Šajkaši
| Šajkaši | |
|---|---|
| Tschaikisten (in German) | |
A Šajkaš in uniform, 1849 | |
| Active | 1475–1873 |
| Allegiance |
|
| Branch | River Flotilla |
| Role | Defence of Danube and Sava |
| Colors | Blue |
Šajkaši (In Serbian, Serbian Cyrillic: шајкаши, German: Tschaikisten) refers to the river flotilla troops guarding the Danube and Sava, and especially, the Port of Belgrade, against the Ottoman Empire from the 16th to the 19th century. During that period, the rivers were natural borders of the Kingdom of Hungary and Habsburg monarchy with the Ottoman Empire, part of the Military Frontier. The troops were composed of ethnic Serbs, who had special military status. Their name derives from the small wooden boat known as chaika (šajka, tschaiken), a type of galley.