The First Serbian Uprising Against The Ottomans In 1804-1813

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• published: 22 May 2015
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The First Serbian Uprising (Serbian: Први српски устанак, Prvi srpski ustanak) was the first stage of the Serbian Revolution (Српска револуција), the successful wars of independence that lasted for 9 years and approximately 9 months (1804--1813), during which Serbia perceived itself as an independent state for the first time after more than three centuries of Ottoman rule and short-lasting Austrian occupations. After Serbia had fallen to the Ottoman Empire in 1459, several uprisings were organized by the Serbs; the Banat uprising, Kočina Krajina uprising etc. but greater political independence of Serbs was established briefly by Jovan Nenad and Voivode Radoslav 1526-1530, and in Montenegro a unique autonomy was established as the mountainous regions were governed by voivodes. After the Slaughter of the knezes, the Serbs responded by establishing its separate government (Правитељствујушчи Совјет, Praviteljstvujušči Sovjet), Parliament (Збор, Zbor) and the oldest and largest Serbian University of Belgrade, with Grand Vožd Karađorđe as leader. Even though it was crushed by the Ottomans in 1813, this revolution sparked the Second Serbian Uprising in 1815, which resulted with the creation of the Principality of Serbia, as it gained semi-independence from Ottoman Empire in 1817 (formally in 1829). When the Austro-Turkish War (1787--1791) ended with the return of the Belgrade Pashaluk to the Ottoman Empire the Serbs expected reprisals from the Turks due to their support for 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 previous Austro-Turkish War (1787--1791) and many other conflicts. Although Sultan Selim III granted authority to the peaceful Hadži Mustafa Pasha, however tensions between the Serbs and the Janissary command did not subside. Selim III proclaimed fermans in 1793 and 1796 which gave more rights to Serbs. Among other things, taxes were to be collected by local Serbian rulers called knezes ("local dukes"), freedom of trade and religion were granted. Selim also decreed that some unpopular Janissaries were to leave the Belgrade Pashaluk as he saw them as a threat to central authority of Hadži Mustafa Pasha. Many of those Janissaries were employed by or found refuge with Osman Pazvantoğlu, a renegade opponent of the Sultan in Bulgaria. Fearing the dissolution of the Janissary command in Sanjak of Smederevo, Osman Pazvantoğlu launched a series of raids against Serbian brigands without the permission of Sultan Selim III causing much volatility and fear in the region. However, on January 30, 1799, the Sultan Selim III court allowed the Janissaries to return, referring to them as local Muslims from the Sanjak of Smederevo. Initially the Janisaries accepted the authority of the Belgrade Pasha under Hadži Mustafa Pasha. Until a Janissary in Šabac, named Bego Novljanin, demanded from a Serb a surcharge and murdered the Serb when he refused to pay. Fearing the worst Hadži Mustafa Pasha, marched on Šabac with a force of 600 to ensure that the Janissary was brought to justice and order was restored. Not only did the other Janisaries decided to support Bego Novljanin but Osman Pazvantoğlu attacked the Belgrade Pasahaluk in support of the Janisaries. After killing Vizier Hadži-Mustafa Pasha (nicknamed "Serbian Mother" due to his tolerant stance towards Serbs) of Belgrade in 1801, they started to rule Serbia on their own. Recently granted rights were suspended, and four Dahias (leaders of Janisaries): Aganli, Kuchuk Ali, Mula Yusuf and Mehmet-Ağa Fotcić exerted unlimited rule over Belgrade Pashaluk. Taxes were drastically increased, land was seized, forced labour (čitlučenje) was introduced, and many Serbs fled the Janissaries in fear. Serb leaders began to conspire about starting an uprising against the dahias. When the dahias found out about this, they captured and killed many of the Serbian leaders on February 4, 1804 in an event known today as the Slaughter of the knezes. This action by the Janissaries incited the uprising, as it angered the people and the leaders had nothing to lose. On February 14, 1804, in the small Šumadija village of Orašac, nearby modern Aranđelovac, in Marićevića jaruga, the Serbs gathered and decided to undertake an uprising. Karađorđe Petrović was elected as the leader of the uprising, which started immediately. That afternoon, a Turkish inn (caravanserai) in Orašac was burned and its residents fled or were killed. Similar actions were undertaken in surrounding villages and then spread further. On 11 March rebels captured Rudnik, which was under control of Sali Aga, and then Valjevo, Požarevac, and started the siege of Belgrade.