Battle of Deligrad
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Deligrad was fought between Serbia and the Ottoman Empire
in 1806.
had begun in 1804 with the expulsion of the ruling janissary
elite and the proclamation of an independent Serbia
n state by the revolution's leader, Karageorge. The Ottoman
Sultan, Selim III
sent a huge Turkish force to quell the uprising. The Serbian high command decided to meet the Turkish force under Ibrahim Pasha at Deligrad.
The Serbian right wing numbered 6,000 men under the command of Mladen Milovanović
at Bela Palanka. The center consisted of 18,000 troops which would be placed at the Kunovaci mountain. The left wing would be composed of 6,000 men under the command of Vojvoda Milenko with an additional 4,500 reserve troops to guard from any possible Turkish
flank attack from Niš
. Stanoje Glavaš
would command the elite and cavalry troops whose job was to delve deep into enemy territory and harass them as much as possible. Tomo Milinović
was a head of artillery and made significant effort by good positioning and frequent relocation of the cannons.
The Turkish Army consisted of 55,000 regular troops with additional auxiliary
and Janissary
support. The Serbian army withstood several enemy offensives. The Serbian rebels also attacked the Turkish positions numerous times and managed to capture 9 Turkish cannons. Meanwhile, the elite troops of Stanoje Glavaš
effectively liberated Prokuplje
thereby splitting the Turkish army in two. The Turkish wing
under the command of Pazvanoglu was swiftly defeated by Mladen Milovanović
and the Ottoman
force was routed.
The battle provided a decisive victory for the Serbs
and bolstered the morale of the outnumbered Serbian rebels. To avoid total defeat, Ibrahim Pasha negotiated a six week truce with Karageorge.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in 1806.
The battle
The First Serbian UprisingFirst Serbian Uprising
The First Serbian Uprising was the first stage of the Serbian Revolution , the successful wars of independence that lasted for 9 years and approximately 9 months , during which Serbia perceived itself as an independent state for the first time after more than three centuries of Ottoman rule and...
had begun in 1804 with the expulsion of the ruling janissary
Janissary
The Janissaries were infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops and bodyguards...
elite and the proclamation of an independent Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n state by the revolution's leader, Karageorge. The Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
Sultan, Selim III
Selim III
Selim III was the reform-minded Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1789 to 1807. The Janissaries eventually deposed and imprisoned him, and placed his cousin Mustafa on the throne as Mustafa IV...
sent a huge Turkish force to quell the uprising. The Serbian high command decided to meet the Turkish force under Ibrahim Pasha at Deligrad.
The Serbian right wing numbered 6,000 men under the command of Mladen Milovanović
Mladen Milovanović
Mladen Milovanović was a merchant, a Duke in the First Serbian Uprising, associate of Karađorđe and leader of his party, President of the Administering Council and first Serbian Minister of Defence .-Biography:Mladen was of Drobnjak ancestry.He was very selfish, acquisitive, and resolute, very...
at Bela Palanka. The center consisted of 18,000 troops which would be placed at the Kunovaci mountain. The left wing would be composed of 6,000 men under the command of Vojvoda Milenko with an additional 4,500 reserve troops to guard from any possible Turkish
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
flank attack from Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
. Stanoje Glavaš
Stanoje Glavaš
Stanoje Stamatović Glavaš , was a Serbian hajduk and a hero in the First Serbian Uprising. In 1790s, with Lazar Dobrić, he was the co-leader of a hajduk company based in Austrian-held Srem, which frequently crossed the Ottoman border, and attacked Ottoman forces and caravans in Pashaluk of...
would command the elite and cavalry troops whose job was to delve deep into enemy territory and harass them as much as possible. Tomo Milinović
Tomo Milinović
Tomo Milinović Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [tɔmɔ milinɔʋitɕ]; , was a Duke serving under Karađorđe Petrović during the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire, he was also Karađorđe's advisor and head of artillery in one of the greatest battles during the uprising, Battle of...
was a head of artillery and made significant effort by good positioning and frequent relocation of the cannons.
The Turkish Army consisted of 55,000 regular troops with additional auxiliary
Auxiliaries
An auxiliary force is a group affiliated with, but not part of, a military or police organization. In some cases, auxiliaries are armed forces operating in the same manner as regular soldiers...
and Janissary
Janissary
The Janissaries were infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops and bodyguards...
support. The Serbian army withstood several enemy offensives. The Serbian rebels also attacked the Turkish positions numerous times and managed to capture 9 Turkish cannons. Meanwhile, the elite troops of Stanoje Glavaš
Stanoje Glavaš
Stanoje Stamatović Glavaš , was a Serbian hajduk and a hero in the First Serbian Uprising. In 1790s, with Lazar Dobrić, he was the co-leader of a hajduk company based in Austrian-held Srem, which frequently crossed the Ottoman border, and attacked Ottoman forces and caravans in Pashaluk of...
effectively liberated Prokuplje
Prokuplje
Prokuplje is a town and municipality located in Serbia at 43.24° North, 21.59° East. According to 2011 census, the town has a total population of 27,163 inhabitants, while population of municipality is 43,631. It is the administrative center of the Toplica District of Serbia. It is one of the...
thereby splitting the Turkish army in two. The Turkish wing
Wing
A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...
under the command of Pazvanoglu was swiftly defeated by Mladen Milovanović
Mladen Milovanović
Mladen Milovanović was a merchant, a Duke in the First Serbian Uprising, associate of Karađorđe and leader of his party, President of the Administering Council and first Serbian Minister of Defence .-Biography:Mladen was of Drobnjak ancestry.He was very selfish, acquisitive, and resolute, very...
and the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
force was routed.
The battle provided a decisive victory for the Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
and bolstered the morale of the outnumbered Serbian rebels. To avoid total defeat, Ibrahim Pasha negotiated a six week truce with Karageorge.