| Janko Mitrović | |
| Battles: | |
| Birth Date: | 1613 |
| Death Date: | 1659 |
| Death Place: | Cetina |
| Serviceyears: | 1645-1659 |
| Rank: | harambaša |
| Unit: | Morlach Venetian irregular group |
Janko Mitrović (Serbian: Јанко Митровић; 1613–1659) was a harambaša (Ottoman for "bandit leader"), and the commander of the Morlach army, in the service of the Republic of Venice, from 1648 until his death in 1659. He participated in the Cretan War (1645–69), alongside Ilija Smiljanić, as the supreme commanders of the Venetian Morlach troops, of which he is enumerated in Serb epic poetry (as Janko of Kotari, Јанко од Котара). His son, Stojan Janković, followed in his father's footsteps.
Janko was the son of Mitar (born c. 1585[1]), whose family hailed from village Zelengrad or Žegar in the area of Bukovica. Janko had brothers Jovan, Stjepan, Pavle, and Andrija, and probably was among the youngest brothers.[1] Vukadin Mitrović was also a harambaša in Venetian service, possibly another brother, or a cousin.[1]
Mitrović in 1646 was recorded as a defender of Šibenik, and in 1649 was rewarded with a monthly payment of 4 ducats.[1] Stojan, who was Janko's eldest son, began fighting alongside him and Ilija Smiljanić early on, in the Cretan War (1645–69). Ilija, as the more experienced, was named serdar in 1648 after his father, serdar Petar Smiljanić had died.[2] In 1648, when the Ottoman army took their village, the Mitrovići and 70 other Žegar families settled in the small village of Budin near Posedarje, under Venetian control. In January 1654, with 100 horsemen and 150 other soldiers prevented Ottoman's destruction of Posedarje for which was rewarded by the authorities. After the death of Filip Smiljanić, in 1656 was named as a serdar. Under his command were people of Ražanac, Vinjerac, Ljubač, Posedarje, Novigrad, Krmpoćani, as well controlled two cols at Old Obrovac[1]
In February 1659, near the Cetina river, both leaders Janko and Ilija Smiljanić succumb to wounds after battling the Turks. Janko was buried on 28 February 1659 in the Catholic church of St. Elias in Zadar, which was until the mid-18th century part of the parish of the Zadar Cathedral, in which death registers were kept at that time.[1] Janko's wife was Antonija, and they had three sons, Stojan, Ilija and Zaviša, and a daughter Ana.[1] [3] According to one document, stating that they had many people of the same confession faithful to the Roman Church, it is argued that they were Roman Catholics.[1]