First Serbian Uprising
Encyclopedia
The First Serbian Uprising 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 freedom 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 Karageorge 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).
the Serbs expected reprisals from the 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 Muslim
s 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.
. 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. Soon the cities Valjevo
and Požarevac
were taken, and the siege of Belgrade started.
At this stage the Serbs were acting in the name of the Sultan and on the 12 March the Sultan issued a fermans ordering all to support the uprising against the Dahis. The Dahias fled from Belgrade, abandoning their followers, but they were captured on Ada Kaleh
island on the Danube by 40 uprisers led by Milenko Stojković
with knowledge and approval of the Ottoman authorities and executed. With the success of the uprising, Selim III
started to negotiate with the rebels.
in 1805, where Karađorđe defeated the Turkish army and forced it to retreat toward Niš
. The second major battle of the uprising was Battle of Mišar
in 1806, in which the rebels defeated an Ottoman army from Bosnia
led by the Turkish Sipahi
Suleiman-Pasa. At the same time, the rebels led by Petar Dobrnjac
defeated Osman Pazvantoğlu
and another Ottoman army sent from the south-east in the Battle of Deligrad
. The Ottomans were continuously faced defeat despite continuous efforts and support by Ottoman commanders such as Ibrahim Bushati
. In December 1806, the Serbian rebels besieged Belgrade and the Ottomans dispatched kapetan Mehmed-beg Kulenović
of Zvornik
to relieve the siege but this attempt ended in a devastating defeat and Belgrade was taken in the spring of the year 1807. Mehmed-beg Kulenović of Zvornik
later made efforts to drive the Serbian rebels out of the western districts but was killed in battle.
In 1806 the insurgents sent the Belgrade merchant Petar Ičko as their envoy to Ottoman government in Constantinople
. He managed to obtain for them a favourable Ičko's Peace. However, the Serbian leaders preferred to reject the treaty and possibly poisoned Petar Ičko due to his acquaintance with the Ottomans
. The Serbian rebels then joined the Russians as their allies in Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812).
(People's Assembly), the Praviteljstvujušči Sovjet (Ruling Council), and Karađorđe himself. Land was returned, forced labour was abolished, and taxes were reduced. The young state was modernised and by 1808 the Belgrade Higher School was founded, regarded as the foundation of the University of Belgrade
.
Some of the leaders of the uprising later abused their privileges for personal gain, such as the reintroduction of forced labour in some places. There was dissent between Karađorđe and other leaders; Karađorđe wanted absolute power, while his voivods wanted to limit it. After the Russo-Turkish War of 1806-12
ended, the Ottoman Empire exploited these circumstances and reconquered Serbia in 1813.
The then Grand Vizier
Hurşid Paşa
and a substantially large and well organized Ottoman
army successfully swept through the territories held by the Serbian rebels. The diverse Ottoman force included vast numbers of soldiers from many nearby Pashaliks including servicemen such as Samson Cerfberr of Medelsheim
, Osman Gradaščević
and Reshiti Bushati. By the end of the year 1813 the Serbian rebels were ultimately defeated and Belgrade was retaken by the forces loyal to Sultan
Selim III
.
Though ultimately unsuccessful, the First Serbian Uprising paved the way for the Second Serbian Uprising
of 1815, which eventually succeeded in securing Serbian autonomy.
Serbian revolution
Serbian revolution or Revolutionary Serbia refers to the national and social revolution of the Serbian people taking place between 1804 and 1835, during which this territory evolved from an Ottoman province into a constitutional monarchy and a modern nation-state...
(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
History of Ottoman Serbia
The territory of what is now the Republic of Serbia was part of the Ottoman Empire throughout the Early Modern period.Ottoman culture significantly influenced the region, in architecture, cuisine, linguistics, and dress, especially in arts, and Islam....
and short-lasting Austrian occupations
Treaty of Belgrade
The Treaty of Belgrade was the peace treaty signed on September 18, 1739 in Belgrade, Habsburg Kingdom of Serbia , by the Ottoman Empire on one side and the Habsburg Monarchy on the other....
.
After Serbia had fallen to the Ottoman Empire in 1459, several uprisings were organized by the Serbs; the Banat uprising, Kočina Krajina uprising
Kocina Krajina Serb rebellion
Koča's frontier rebellion was an uprising of Serbs against the Ottoman Empire from February 1788 - September 7, 1788. Koča Andjelković was the leader of the uprising which was aided by the Habsburg Empire...
etc. but greater freedom of Serbs was established briefly by Jovan Nenad and Voivode Radoslav
Radoslav Celnik
Radoslav Čelnik was a duke of Srem in the 16th century. At first, Radoslav Čelnik was a general commander of Emperor Jovan Nenad's army. In 1527, when Emperor Jovan Nenad was murdered and his army was dispersed, Radoslav Čelnik, together with part of the former emperor's army moved from Bačka to...
