Orašac Assembly
The Orašac Assembly (Serbian: Збор у Орашцу, romanized: Zbor u Orašcu) was the gathering of 300 Serbian chiefs and rebels on 14 February [O.S. 2 February] 1804 (Presentation of Jesus) at Orašac, a village near Aranđelovac, following the "Slaughter of the Knezes" which saw 70 notable Serbs murdered by the renegade Janissaries (the Dahije) in January which prompted the Serbs to rise up against the tyranny (known in historiography as the "Uprising against the Dahije"), resulting in the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire. Karađorđe was appointed leader of the Serbian rebels after they all raised their "three fingers in the air" and thereby swore oath.[1] The site of the assembly, Marićevića jaruga, is today a memorial complex.
Background
In the Belgrade Pashalik, until the beginning of the uprising and after, there were the usual knežina assemblies. It was also an institution of local autonomy, which was practiced in several places during Ottoman rule. The hatisherif that the Porte issued to the Serbs in the pashalik after Koča's Frontier rebellion contained certain characteristics of an autonomous organization. With the outbreak of uprising, the chiefs (starešina, elders) in the knežina gathered soldiers and rallied neighbouring knežina. On 8 November 1803 conspirators met in Orašac to plan an uprising.
Assembly
The leading Serbs of the Belgrade and Kragujevac nahiyas decided to secretly meet at a secluded place near Orašac to discuss the uprising on 14 February [O.S. 2 February] 1804 (Presentation of Jesus, Sretenje). This included selected knezes, serfs, elders, priests and hajduks, and their closest circles. In the morning, sentinels were set up around the assembly location at Marićevića jaruga near two large elms on a plateau surrounded on all sides by a dense meadow. Karađorđe, a leading figure in Šumadija, was chosen to lead the uprising against the Dahije, and was titled vožd ("leader"). Although Karađorđe, one of the main organizers of the assembly, had suggested Stanoje Glavaš, Vule Ilić Kolarac, knez Marko Savić and Teodosije Maričević to lead, all rejected and Karađorđe was instead chosen due to his fitting character.
There are various estimates on the number of participants. Janićije Đurić, the secretary of Karađorđe, mentioned more than 300 "courageous and good heroes", while Petar Jokić mentioned that those previously present at the Holy Archangel assembly were present at Orašac along with 500 more.[2] Karađorđe's entourage numbered 70–80 according to Jokić.[2]
- Participants
- Karađorđe, Free Corps veteran, militia captain, hajduk, merchant, 1803 conspiracy organizer.[3]
- Atanasije Antonijević, archpriest (protojerej), from Bukovik in Kragujevac nahiya.[4]
- Stanoje Glavaš, hajduk leader, Free Corps veteran.[5]
- Hajduk-Veljko Petrović, hajduk under Glavaš.[2]
- Vule Ilić-Kolarac, hajduk under Glavaš.[6]
- Milosav Lapovac.[7]
- Đorđic, from Viševac.[2]
- Jovan Krstović, from Bukovik in Kragujevac nahiya.[8]
- Aleksa Dukić, from Banja in Kragujevac nahiya.[9]
- Arsenije Loma, from Dragolj in Rudnik nahiya.[10]
- Tanasko Rajić, hajduk, from Stragari in Kragujevac nahiya.[11]
- Janićije Đurić, from Stragari in Kragujevac nahiya.[12]
- Marko Savić, from Orašac, knez of Orašac or obor-knez of Jasenica in Kragujevac nahiya,[13] Karađorđe's associate.[2]
- Teodosije Maričević, from Orašac in Kragujevac nahiya, merchant.[14]
- Aleksa Jakovljević.[2]
- Vićentije Petrović, knez from Koraćica in Belgrade nahiya.[15]
- Matija Jovićić-Mata, knez of Topola in Kragujevac nahiya, with own entourage.[16]
- Petar Jokić, from Topola in Kragujevac nahiya, hajduk buljubaša, with own entourage.[17]
- Mihailo Badžak, from Jagnjilo in Kragujevac nahiya.[2]
- Matija Karatošić-Mata, from Kopljare in Kragujevac nahiya.[18]
- Milutin Savić, from Garaši.[2]
- Milovan and Radovan Garašanin, from Lipovac in Kragujevac nahiya.[19]
- Dimitrije Radović, from Vrbica in Kragujevac nahiya.[20]
- Marko Katić, from Rogača in Belgrade nahiya, in place of his brother Janko Katić.[21]
- Hajduk-Milovan, from Plana.[22]
- Kara-Steva, hajduk, from Provo.[22]
- Hajduk-Mileta, from Glibovac.[22]
- Vasa Čarapić, from Beli Potok in Belgrade nahiya.[13]
- Sima Marković, from Veliki Borak in Belgrade nahiya.[13]
- Sima Serdar, from Darosava in Belgrade nahiya.[23]
- Đuka, from Jagnjilo, obor-knez of Lepenica in Kragujevac nahiya.[24]
- Stevan Filipović, from Jagnjilo in Kragujevac nahiya, brother of Marko Filipović, Karađorđe's brother-in-law.[25]
- Petar Kara, from Trešnjevica in Kragujevac nahiya.[13]
- Jovan Jakovljević, from Levač in Jagodina nahiya.[13]
- Marko Petar Dugonjić of Masloševo.
