Slaughter of the Knezes

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Slaughter of the Knezes
Tablet at Belgrade Military Museum
LocationSanjak of Smederevo (now Central Serbia)
Date23–29 January 1804
TargetNotable Serbs
Attack type
Assassinations and assaults
Deaths72+
PerpetratorsDahije (renegade Janissaries)

The Slaughter of the Knezes (Serbian: Сеча кнезова, romanized: Seča knezova) was the organized assassinations and assaults of noble Serbs in the Sanjak of Smederevo in January 1804 by the rebellious Dahije. Fearing that the Sultan would make use of the Serbs to oust them, they decided to execute leading Serbs throughout the Sanjak. A total of 72 noble Serbs were assassinated, and their heads were put on public display. Notable victims were Aleksa Nenadović and Ilija Birčanin. The event triggered the Serbian revolution, aimed at putting an end to the centuries of occupation.

Background

In 1788,

Hadži Mustafa Pasha, the governor. Many of those Janissaries were employed by or found refuge with Osman Pazvantoğlu, a renegade opponent of Selim III in the Sanjak of Vidin. Fearing the dissolution of the Janissary command in the Sanjak of Smederevo, Osman Pazvantoğlu launched a series of raids against Serbians without the permission of Selim III, causing much volatility and fear in the region.[2] Pazvantoğlu was defeated in 1793 by a Serbian contingent at the Battle of Kolari.[3]

In the summer of 1797, the sultan appointed Mustafa Pasha on position of

Kuchuk Alija, one of four Dahije (the renegade Janissary leaders in the Sanjak of Smederevo).[9] The Dahije henceforth ruled the Sanjak independently of, and in defiance to the sultan.[10]

Hadži-Ðera and Hadži-Ruvim
with conspirators.

The tyranny endured by the Serbs caused them to send a petition to the Sultan, which the Dahije learnt of.[11] According to Leopold von Ranke, the Dahije started to fear that the Sultan would make use of the Serbs to oust them; to forestall this they decided to execute leading Serbs throughout the sanjak.[10] In fact, the Dahije learnt of a conspiracy between the Serbians and Mustafa Pasha's associates (who wanted revenge) to rise against the Dahije, forged in 1803.[12] A letter to an Austrian officer inviting for conflict, most likely written by Hadži-Ruvim, was intercepted.[13]

History

Serb knez beheaded.

The

muteselims to kill each of their knez on the given day.[14] It seems that Mehmed-aga Fočić was tasked with overseeing the operation.[15] The victims were obor-knezes, knezes, buljubašas and other chosen people.[16] Most of the knezes were killed on 23 January, while Hadži-Ruvim was killed on 29 January.[17] By 25 January, the Dahije decided that noble Serbs were to be beaten, so that what was left would become real "rayah, to serve well".[16] Other warlords then began to attack chosen nobles in their districts.[16] Karađorđe survived attempts.[18] According to contemporary accounts, heads were put on public display at the Valjevo town square to serve as an example to those who might plot against the rule of the Dahije.[10] By 4 February, 72 severed heads were brought to Belgrade.[15]

List of victims

Memorial in Valjevo.
Grave of knez Stevan Andrejević Palalija of Begaljica, on the Rajinovac monastery cemetery.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Slaughter of the Knezes.
  • Uprising against the Dahije

References

  1. ^ a b Pantelić 1949, p. 123.
  2. ^ von Ranke 1847.
  3. ^ Roger Viers Paxton (1968). Russia and the First Serbian Revolution: A Diplomatic and Political Study. The Initial Phase, 1804-1807. - (Stanford) 1968. VII, 255 S. 8°. Department of History, Stanford University. p. 13.
  4. ^ Ćorović 1997

    U leto 1797. sultan ga je imenovao za rumeliskog begler-bega i Mustafa je otišao u Plovdiv, da rukovodi akcijom protiv buntovnika iz Vidina i u Rumeliji.
  5. ^ Ćorović 1997

    Za vreme njegova otsutstva vidinski gospodar sa janičarima naredio je brz napad i potukao je srpsku i pašinu vojsku kod Požarevca, pa je prodro sve do Beograda i zauzeo samu varoš.

  6. ^ Pantelić 1949, p. 122.
  7. ^ Filipović, Stanoje R. (1982). Podrinsko-kolubarski region. RNIRO "Glas Podrinja". p. 60. Ваљевски кнезови Алекса Ненадовић, Илија Бирчанин и Никола Грбовић довели су своју војску у Београд и учествовали у оштрој борби са јаничарима који су се побеђени повукли.
  8. ^ Ćorović 1997

    Pred sam Božić stigoše u pomoć valjevski Srbi i sa njihovom pomoću turska gradska posada odbi napadače i očisti grad. Ilija Birčanin gonio je "Vidinlije" sve do Smedereva.
  9. ^ Ćorović 1997, "janjičari ga 15. decembra 1801. ubiše u beogradskom gradu. Potom uzeše vlast u svoje ruke, spremni da je brane svima sredstvima. Kao glavne njihove vođe istakoše se četiri dahije: Kučuk Alija, pašin ubica, Aganlija, Mula Jusuf i Mehmed-aga Fočić.".
  10. ^ a b c von Ranke 1847, pp. 119–120.
  11. ^ Morison 2012, p. xvii.
  12. ^ Novaković 1904, pp. 43–48.
  13. ^ Novaković 1904, pp. 43, 46.
  14. ^ Novaković 1904, p. 53.
  15. ^ a b Novaković 1904, p. 54.
  16. ^ a b c Novaković 1904, p. 55.
  17. ^ Novaković 1904, pp. 53–55.
  18. ^ Novaković 1904, p. 57.
  19. ^ Gavrilović 1904, p. 22.
  20. ^ Gavrilović 1904, pp. 22–23.
  21. ^ a b Gavrilović 1904, p. 23.
  22. ^ a b Gavrilović 1904, pp. 23–24.
  23. ^ Gavrilović 1904, p. 24.
  24. ^ Gavrilović 1904, p. 25.
  25. ^ Gavrilović 1904, pp. 25–26.
  26. ^ Gavrilović 1904, p. 26.
  27. ^ a b c d Gavrilović 1904, p. 27.

Sources

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