First Serbian Uprising
First Serbian Uprising
First Serbian Uprising
Austrians held the city until 1791 when it handed Belgrade back to the Ottomans according to the terms of the
Treaty of Sistova. With the return of the sanjak to the
Ottoman Empire the Serbs expected reprisals from the
Turks due to their support to the Austrians. Sultan Selim
III had given complete command of the Sanjak of Smederevo and Belgrade to battle-hardened Janissaries that had
fought Christian forces during the Austro-Turkish War
and many other conicts. Although Selim III granted auThe dahije (janissary commanders), murdered the Ot- thority to the peaceful Hadi Mustafa Pasha (1793), tenthe Serbs and the Janissary command did
toman Vizier in 1801 and occupied the sanjak, ruling sions between
[1]
not
subside.
it independently from the Sultan. Tyranny ensued, the
janissaries having suspended the rights granted to the In 1793 and 1796 Selim III proclaimed rmans which
Serbs by the Sultan earlier, increasing taxes, imposing gave more rights to Serbs. Among other things, taxes
forced labour, etc. In 1804, the janissaries feared that were to be collected by the obor-knez (dukes); freedom
the Sultan would use the Serbs against them, so they of trade and religion were granted and there was peace.
murdered many Serbian chiefs. Enraged, an assembly Selim III also decreed that some unpopular janissaries
chose Karaore as leader of the uprising, and the rebel were to leave the Belgrade Pashaluk as he saw them as
army quickly defeated and took over towns throughout a threat to the central authority of Hadi Mustafa Pasha.
the sanjak, technically ghting for the Sultan. The Sul- Many of those janissaries were employed by or found
tan then feared their power, and ordered all pashaliks in refuge with Osman Pazvantolu, a renegade opponent of
the region to crush them. The Serbs marched against Selim III in the Sanjak of Vidin. Fearing the dissolution
the Ottomans and had major victories in 180506, and of the Janissary command in the Sanjak of Smederevo,
established a government and parliament that returned Osman Pazvantolu launched a series of raids against Serthe land to the people, abolished forced labour and re- bians without the permission of the Sultan, causing much
duced taxes. Military success continued over the years, volatility and fear in the region.[2] Pazvantolu was dehowever, there was dissent between Karaore and other feated in 1793 by the Serbs at the Battle of Kolari.[3] In
leaders; Karaore wanted absolute power, while his the summer of 1797 the sultan appointed Mustafa Pasha
dukes, some of whom abused their privileges for personal on position of beglerbeg of Rumelia Eyalet and he left
gain, wanted to limit it. After the Russo-Turkish War Serbia for Plovdiv to ght against the Vidin rebels of
ended and Russian support ceased, the Ottoman Empire Pazvantolu.[4] During the absence of Mustafa Pasha, the
exploited these circumstances and reconquered Serbia in forces of Pazvantolu captured Poarevac and besieged
1813.
the Belgrade fortress.[4] At the end of November 1797
Although it was crushed, the uprising was continued by obor-knezes Aleksa Nenadovi, Ilija Biranin and Nikola
the Second Serbian Uprising in 1815, which resulted in Grbovi from Valjevo brought their forces to Belgrade
the besieging janissary forces to retreat to
the creation of the Principality of Serbia, as it gained and forced [5][4]
Smederevo.
semi-independence from Ottoman Empire in 1817 (formally in 1829).
Background
sipahi (cavalry corps).[11] The Sultan had a ferman issued on 12 March for their support. For their small numbers, the Serbs had great military successes, having taken
Poarevac, abac, and charged Smederevo and Belgrade,
in a quick succession.[11] The Sultan, who feared that
the Serb movement might get out of hand, sent the former pasha of Belgrade, and now Vizier of Bosnia, Bekir
Pasha, to ocially assist the Serbs, but in reality to keep
them under control.[11] Alija Guanac, the janissary commander of Belgrade, faced by both Serbs and Imperial
authority, decided to let Bekir Pasha into the city in July
1804.[11] The dahije had previously ed east to Ada Kale,
an island on the Danube.[12] Bekir ordered the surrender
of the dahije, meanwhile, Karaore sent his commander
Milenko Stojkovi to the island.[13] The dahije refused,
upon which Stojkovi attacked and captured them, and
had them beheaded, on the night of 56 August 1804.[13]
After crushing the power of the dahije, Bekir Pasha
wanted the Serbs to be disbanded, however, as the janissaries still held important towns, such as Uice, the Serbs
were unwilling to halt without guarantees.[12] The Sultan
now ordered the surroundings pashaliks to suppress the
Serbs, realizing the threat.[12] The Serbs sought foreign
help, sending a delegation to St. Petersburg in September 1804, which returned with money and promise of
diplomatic support.[12] The First Serbian Uprising, the
rst stage of the Serbian Revolution, had thus begun.
In July 1810, Russian troops arrived in Serbia for the second time, this time some military cooperation followed;
weapons, ammunition, and medical supplies were sent,
and Marshal M. I. Kutuzov, the great commander, participated in the planning of joint actions.[15] The Russian assistance gave hope for a Serb victory, however, events in
Europe were in the way.[15] In August 1809, an Ottoman
army marched on Belgrade, prompting a mass exodus of
people across the Danube, among them Russian agent
Radonikin.[14] Facing disaster, Karaore appealed to
the Habsburgs and Napoleon, with no success.[14] At
this point, the Serb rebels were on the defensive, their
aim was to hold the territories and not make further
gains.[14][15] Russia, faced with a French invasion, wished
to sign denitive peace treaty, and acted against the inIn 1808, Selim III was executed by Mustafa IV, who was terest of Serbia.[15] The Serbs were never informed of
subsequently deposed by Mahmud II. In midst of this po- the negotiations; they learned the nal terms from the
litical crisis, the Ottomans were willing to oer the Serbs
7 SEE ALSO
22
21
20
5 Government
Rule was divided between Grand Leader Karaore,
the Narodna Skuptina (Peoples Assembly) and the
Praviteljstvujui Sovjet (Ruling Council), established in
1805.
44 00
44 00
44 30
44 30
1813. .
43 30
43 30
22
21
20
1:1.450.000
0
25
50 km
Aftermath
6 Gallery
Serbia in 1809, during the First Serbian Uprising
Serbia in 1813, during the First Serbian Uprising
Seal of Praviteljstvujui sovjet
Flintlock pistols from First Serbian Uprising
Uniform and weapons of a regular soldier (180910)
7 See also
Media related to First Serbian Uprising at Wikimedia Commons
List of Serbian Revolutionaries
History of the Serbian-Turkish wars
References
10 Bibliography
Sources
orovi, Vladimir (2001) [1997].
(1949).
. .
(1996).
.
.
Dragoslav Jankovi (1981). .
.
Vuk Stefanovi Karadi (1947).
. [With a Portrait.].
Vladimir Stojanevi (1994). Prvi srpski ustanak:
Ogledi i studije. Vojna knj.
Andrej Vujnovi (2004).
.
. ISBN 978-8682925-10-1.
Vladimir Stojanevi (2004). Srbija i srpski narod u
vreme prvog ustanka. Matica srpska.
(2003).
. . ISBN 978-867396-057-9.
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