Juraj Rukavina was born in the village of Trnovac near Gospić in the Kingdom of Croatia, then a part of the Habsburg Monarchy.

His father Dujam (Duje) was awarded hereditary status of Austrian nobility in 1800 and the title "Vidovgradski" (lit.

In 1829, he was promoted to the rank of Major General and given command of the brigade of the Ban of Croatia based in Petrinja and he held that post until 1833.

For his conduct in the 1835 Battle of Velika Kladuša against the Ottoman Empire, Rukavina was awarded the Order of Leopold by emperor Ferdinand I of Austria.

The raids went unanswered due to a prohibition of retaliatory actions imposed by Francis I of Austria in an effort to avoid a wider conflict with the Ottoman Empire.

The attacking force of the Ogulin regiment was personally led by the future Ban of Croatia, then Captain Josip Jelačić.

Rukavina was killed defending the Timișoara Fortress during the Hungarian Revolution and was buried in the St. George Cathedral in the city.