Kаrаđоrđе

The leader of the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire and the founder of the royal house of Kаrаđоrđеvić. At an assembly in Оrаšac, after the slaughter of the elders in 1804,  Kаrаđоrđе was elected leader of the revolt against the dahi. The following year, the Serbian rebels fought the Ottoman imperial army and Kаrаđоrđе was made a Grand Commander or the supreme commander of the Serbian army.

Kаrаđоrđе refused to accept the results of the Serbian diplomatic activities at the time, which gave the so-called Ičkо’s Peace Treaty. Instead, he decided – with support from Russia – to continue to fight.

But when Russia had to withdraw and when the the First Uprising failed, Kаrаđоrđе and the majority of the warlords retreated to Austria. Later on, in Bessarabia, he joined a secret society the Hеtеriа, which planned the liberation of all Christians from the Turks. He was assigned the leadership of the Pan-Christian revolt.

In the mid- 1817 he came to Serbia. And he was assassinated in Rаdоvаnjski Lug, by the wish of the Tirks and by order of the new Serbian prince and leader, Мilоš Оbrеnоvić.

LANGUAGE

The name Kаrаđоrđе in Turkish means Black George. The Leader of the First Serbian Uprising was called this name for his dark complexion, but some say that it was for his volatile character.

ART

The greatset Serbian poet, Nјеgоš, dedicated his epic, the Mountain Wreath to the “ashes of the father of Serbia, Kаrаđоrđe the immortal”.

There is a large monument to Kаrаđоrđe in Belgrade, by the St Sava’s Church.