Miloš Obrenovic I, Prince of Serbia
Encyclopedia
Miloš Obrenović (Serbian Cyrillic: Милош Обреновић; Anglicised: Milosh Obrenovich; born Miloš Teodorović) (18 March 1780 [7 March o.s.] – 26 September 1860) was Prince of Serbia from 1815 to 1839, and again from 1858 to 1860. He participated in the First Serbian Uprising
, led Serbs
in the Second Serbian Uprising
, and founded the House of Obrenović
. Under his rule, Serbia
became an autonomous dukedom
within the Ottoman Empire
. He is credited with starting the process of reestablishing Serbian statehood, as well as shaping the domestic and foreign policies of the modern Serbian state. Prince
Miloš ruled autocratically, permanently refusing to share power. During his rule, he was the richest man in Serbia
and one of the richest in the Balkans
.
. He was born in the village of Dobrinja, near Požega
, in the Užice
district. Miloš was the eldest of three boys born to the couple; Jovan (1787–1850) and Jevrem (1790–1881). His mother had been married previously, to Obren Martinović (died 1777), and they had three children: Stana (born 1773), Jakov (1767–1817) and Milan (1770-16 December 1810).
Following the death of his half-brother's Milan, Miloš took surname Obrenović, after the first name of Milan's father.
In his youth, Miloš was a servant in the family of Akso Ječmenica, an affluent cattle trader from Zlatibor
.
(September 1788 - Vienna
, 26 May 1843). The couple had at 7 children whose names are known. It is speculated that Ljubica had other pregnancies that resulted in miscarriage
s, stillbirth
s, or children who died shortly after birth, with some sources giving a number as high as 17.
until its very end in 1813. His half-brother Milan also took part in the Uprising, rising to become the commander/voivode (duke) of the Rudnik
district. After the rebellion collapsed, Miloš was among the few of its leaders that remained in Serbia to face the vengeful returning Ottoman Turks
. After the killing of Karađorđe Petrović, in 1817, Obrenović became the leader of the Serbs.
In April 1815, he organized and led the Second Serbian Uprising
. By 1817 the Turks defeated Miloš's army, but not before he negotiated with Maraşlı Ali Paşa (English
, Marashli Ali Pasha; Serbian
, Marašli Ali Paša), the Ottoman governor. As a result of the agreement, Serbia gained some autonomy, but remained under Ottoman
sovereignty. Miloš Obrenović was left in power as its absolute ruler. Sultan
's decrees of 1830 and 1833 expanded the same rights to a larger territory, and made Serbia
a sovereign principality with Miloš Obrenović as hereditary prince. A Metropolitanate of Serbia
was established in Belgrade, and made independent from the Patriarchate of Constantinople
. Russia
's status as the guarantor of Serbia
's autonomy was also recognized.
The people of Serbia often rebelled against Miloš's autocratic and often brutal rule. Following one such rebellion, he agreed to adopt a constitution
in 1835. 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 abolished the constitution at the demand of Russia and Turkey
.
Miloš abdicated in 1839 in favor of his sons – Milan, who died a few weeks later, and Mihailo
, who then became prince. Mihailo was deposed in 1842, and the family was out of power until 1858, when it returned with Miloš restored as prince for the last two years of his life.
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...
, led Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
in the Second Serbian Uprising
Second Serbian Uprising
The Second Serbian Uprising was a second phase of the Serbian revolution against the Ottoman Empire, which erupted shortly after the re-annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire, in 1813. The occupation was enforced following the defeat of the First Serbian Uprising , during which Serbia...
, and founded the House of Obrenović
House of Obrenovic
The House of Obrenović was a Serbian dynasty that ruled Serbia from 1815 to 1842, and again from 1858 to 1903. They came to power through the leadership of their progenitor Miloš Obrenović in the Second Serbian uprising against the Ottoman Empire, which led to the formation of the Principality of...
. Under his rule, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
became an autonomous dukedom
Duchy
A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era . In contrast, others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the Medieval era...
within the 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...
. He is credited with starting the process of reestablishing Serbian statehood, as well as shaping the domestic and foreign policies of the modern Serbian state. Prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
Miloš ruled autocratically, permanently refusing to share power. During his rule, he was the richest man in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and one of the richest in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
.