- Blagoje and Gliša, from Masloševo.
- Ćira Prokić and Miloje Čekerević (Masloševo)
- Stevan Rajaković, Mata Milivojević, Mandić and Milovan Đurić (Stragari)
- Andreja Jokić, Rista Đurđezić, Mihailo Manojlović, Paun Čolkić, Matija Milošević, Lazar Milosavljević, Dimitrije Perić, Dimitrije Manojlović, Gavrilo Đurić, Grigorije Marković (all came from Topola)
- Đorđe Dukić, Tanasije Dukić, Jovan Riznić, Sreten, Teofan and Jakov Tomković (Ba)
- Gaja Ostojić of Orašac
- Milovan Đurković (Jagnjilo)
- Miloš Arsenijević (Dravlje)
- Janko Račanin (Rača)
- Nikodije Dobrić (Ovsište)
- Marko Milosavljević (Kopljare)
- Nikola Leka (Lipovac)
- Toma Starčević (Orašac)
- Jovan Bulatović (Orašac)
- Vasilije Stefanović-Vasa Saramanda (Bukovik)
Archpriest Atanasije Antonijević of Bukovik put on an epitaph, lit a candle, blessed the election, and the people's conclusions, and everyone swore allegiance to the vožd and the uprising. Karađorđe kissed everyone present. The uprising broke out the next day.
See also
References
- ^ M. Đ Milićević (1876). Kneževina Srbija. Vol. 1. Sloboda. p. 251.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Vukićević 1907, p. 296.
- ^ Vukićević 1907, Novaković 1904, Nenadović 1903, p. 53
- ^ Vukićević 1907, p. 296, Novaković 1904, p. 77, Nenadović 1903, p. 53
- ^ Vukićević 1907, p. 296, Novaković 1904, p. 70, Nenadović 1903, p. 53
- ^ Vukićević 1907, pp. 296, 300, Novaković 1904, p. 70
- ^ Vukićević 1907, p. 296, Novaković 1904, pp. 70
- ^ Vukićević 1907, p. 296, Novaković 1904, p. 77, Nenadović 1903, p. 53
- ^ Vukićević 1907, p. 296, Novaković 1904, pp. 71, 77, Nenadović 1903, p. 53
- ^ Vukićević 1907, p. 296, Nenadović 1903, p. 53
- ^ Vukićević 1907, p. 296, Nenadović 1903, p. 53
- ^ Vukićević 1907, p. 296, Novaković 1904, p. 70, Nenadović 1903, p. 53
- ^ a b c d e Nenadović 1903, p. 53.
- ^ Vukićević 1907, p. 296, Nenadović 1903, p. 53
- ^ Vukićević 1907, p. 296, Nenadović 1903, p. 53, Milićević 1876, p. 246
- ^ Vukićević 1907, p. 296, Novaković 1904, p. 77, Nenadović 1903, p. 53
- ^ Novaković 1904, p. 77, Nenadović 1903, p. 53
- ^ Vukićević 1907, p. 296, Nenadović 1903, p. 53, Milićević 1876, p. 246, 250
- ^ Novaković 1904, p. 77, Nenadović 1903, p. 53
- ^ Novaković 1904, p. 77, Nenadović 1903, p. 53
- ^ Vukićević 1907, p. 296, Nenadović 1903, p. 53, Milićević 1876, pp. 246, 250
- ^ a b c Novaković 1904, p. 70.
- ^ Nenadović 1903, p. 53, Milićević 1876, p. 246
- ^ Nenadović 1903, p. 53, Milićević 1876, p. 246
- ^ Nenadović 1903, p. 53, Milićević 1876, p. 246
Sources
- Milićević, M. Đ. (1876). Kneževina Srbija. Vol. 1. Sloboda. pp. 246–251.
- Nenadović, Konstantin N. (1903) [1883]. Живот и дела великог Ђорђа Петровића Кара-Ђорђа. Vol. I (2 ed.). Belgrade: Штампа Савића и Комп. – via Archive.org.
- Novaković, Stojan (1904). Устанак на дахије 1804. Штампано у Државној штампарији – via Archive.org.
- Vukićević, Milenko M. (1907). Карађорђе (1752–1804). Vol. 1. Државна штампарија Краљевине Србије – via Archive.org.