Ivan Bušić Roša

Ivan Bušić (1745–1783), nicknamed Roša (from Italian rosso, "red", as in red-haired) was a hajduk (guerilla fighter) harambaša (commander) from the Imotski frontier (Imotska krajina, in modern Croatia), who served the Republic of Venice against the Ottomans in Dalmatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Life

According to his descendant, Bruno Bušić, he was Croat, evident from the poem La trnka urekla Hrvata.[1] He was born in Donji Vinjani around 1745.[2] In the beginning, he was in good relation with Orthodox people, and his first harambaša was Sočivica, an Orthodox.[2] Roša had 33 fighters, one of whom was a Muslim, Mubašir, "who was not a bad man".[2] As a hajduk, he fought against the Ottoman Empire, traveling along Dalmatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

According to contemporary annals, he persecuted more Orthodox (Serbs) than Turks, because he "couldn't listen or look at them, so he killed many of them".[3]

He was killed on April 1, 1783, by a man named Krešić,[4] on Ilijino polje ("Ilija's Field") somewhere between Stolac and Popovo Polje.[5]

Legacy

In 1977, Croatian dissident in emigration and Bušić clan member Bruno Bušić wrote a book Ivan Bušić-Roša, Hajdučki Harambaša, detailing the life and legend of Ivan Bušić-Roša.[6] Today, there are many traditional folk-songs and gusle poems dedicated to Roša.

References
  1. Bruno Bušić (1983), Jedino Hrvatska!: sabrani spisi, ZIRAL, Međutim, Ivan Bušić-Roša bio je ponajprije Hrvat, o čemu svjedoči i pjesma La trnka urekla Hrvata u kojoj ostarjela majka svog sinka „Bušića Ivanka" svjetuje da nikada ne pjeva uz tamburu Latinki djevojci jer „one lako ureknu Hrvate".
  2. Marko Dragić (2001), Od Kozigrada do Zvonigrada: hrvatske predaje i legende iz Bosne i Hercegovine (II.), Mala nakladna kuća Sveti Jure, ISBN 9789539649768, Rođenje oko 1745. Premda G. Bujas u Makarskom ljetopisu od godine 1773. do 1794. piše da je Roša rođen u Gorici kod Gruda, vjerojatnije je mišljenje A. Ujevića koji u Imotskoj krajini (Split, 1953.) piše da je Roša rođen u Donjim Vinjanima ... Benić piše da je Roša imao 33 druga i da je među njima bio musliman Mubašir "i nije bio loš čovik".25 Predaja kazuje: "U početku je Roša živio u dobrim odnosima s pravoslavcima, a njegov prvi harambaša bio je pravoslavac Sočivica.
  3. Hrvatski list, 1978, p. 39, Ljetopisci, njegovi suvremenici, tvrde da je Roša više progonio pravoslavne Vlahe nego Turke jer Vlahe (rkaće ili arkaće) ne može "čuti ni viditi, i zato je mnoge pogubio", pa "ne prašta nikome koji mu do ruke dođe" (Makarski Ijtopis, JAZU, ...
  4. Zbornik "Kačić", 4, Franjevački provincijalat presv. Otkupitelja, 1971, p. 128
  5. Jako Baltić; Andrija Zirdum (2003), Godišnjak od dogadjaja i promine vrimena u Bosni 1754-1882, Synopsis, ISBN 978-9958-9672-9-0
  6. "Hrvatska Matica Iseljenika". Archived from the original on 2008-10-18. Retrieved 2009-12-05.

Further reading
  • Karlo Kosor: Ivan Bušić-Roša, hajdučki harambaša
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