Đuraš Ilijić

Đuraš Ilijić
Inscription on his tombstone
Holding(s)	Upper Zeta
Detail Titles and styles dominus čelnik vojvoda
Family	Đurašević (Crnojević)
Father	kefalija Ilija
Born	Zeta (now Montenegro)
Died	1362 (murdered)
Buried	Church of St. Michael, Miholjska prevlaka
Religion	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Occupation	provincial governor, military commander

Đuraš Ilijić (Serbian: Ђураш Илијић, fl. 1326–62) was a nobleman who served the Serbian monarchs Stefan Dečanski (r. 1321–1331), Stefan Dušan (r. 1331–1355) and Uroš V (r. 1355–1371), from 1326 until his death in 1362. He had the title of čelnik ("head"), and governed Upper Zeta. He is an ancestor of the Crnojević noble family (a branch of the Đurašević).

Đuraš was born in Zeta, the son of Ilija, and grandson of Đuraš Vrančić. His grandfather served King Stefan Milutin (r. 1282–1321) with the court title of stavilac, while his father had the title of kefalija, and governed Zeta. It has been claimed that Đuraš had two brothers, Nikola and Vladin, or one brother, Nikola Vladin.

King Stefan Dečanski's confirmation on the rights of Ragusan merchants dating to March 25, 1326, was attended by vojvoda Mladen, tepčija Vladoje, and čelnik Đuraš Ilijić. At that time the title of čelnik was of a higher rank than stavilac, but lower than kaznac and tepčija, with vojvoda being the supreme title. It is unclear if there was one or several with that title at the court; the next year, Gradislav Vojšić is mentioned as serving the King as čelnik. In the conflict between Stefan Dečanski and his son Dušan in 1331, Đuraš was at the side of Dušan. According to Mavro Orbini (1601), when Dušan took his army from Zeta against his father in Raška, he had with him two advisors, Karavida and Đuraš. Dečanski surrendered in August, and Dušan was crowned King in September.