Turkish constitution (Serbia)
Encyclopedia
The Constitution of the 1838, often called the Turkish constitution (because it was issued in the form of sultan firman
), was constitution of Principality of Serbia from 1838 till 1869. In this way, Ottoman Empire
wanted to show that Serbia is in subservience to it. Although the new constitution was less liberal then its predecessor Sretenje Constitution, Serbian prince Miloš Obrenović didn't want to rule obeying it, so he abdicated in favor of his son Milan Obrenović
.
Prince Miloš Obrenović had changed his way of ruling upon abolition of Sretenje Constitution. Prince Miloš stopped to act as supreme judge and abolished monopoly of salt
trade. The new constitution was carried out by Russian Empire
, Ottoman Empire
and Austrian Empire
. Russian envoy handed "basis" for the constitutional organization of Serbia. According to him, the constitution should contain only administrative provisions, because hatisheriff of 1830 granted political rights for Principality of Serbia. Russia requested keeping stay of the Council, through which she could put pressure on prince.
. Milan died in less than a month after that and was succeeded by his brother Mihailo Obrenović
. In 1842 his first reign came to a halt when he was overthrown by a rebellion led by Toma Vučić-Perišić, which enabled the Karađorđević dynasty to accede to the Serbian throne. The most influential men in Serbia after that were Vučić-Perišić and Ilija Garašanin
.
Firman
A firman is a royal mandate or decree issued by a sovereign in certain historical Islamic states, including the Ottoman Empire, Mughal Empire, State of Hyderabad, and Iran under Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. The word firman comes from the meaning "decree" or "order"...
), was constitution of Principality of Serbia from 1838 till 1869. In this way, 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...
wanted to show that Serbia is in subservience to it. Although the new constitution was less liberal then its predecessor Sretenje Constitution, Serbian prince Miloš Obrenović didn't want to rule obeying it, so he abdicated in favor of his son Milan Obrenović
Milan Obrenovic II, Prince of Serbia
Milan Obrenović II in Kragujevac, in the Principality of Serbia. He was the ruling Prince of Serbia for less than two weeks in 1839.- Early life :...
.
Background
The people of Serbia often rebelled against Miloš's autocratic and often brutal rule. Following one such rebellion, he agreed to adopt very liberal Sretenje Constitution in 1835, that granted abolished serfdom, grandted freedom of speech and press, while prince's power was reduced. The move was opposed by neighboring Austria, the ruling Ottoman Empire and Russia. It is believed that the three great empires saw the constitution as a danger to their own autocratic systems of government. Metternich's Austria particularly ridiculed the fact that Serbia had its own flag and ministry of foreign affairs. Miloš was glad to abolish the constitution at the demand of Russia and Turkey.Prince Miloš Obrenović had changed his way of ruling upon abolition of Sretenje Constitution. Prince Miloš stopped to act as supreme judge and abolished monopoly of salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
trade. The new constitution was carried out by Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, 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...
and Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
. Russian envoy handed "basis" for the constitutional organization of Serbia. According to him, the constitution should contain only administrative provisions, because hatisheriff of 1830 granted political rights for Principality of Serbia. Russia requested keeping stay of the Council, through which she could put pressure on prince.
Aftermath
Although the new constitution was less liberal then its predecessor, Serbian prince Miloš Obrenović didn't want to rule obeying it, so he abdicated on June 13, 1839 in favor of his son Milan ObrenovićMilan Obrenovic II, Prince of Serbia
Milan Obrenović II in Kragujevac, in the Principality of Serbia. He was the ruling Prince of Serbia for less than two weeks in 1839.- Early life :...
. Milan died in less than a month after that and was succeeded by his brother Mihailo Obrenović
Mihailo Obrenovic III, Prince of Serbia
Mihailo Obrenović was Prince of Serbia from 1839–1842 and again from 1860–1868. His first reign ended when he was deposed in 1842 and his second when he was assassinated in 1868.-Early life and first reign:...
. In 1842 his first reign came to a halt when he was overthrown by a rebellion led by Toma Vučić-Perišić, which enabled the Karađorđević dynasty to accede to the Serbian throne. The most influential men in Serbia after that were Vučić-Perišić and Ilija Garašanin
Ilija Garašanin
Ilija Garašanin was a Serbian politician and statesman, serving as Interior Minister and Prime Minister ....
.
Literature
- Ustavi Kneževine i Kraljevine Srbije 1835—1903, Beograd, Naučna knjiga, 1988.
- Ljubomirka Krkljuš: Pravna istorija srpskog naroda, Novi Sad 2002.