Mehmed-beg Kulenović
Encyclopedia
Mehmed-beg Kulenović, Gazi Mehmed-beg Kulenović, Mehmed-beg Kulinović, also known as Kulin-kapetan (1776 - d.Mišar
13 August 1806); 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 aristocracy in Belgrade
. He was killed in the First Serbian Uprising
.
. During his youth he received education in Sarajevo
and served as a senior official at Višegrad
and after the year 1802 the was sent to command Ottoman forces at Užice
. He and his forces were finally positioned at the banks of the Drina
river at Zvornik
during the war against the Serbian rebels in the Sanjak of Smederevo
. During the early phases of the war he is known to have courageously saved the life of Ebu Bekir-paša as he fled from Belgrade
.
broke out in the year 1802, after the assassination of Hadži Mustafa Pasha
, turmoil had become evident throughout the Sanjak of Smederevo
thousands of Serbian Muslims refugees from the Sanjak began to pour into the district of Zvornik
. In the year 1805 the Serbian rebels led by Luka Lazarević had began their assault on Zvornik itself prompting the Ottoman
Grand Vizier
to mobilize his army in Bosnia Eyalet
commanded by Sulejman Paşa and Mehmed-beg Kulenović.
When the army of Sulejman Paşa and Mehmed-beg Kulenović entered the territory held by the rebels they were led into the Battle of Mišar
. The battle began with an opening charge of the Turkish Sipahi
Cavalry followed by a charge of their infantry units led by the Bosnian kapetan Mehmed-beg Kulenović. The Serbian gunners and cannons mowed down the first line of cavalry and panic struck the Turkish lines when the horsemen retreated into the infantry led by Mehmed-beg Kulenović. However, the Ottomans soon regrouped and engaged the Serbian infantry. Then, Karađorđe Petrović signaled for the formidable charge of the Serbian Cavalry from the opposite ends and defeated the Ottomans on the field.
Although the war ended in defeat kapetan Mehmed-beg Kulenović and his forces kept fighting the Serbian rebels inside the district of Zvornik
and were killed the next day in their efforts to drive the forces of Karađorđe Petrović out of Bosnia Eyalet
.
Mišar
Mišar is a town in the municipality of Šabac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 2217 people....
13 August 1806); was a Bosnian
Bosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
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...
soldier born and raised in Bihać
Bihac
Bihać is a city and municipality on the river Una in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Bosanska Krajina region. Bihać is located in the Una-Sana Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:...
and later became the Kapetan of Bosnia Eyalet
Bosnia Eyalet
The Eyalet of Bosnia or Bosnia Beylerbeylik was a eyalet and beylerbeylik of the Ottoman Empire, 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...
. He was a very important regional official for the Ottoman forces due to his ties with the aristocracy in 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...
. He was killed in the First Serbian Uprising
First Serbian Uprising
The First Serbian Uprising was the first stage of the Serbian Revolution , the successful wars of independence that lasted for 9 years and approximately 9 months , during which Serbia perceived itself as an independent state for the first time after more than three centuries of Ottoman rule and...
.
Early Life
Mehmed-beg Kulenović was the son of Hadži-Ibrahim-beg Kulenović of Kulen VakufKulen Vakuf
Kulen Vakuf is a village in the municipality of Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Kulen Vakuf was the birthplace of the respected Mehmed-beg Kulenović.-References:...
. During his youth he received education in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
and served as a senior official at Višegrad
Višegrad
Višegrad is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is part of the Republika Srpska entity. It is on the river Drina, located on the road from Goražde and Ustiprača towards Užice, Serbia.-History:...
and after the year 1802 the was sent to command Ottoman forces at Užice
Užice
Užice is a city and municipality in western Serbia, located at the banks of the Đetinja river. It is the administrative center of the Zlatibor District...
. He and his forces were finally positioned at the banks of the Drina
Drina
The Drina is a 346 kilometer long river, which forms most of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Alps which belongs to the Danube river watershed...
river at 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...
during the war against the Serbian rebels in 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...
. During the early phases of the war he is known to have courageously saved the life of Ebu Bekir-paša as he fled from 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...
.
War in the Sanjak of Smederevo
When the First Serbian UprisingFirst Serbian Uprising
The First Serbian Uprising was the first stage of the Serbian Revolution , the successful wars of independence that lasted for 9 years and approximately 9 months , during which Serbia perceived itself as an independent state for the first time after more than three centuries of Ottoman rule and...
broke out in the year 1802, after the assassination of Hadži Mustafa Pasha
Hadži Mustafa Pasha
Hadži Mustafa Pasha, Hadži Mustafa Paşa, Hajji Mustafa Pasha nicknamed Mama Srpski , was a Serbian Muslim soldier and Vizier of Sanjak of Smederevo . Hadži Mustafa Pasha was known to have carried out a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, he was also a member of the Bektashi Order...
, turmoil had become evident throughout the Sanjak of Smederevo
Smederevo
Smederevo is a city and municipality in Serbia, on the right bank of the Danube, about 40 km downstream of the capital Belgrade. According to official results of the 2011 census, the city has a population of 107,528...
thousands of Serbian Muslims refugees from the Sanjak began to pour into the district 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...
. In the year 1805 the Serbian rebels led by Luka Lazarević had began their assault on Zvornik itself prompting the 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...
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...
to mobilize his army in Bosnia Eyalet
Bosnia Eyalet
The Eyalet of Bosnia or Bosnia Beylerbeylik was a eyalet and beylerbeylik of the Ottoman Empire, 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...
commanded by Sulejman Paşa and Mehmed-beg Kulenović.
When the army of Sulejman Paşa and Mehmed-beg Kulenović entered the territory held by the rebels they were led into the 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....
. The battle began with an opening charge of the Turkish Sipahi
Sipahi
Sipahi was the name of several Ottoman cavalry corps...
Cavalry followed by a charge of their infantry units led by the Bosnian kapetan Mehmed-beg Kulenović. The Serbian gunners and cannons mowed down the first line of cavalry and panic struck the Turkish lines when the horsemen retreated into the infantry led by Mehmed-beg Kulenović. However, the Ottomans soon regrouped and engaged the Serbian infantry. Then, Karađorđe Petrović signaled for the formidable charge of the Serbian Cavalry from the opposite ends and defeated the Ottomans on the field.
Although the war ended in defeat kapetan Mehmed-beg Kulenović and his forces kept fighting the Serbian rebels inside the district 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...
and were killed the next day in their efforts to drive the forces of Karađorđe Petrović out of Bosnia Eyalet
Bosnia Eyalet
The Eyalet of Bosnia or Bosnia Beylerbeylik was a eyalet and beylerbeylik of the Ottoman Empire, 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...
.