1526-1530, and in Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
a unique autonomy was established as the mountainous regions were governed by voivodes.
After the Slaughter of the knezes
Slaughter of the knezes
The Slaughter of the Knezes, , was an event which occurred in January 1804, on the central square of Valjevo, Serbia, when the most prominent Serbian nobles, titled knezes , of Belgrade Pashaluk, were executed by the order of the Dahias, the Jannisary junta that ruled Serbia at the time.The Dahis...
, the Serbs responded by establishing its separate government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
(Правитељствујушчи Совјет, Praviteljstvujušči Sovjet), Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
(Збор, Zbor) and the oldest and largest Serbian University of Belgrade
University of Belgrade
The University of Belgrade is the oldest and largest university of Serbia.Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-based departments into a single university...
, with Grand Vožd Karageorge as leader. Even though it was crushed by the Ottomans in 1813, this revolution sparked the Second Serbian Uprising
Second Serbian Uprising
The Second Serbian Uprising was a second phase of the Serbian revolution against the Ottoman Empire, which erupted shortly after the re-annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire, in 1813. The occupation was enforced following the defeat of the First Serbian Uprising , during which Serbia...
in 1815, which resulted with the creation of the Principality of Serbia, as it gained semi-independence from Ottoman Empire
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 1817 (formally in 1829).
Background
When the Austro-Turkish War (1787–1791) ended with the return of the Belgrade Pashaluk to the Ottoman EmpireOttoman 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...
the Serbs expected reprisals from the due to their support for the Austrians. Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
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...
had given complete command of the Sanjak of Smederevo
Sanjak of Smederevo
The Sanjak of Smederevo , also known as the Pashaluk of Belgrade , was an Ottoman administrative unit , that existed between the 15th and the outset of the 19th centuries...
and Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
to battle-hardened Janissaries that had fought Christian forces during the previous Austro-Turkish War (1787–1791) and many other conflicts. Although Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
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...
granted authority to the peaceful Hadži Mustafa Pasha, however tensions between the Serbs and the Janissary command did not subside.
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...
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
Janissary
The Janissaries were infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops and bodyguards...
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
Osman Pazvantoglu
Osman Pazvantoğlu was a Bosnian Ottoman soldier, a governor of the Vidin district after 1794, and a rebel against Ottoman rule...
, a renegade opponent of the Sultan in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. Fearing the dissolution of the Janissary command in Sanjak of Smederevo, Osman Pazvantoğlu
Osman Pazvantoglu
Osman Pazvantoğlu was a Bosnian Ottoman soldier, a governor of the Vidin district after 1794, and a rebel against Ottoman rule...
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 Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s from the Sanjak of Smederevo
Sanjak of Smederevo
The Sanjak of Smederevo , also known as the Pashaluk of Belgrade , was an Ottoman administrative unit , that existed between the 15th and the outset of the 19th centuries...
. Initially the Janisaries accepted the authority of the Belgrade Pasha under Hadži Mustafa Pasha. Until a Janissary in Šabac
Šabac
Šabac is a city and municipality in western Serbia, along the Sava river, in the historic region of Mačva. It is the administrative center of the Mačva District. The city has a population of 52,822 , while population of the municipality is 115,347...
, 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
Osman Pazvantoglu
Osman Pazvantoğlu was a Bosnian Ottoman soldier, a governor of the Vidin district after 1794, and a rebel against Ottoman rule...
attacked the Belgrade Pasahaluk in support of the Janisaries. After killing Vizier
Vizier
A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
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.
Uprising against the Dahis
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 knezesSlaughter of the knezes
The Slaughter of the Knezes, , was an event which occurred in January 1804, on the central square of Valjevo, Serbia, when the most prominent Serbian nobles, titled knezes , of Belgrade Pashaluk, were executed by the order of the Dahias, the Jannisary junta that ruled Serbia at the time.The Dahis...
. 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
Šumadija
Šumadija is a geographical region in Serbia. The area is heavily covered with forests, hence the name...
village of Orašac, nearby modern Aranđelovac, in Marićevića jaruga
Marićevića jaruga
Marićević Trench , in Orašac, Aranđelovac, Serbia, is a memorial complex at the site of a former trench where the First Serbian Uprising was agreed upon on 15 February 1804 and Karađorđe Petrović was chosen as the leader of the uprising...
