To avoid Ottoman repression after the Long Turkish War the family, at that time already serbianized, had settled Komárom County in 1606, together with other Serbs from Kovin.

[6] Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria, led the capture of Belgrade in 1688 from the Ottomans, with the full support of Serbian insurgents under the command of Monasterlija.

[9] Jovan Monasterlija, who was appointed as captain of Serbian Militia in 1690, recruited Serbs into his units in the summer of 1690 on the southern border of the Austrian Empire.

[10] The Austrian retreat from Kosovo prompted the Great Migration of the Serbs, under the leadership of Serbian Patriarch Arsenije III.

During the Battle of Slankamen on August 19, 1691, Serbian Militia with 10,000 Serbs under the command of Jovan Monasterlija participated in the important victory over Ottoman forces.

Leopold, just before his death, gave Jovan the task of integrating the Serb units into the regular Austrian army.

[13] Monasterlija was the only Vice-Voivode; his successor, captain Mojsije Rašković was appointed "Oberst der serbischen National-Miliz" on July 8, 1707.