Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: Zmaj akaberekerwa muNovi Sad, iyo yakanga iri ipapo chikamu cheBatsch-Bodrog County (Umambo hweHungary, Humambo hweAustria; nhasi muSerbia), musi wa24 November 1833. Mhuri yake yakanga yakwegura uye yakakurumbira, uye yakanga ine midzi muNorth Macedonia yemazuva ano. Mhuri yekwaJovanović yaigara muVojvodina kubvira muzana ramakore rechi18. Baba vaZmaj, Pavle, vakava meya weNovi Sad pashure pokunge
Shanduko yeHungary ya1848 nehama dzake nhatu vaive varwi, vakuru vehurumende uye varidzi venyika veSerbia. Pauduku hwake hwepakutanga akaratidzira chishuvo chokudzidza nomusoro nziyo dzorudzi dzechiSerbia idzo dzakarondedzerwa kwaari. Paaiva mwana akatanga kunyora nhetembo. Akapedza chikoro chepuraimari mutaundi, uye akapinda chikoro chesekondari muHalas nePreßburg (nhasi Bratislava), akazofunda mutemo muOfenpesth (Budapest), Prague neVienna. Ichi chakanga chiri chishuvo chababa vake asi kombamiro dzake amene dzakamusunda kutanga fundo yokurapa. Zmaj akabva adzokera kuguta rokumusha kwake, kwaakagamuchira chinzvimbo chakakurumbira. Gore rimwe gare gare, pfungwa dzake dzokuda kunyora nhetembo dzakaita kuti asiye basa rake kuti azvipire chose chose kubasa rokunyora. Muna 1870, Zmaj akadzokera kuNovi Sad kunoshanda sachiremba, achikurudzirwa neutachiona hweTB hwaitambudzwa nemudzimai wake nevana.