issues.
Janko Drašković’s Croatia was part of Hungary, under Habsburg rule. Because the kingdom was so large, Hungary attempted processes of unification, starting with culture and language, known as magyarisation. This process became more intense on Croatia in the 1820s-1830s: for example, the Hungarian Diet of 1825-27 insisted on Magyar
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
as the official language for Croatia, and in 1827 the Sabor act made Magyar a compulsory subject in Croatian secondary schools. As a reaction, Ljudevit Gaj
Ljudevit Gaj
Ljudevit Gaj was a Croatian linguist, politician, journalist and writer. He was one of the central figures of the Croatian national reformation, also known as the Illyrian Movement.-Origin:...
led the creation of a Croatian national movement, called the Illyrian movement
Illyrian movement
The Illyrian movement , also Croatian national revival , was a cultural and political campaign with roots in the early modern period, and revived by a group of young Croatian intellectuals during the first half of 19th century, around the years of 1835–1849...
, in 1831, that fought for a Croatian political and cultural renewal.
Janko Drašković, even though he was already at the age of 62, promptly joined the movement and published in 1832 his “Dissertation”, which was considered the political, economic, social and cultural program of the Croatian Illyrian movement. The name of the work is usually contracted, as the full name was Disertacija iliti razgovor, darovan gospodi poklisarom zakonskim i budućim zakonotvorcem kraljevinah naših za buduću dietu ungarsku odaslanem, držan po jednom starom domorodcu kraljevinah ovih (Dissertation, or Treatise, given to the honourable lawful deputies and future legislators of our Kingdoms, delegated to the future Hungarian Diet; by an old patriot of these Kingdoms). It was written as a plea to the members of the Croatian Parliament who were to be elected representatives in the joint Hungarian-Croatian Diet in Pressburg (today's Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
).
In his pamphlet, Janko Drašković envisioned a “Great Illyria” that would include all the south Slav provinces of the Habsburg Empire, that is, Croatia, Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
, Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
, and the Military Frontier
Military Frontier
The Military Frontier was a borderland of Habsburg Austria and later the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which acted as the cordon sanitaire against incursions from the Ottoman Empire...
(Vojna Krajina). He urged this “great Illyria” to be administratively independent from Hungary, with a “bannus” (ban
Ban (title)
Ban was a title used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.-Etymology:The word ban has entered the English language probably as a borrowing from South Slavic ban, meaning "lord, master; ruler". The Slavic word is probably borrowed from...
) responsible directly to the king. If the Habsburg monarchy were to refuse these terms, Janko Drašković recommended that the united Croatian lands should secede.
He wrote the Dissertation in the Štokavian dialect, the language the Illyrian movement adopted instead of the Kajkavian dialect
Kajkavian dialect
The Kajkavian dialect is one of the three main dialects of Croatian. It has low mutual intelligibility with the other two dialects, Štokavian and Čakavian. All three are named after their word for "what?", which in Kajkavian is kaj....
of Zagreb because a majority of Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
spoke it.
Drašković also advocated for the adoption of the Štokavian dialect as the official language. The Dissertation was the first political pamphlet published in the Štokavian dialect, and because of this was the model when the Croatian language was standardized later on.
Janko Drašković dedicated all his energy to his political activity and to the battle against magyarisation. In 1838, largely due to his contribution, a reading room was founded in Zagreb called the Ilirska čitaonica, which became the focal meeting point of the 'Illyrians'.
In 1842, he became the first chairperson of the Matica Hrvatska
Matica hrvatska
Matica hrvatska is one of the oldest Croatian cultural institutions, dating back to 1842. The name is somewhat idiosyncratic, best translated as "The Croatian Centre" . It is the largest publisher of Croatian language books...
, the Croatian cultural and publishing society. He was also a member of the original Croatian People's Party (up to the Revolutions of 1848
Revolutions of 1848
The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations, Springtime of the Peoples or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848. It was the first Europe-wide collapse of traditional authority, but within a year reactionary...
).
He died in Radgona in 1856, while en route to a spa in Germany. Since 1893, his remains rest at the Illyrian arcade part of the Zagreb cemetery Mirogoj.
Sources
- Robert A. Kann and Zdeněk V. David, A history of East Central Europe- Volume VI: The peoples of the Eastern Habsburg lands, 1526-1918, (Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1984)
- http://francecroatie.fr/Histoire/creation.pdf
- http://www.mdc.hr/trakoscan/eng/2-2povijest.html