, 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
Caravanserai
A caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
) in Orašac was burned and its residents fled or were killed. Similar actions were undertaken in surrounding villages and then spread further. Soon the cities Valjevo
Valjevo
Valjevo is a city and municipality located in western Serbia. It is the center of the Kolubara District, which includes five other smaller municipalities with a total population of almost 180,000 people...
and Požarevac
Požarevac
Požarevac is a city and municipality in eastern Serbia. It is the administrative center of the Braničevo District of Serbia...
were taken, and the siege of Belgrade started.
At this stage the Serbs were acting in the name of the Sultan and on the 12 March the Sultan issued a fermans ordering all to support the uprising against the Dahis. The Dahias fled from Belgrade, abandoning their followers, but they were captured on Ada Kaleh
Ada Kaleh
Ada Kaleh was a small island on the Danube populated mostly by Turks that was submerged during the construction of the Iron Gates hydroelectric plant in 1970. The island was about 3 km downstream from Orşova and measured 1.75 by 0.4–0.5 km....
island on the Danube by 40 uprisers led by Milenko Stojković
Milenko Stojkovic
Milenko Stojković was a Bimbasha Bimbashi in the First Serbian Uprising early in the 19th century...
with knowledge and approval of the Ottoman authorities and executed. With the success of the uprising, 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...
started to negotiate with the rebels.
Breakdown in Relations between the Serbs and the Sultan
Eventually, the negotiations failed, and the Sultan organised a military campaign against the uprising. The first major battle of the uprising was the Battle of IvankovacBattle of Ivankovac
The Battle of Ivankovac was the first full-scale confrontation between the Serbian rebels and the official forces of the Ottoman Empire, during the First Serbian Uprising...
in 1805, where Karađorđe defeated the Turkish army and forced it to retreat toward 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,...
. The second major battle of the uprising was Battle of Mišar
Battle of Misar
The Battle of Mišar took place from 12 to 15 August 1806, with a Serbian victory over the Ottomans. Much of the Ottoman commanding core was killed during the battle....
in 1806, in which the rebels defeated an Ottoman army from Bosnia
Bosnia Province, Ottoman Empire
The Bosnia Vilayet was an Ottoman vilayet, mostly based on the territory of the present-day state of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as most of Slavonia, Lika and Dalmatia in present-day Croatia. It bordered Kosovo Vilayet to the south. Before the administrative reform in 1864, it was called the...
led by the Turkish Sipahi
Sipahi
Sipahi was the name of several Ottoman cavalry corps...
Suleiman-Pasa. At the same time, the rebels led by Petar Dobrnjac
Petar Dobrnjac
Petar Dobrnjac was a Serbian Vojvoda in the First Serbian Uprising. He was born in the Požarevac nahia, in the village of Dobrinji, Petrovac...
defeated Osman Pazvantoğlu
Osman Pazvantoglu
Osman Pazvantoğlu was a Bosnian Ottoman soldier, a governor of the Vidin district after 1794, and a rebel against Ottoman rule...
and another Ottoman army sent from the south-east in the Battle of Deligrad
Battle of Deligrad
The Battle of Deligrad was fought between Serbia and the Ottoman Empire in 1806.-The battle:The First Serbian Uprising had begun in 1804 with the expulsion of the ruling janissary elite and the proclamation of an independent Serbian state by the revolution's leader, Karageorge. The Ottoman Sultan,...
. The Ottomans were continuously faced defeat despite continuous efforts and support by Ottoman commanders such as Ibrahim Bushati
Ibrahim Bushati
Ibrahim Bushati or Ibrahim Bushat Pasha was a noble of the Bushati family in Ottoman controlled Albania near the city of Shkodër...
. In December 1806, the Serbian rebels besieged Belgrade and the Ottomans dispatched kapetan Mehmed-beg Kulenović
Mehmed-beg Kulenović
Mehmed-beg Kulenović, Gazi Mehmed-beg Kulenović, Mehmed-beg Kulinović, also known as Kulin-kapetan ; was a Bosnian Ottoman soldier born and raised in Bihać and later became the Kapetan of Bosnia Eyalet. He was a very important regional official for the Ottoman forces due to his ties with the...
of Zvornik
Zvornik
Zvornik is a city on the Drina river in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, located south of the town of Bijeljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The town Mali Zvornik lies directly across the river in Serbia, and not far north is Loznica.-History:Zvornik is first mentioned in 1410, although it was...
to relieve the siege but this attempt ended in a devastating defeat and Belgrade was taken in the spring of the year 1807. Mehmed-beg Kulenović of Zvornik
Zvornik
Zvornik is a city on the Drina river in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, located south of the town of Bijeljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The town Mali Zvornik lies directly across the river in Serbia, and not far north is Loznica.-History:Zvornik is first mentioned in 1410, although it was...
later made efforts to drive the Serbian rebels out of the western districts but was killed in battle.
