[1] Janko was born in Rogača, beneath the Kosmaj to Mr. and Mrs. Stevan Katić who had four sons: the first born, Jovan, died young; Janko; Marko; and Stevan (all three were celebrated heroes of the First Serbian Uprising); and one of their daughters was the mother of Nikola Katić, the hero of the Second Serbian Uprising.

In his youth, Janko Katić mostly lived in Belgrade with his sister, who was married to a Turk.

He, however, came to bad terms with his sister's husband and was forced to leave and return to Rogača.

He showed great skills, and after the burning of the Sovljak village, he killed 65 Turks and took what they had confiscated earlier.

Although he was a close friend of Karađorđe, he was part of the political group that sought to tackle the Vožd's autocracy.