At the beginning of the 16th century, many European countries were involved in peasants' revolts: the great revolt of Dosza in Hungary in 1514, the uprising of Slovenian serfs in 1515, and, most significantly, the great peasants' war in Germany in 1524-1525.

The 16th century was also one of the most difficult periods in Croatian history. Continuous wars with the Turks reduced Croatia to the Remnants of Remnants of the once great kingdom. A part of Croatian territory was occupied by the Venetian Republic.

The great peasants’ revolt or the peasants’ war, as the contemporaries called it, started on the Susedgrad-Stubica estate. It was the third revolt since Franjo Tahi illegally bought half of the estate in 1564.

The causes of the revolt can be traced to aggravation of the peasant’s condition and many impediments to peasant trade. Conflicts between landed proprietors, which led them to arm their peasants, and Franjo and Gabriel Tahi’s villain conduct served as the occasion for it. The revolts aimed to re-establish ancient rights, overthrow the feudal system, establish an independent peasants’ state with Zagreb as its centre, and take over the defence against the Turks and tax collecting. A secret rebels’ league, formed before the revolt and the chief rebels’ council headed by Ambroz Gubec and Ilija Gregorić took the lead of the revolt.

The starting signal was given in the night between 27th and 28th January 1573. The first great action of the rebels was the takeover of Cesargrad. On the first day of February, bishop and ban Juraj Drašković asked the king to take steps to put the revolt down as soon as possible. Stjepan Gregorijanac asked the fugitive captain Thurn for help. Styrian orders declared a total mobilization on 4th February. The following day, Nikola Kupinić was defeated at the battle of Krško. The day after, the peasants were defeated at the battle of Kerestinec and rebels’ units were overcome at Planina, Jurkloštar and near Jastrebarsko.

Baron Thurn entered Croatia with his army in order to take part in the putting down of the revolt. On the seventh day of February, ban Drašković gathered an army in Zagreb for the attack on rebels in Zagorje. The following day, Gregorić’s army was defeated at the battle of Šempetar.