In 1806 the insurgents sent the Belgrade merchant Petar Ičko as their envoy to Ottoman government in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. He managed to obtain for them a favourable Ičko's Peace. However, the Serbian leaders preferred to reject the treaty and possibly poisoned Petar Ičko due to his acquaintance with the Ottomans
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...
. The Serbian rebels then joined the Russians as their allies in Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812).
Outcome
In 1805 the Serbian rebels organized a basic government for administering Serbia during the combat. Rule was divided between the Narodna SkupštinaNational Assembly of Serbia
The National Assembly of Serbia is the unicameral parliament of Serbia. It is composed of 250 proportionally elected deputies elected in general elections by secret ballot, on 4 years term. The National Assembly elects the President of the National Assembly who presides over the sessions...
(People's Assembly), the Praviteljstvujušči Sovjet (Ruling Council), and Karađorđe himself. Land was returned, forced labour was abolished, and taxes were reduced. The young state was modernised and by 1808 the Belgrade Higher School was founded, regarded as the foundation of the University of Belgrade
University of Belgrade
The University of Belgrade is the oldest and largest university of Serbia.Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-based departments into a single university...
.
Some of the leaders of the uprising later abused their privileges for personal gain, such as the reintroduction of forced labour in some places. There was dissent between Karađorđe and other leaders; Karađorđe wanted absolute power, while his voivods wanted to limit it. After the Russo-Turkish War of 1806-12
Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812
The Russo-Turkish War was one of many wars fought between Imperial Russia and the Ottoman Empire.- Background :The war broke out in 1805–1806 against the background of the Napoleonic Wars...
ended, the Ottoman Empire exploited these circumstances and reconquered Serbia in 1813.
The then Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
Hurşid Paşa
Hursid Pasha
Hurşid Ahmed Pasha was an Ottoman General and Grand Vizier during the early 19th century. He was of Georgian descent.- Early life :...
and a substantially large and well organized 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...
army successfully swept through the territories held by the Serbian rebels. The diverse Ottoman force included vast numbers of soldiers from many nearby Pashaliks including servicemen such as Samson Cerfberr of Medelsheim
Samson Cerfberr of Medelsheim
Samson Cerfberr of Medelsheim was a French soldier and author.He led an erratic and adventurous life, wandering over the world, changing his name and even his religion several times...
, Osman Gradaščević
Osman Gradašcevic
Osman Pasha Gradaščević, Gazi Osman Pasha Gradaščević was a Bosnian Muslim nobleman at the turn of the 18th century.Osman Gradaščević was the captain of the Ottoman military captaincy of Gradačac, which he was in control of since 1765. During his rule he was one of the most powerful and richest...
and Reshiti Bushati. By the end of the year 1813 the Serbian rebels were ultimately defeated and Belgrade was retaken by the forces loyal to Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
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...
.
Though ultimately unsuccessful, the First Serbian Uprising paved the way for the Second Serbian Uprising
Second Serbian Uprising
The Second Serbian Uprising was a second phase of the Serbian revolution against the Ottoman Empire, which erupted shortly after the re-annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire, in 1813. The occupation was enforced following the defeat of the First Serbian Uprising , during which Serbia...
of 1815, which eventually succeeded in securing Serbian autonomy.
People
- Ilija BirčaninIlija BircaninIlija Birčanin was a Serbian knez who was killed during the Slaughter of the Dukes, the incident that sparked the First Serbian Uprising of the Serbian Revolution, ultimately leading to the liberation of Serbia.-Life:...
- Mateja NenadovićMateja NenadovicProta Mateja Nenadović was a Serbian archpriest, writer, and a notable leader of the First Serbian Uprising. He is generally called Prota Mateja, since as a boy of sixteen he was made a priest, and a few years later became archpriest of Valjevo...
- Hajduk Veljko PetrovićHajduk Veljko PetrovicVeljko Petrović , known simply as Hajduk Veljko , was a one of the voivodes of the Serbian Revolutionary forces in the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire.-Life:He was born in Lenovac near Zaječar....
- Stanoje GlavašStanoje GlavašStanoje 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...
- Vuk Stefanović KaradžićVuk Stefanovic KaradžicVuk Stefanović Karadžić was a Serbian philolog and linguist, the major reformer of the Serbian language, and deserves, perhaps, for his collections of songs, fairy tales, and riddles to be called the father of the study of Serbian folklore. He was the author of the first Serbian dictionary...
- Osman PazvantoğluOsman PazvantogluOsman Pazvantoğlu was a Bosnian Ottoman soldier, a governor of the Vidin district after 1794, and a rebel against Ottoman rule...
- Hursid PashaHursid PashaHurşid Ahmed Pasha was an Ottoman General and Grand Vizier during the early 19th century. He was of Georgian descent.- Early life :...