Baba Novac was a famous general under the rule of Mihai Viteazul. It seems that Baba Novac entered Mihai Viteazul’s service at the beginning of his reign, most likely after the battle of Călugăreni in 1595. In the spring of 1596, he led his band of haiducs, crossing the Danube and advancing to the Balkan Mountains, where he routed Hasan Pasha and his army.
An Transylvanian chronicler has detailed information about this campaign, which elevated Baba Novac to one of the most esteemed men in the Romanian voivode’s court: „Mihai Vodă sent him once with an army across the Danube. Baba Novac set out with seven hundred men and burned the Vratsa castle, two days’ journey from the Danube. At that time, the Turks gathered on this side of the Danube to cut off his retreat. Baba Novac, not daring to return the same way he came (and being a good guide), led his entire army to Mount Barkoncza, which was beyond Vratsa, near Mount Novac (the Balkans). He wandered around here with his army until he reached Sofia. Finally, after many detours, he returned to the Danube at the old Florentine castle, downstream from Orșova, not far from Vidin. Here, he fought against the Florentine Turks and captured many ships belonging to the castle. With these ships, he crossed the Danube with his seven hundred soldiers and returned to Wallachia with few losses – after so many wanderings. Only eight of his soldiers perished. He brought back many slaves and livestock. Since then, he was highly esteemed by Mihai Vodă.”
Baba Novac’s army consisted mostly of haiducs, armed with spears or other weapons, most of whom were of Serbian origin. The haiducs represented a distinct military unit in Mihai Viteazul’s army, alongside dorobanți and cătane, which together formed a mercenary army, in addition to the small native army. It is a mistake to see Baba Novac, the commander of the „haiducs” at the end of the 16th century – when Baba Novac lived – as a haiduc from the beginning of the 19th century, when, for example, Iancu Jianu lived.
Baba Novac would always be by his great lord’s side, in all his victorious battles, and later covering his retreat in those battles that led to his downfall. In the brilliant victory at Șelimbăr (October 28, 1599), which brought the whole of Transylvania under Mihai’s rule, Baba Novac played a major role. Coming through the Turnu Roșu Pass, while the voivode crossed into Transylvania through the Buzău Pass and headed towards Sibiu through Brașov and Făgăraș, he joined his lord in front of the village of Șelimbăr, forming the left wing of the Romanian army. Impetuous, as it seems, he did not want to wait for the outcome of the diplomatic negotiations – initiated between the envoy of Cardinal Andrei Báthory, Bishop Malaspina, and Mihai Vodă, negotiations that aimed to buy time for the assembly of the Transylvanian prince’s army – and attacked the Transylvanians without the voivode’s permission. Thus, unexpectedly engaging in battle, it turned into a complete victory for Mihai, opening the way to Alba Iulia, where he made his entry on November 1 as the ruler of Transylvania. In this victorious battle, Baba Novac deserves credit for his initiative and the first attack, which ultimately brought victory and Transylvania under the rule of the Romanian „king.”
After taking control of Transylvania, Mihai sent Baba to the Lipova region in the spring of 1600, where he won several battles against the Turks. Later, Mihai called him back to be ready with his 5,000 men to leave for Moldavia.
Recalled from Banat, where he had fought valiantly, Baba accompanied his great lord to Moldavia to conquer the third Romanian province. Departing around Pentecost, Mihai Viteazul would conquer Moldavia in a matter of weeks, entrusting Baba Novac with the pursuit of Ieremia Movilă, the fugitive ruler of the Moldavians, even beyond the Dniester. Upon his return from Moldavia, Mihai Viteazul – now the ruler of the three Romanian principalities, Wallachia, Transylvania, and Moldavia – would soon face the Hungarian rebellion at Mirislă