Early life
Miloš Obrenović was the son of Višnja Gojković (died 1817) and her second husband, Teodor Mihailović (died 1802), a poor peasant from MontenegroMontenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
. He was born in the village of Dobrinja, near Požega
Požega, Serbia
Požega is a town and municipality located in the Zlatibor District of Serbia. In 2011, the population of the town is 12,957, while population of the municipality is 29,488.-Municipality:...
, in the 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...
district. Miloš was the eldest of three boys born to the couple; Jovan (1787–1850) and Jevrem (1790–1881). His mother had been married previously, to Obren Martinović (died 1777), and they had three children: Stana (born 1773), Jakov (1767–1817) and Milan (1770-16 December 1810).
Following the death of his half-brother's Milan, Miloš took surname Obrenović, after the first name of Milan's father.
In his youth, Miloš was a servant in the family of Akso Ječmenica, an affluent cattle trader from Zlatibor
Zlatibor
Zlatibor is a mountain region situated in the western part of Serbia, a part of the Dinaric Alps.The mountain range spreads over an area of 300 km², 27 miles in length, southeast to northwest, and up to 23 miles in width. The highest peak is Tornik at 1496 m...
.
Marriage and children
In 1805, Miloš married Ljubica VukomanovićLjubica Vukomanović
Ljubica Vukomanović was Princess consort of the Principality of Serbia as the wife of Miloš Obrenović I, Prince of Serbia, and the founder of the Obrenović dynasty, which ruled Serbia in an almost unbroken line from the time of his election as Prince to the May Overthrow in 1903...
(September 1788 - Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, 26 May 1843). The couple had at 7 children whose names are known. It is speculated that Ljubica had other pregnancies that resulted in miscarriage
Miscarriage
Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving independently, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
s, stillbirth
Stillbirth
A stillbirth occurs when a fetus has died in the uterus. The Australian definition specifies that fetal death is termed a stillbirth after 20 weeks gestation or the fetus weighs more than . Once the fetus has died the mother still has contractions and remains undelivered. The term is often used in...
s, or children who died shortly after birth, with some sources giving a number as high as 17.
- Princess Petrija (5 August 1808-1870)
- Princess Savka (28 March 1814-5 October 1848)
- Prince MilanMilan Obrenovic II, Prince of SerbiaMilan 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 :...
(21 October 1819-8 July 1839) - Prince MihailoMihailo Obrenovic III, Prince of SerbiaMihailo 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:...
(16 September 1823-10 June 1868) - Princess Marija (born & died 9 July 1830)
- Prince Todor
- Prince Gabriel
Serbian Uprisings and Autonomy
Miloš fought in 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...
until its very end in 1813. His half-brother Milan also took part in the Uprising, rising to become the commander/voivode (duke) of the Rudnik
Rudnik
Rudnik is a mountain in central Serbia, near the town of Gornji Milanovac. Its highest peak Cvijićev vrh, named after geologist and biologist Jovan Cvijić, has an altitude of 1132 meters above sea level...
district. After the rebellion collapsed, Miloš was among the few of its leaders that remained in Serbia to face the vengeful returning Ottoman Turks
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...
. After the killing of Karađorđe Petrović, in 1817, Obrenović became the leader of the Serbs.
In April 1815, he organized and led the Second Serbian Uprising
Second Serbian Uprising
The Second Serbian Uprising was a second phase of the Serbian revolution against the Ottoman Empire, which erupted shortly after the re-annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire, in 1813. The occupation was enforced following the defeat of the First Serbian Uprising , during which Serbia...
. By 1817 the Turks defeated Miloš's army, but not before he negotiated with Maraşlı Ali Paşa (English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Marashli Ali Pasha; Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
, Marašli Ali Paša), the Ottoman governor. As a result of the agreement, Serbia gained some autonomy, but remained under 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...
sovereignty. Miloš Obrenović was left in power as its absolute ruler. Sultan
Ottoman Dynasty
The Ottoman Dynasty ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1299 to 1922, beginning with Osman I , though the dynasty was not proclaimed until Orhan Bey declared himself sultan...
's decrees of 1830 and 1833 expanded the same rights to a larger territory, and made Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
a sovereign principality with Miloš Obrenović as hereditary prince. A Metropolitanate of Serbia
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
was established in Belgrade, and made independent from the Patriarchate of Constantinople
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople , part of the wider Orthodox Church, is one of the fourteen autocephalous churches within the communion of Orthodox Christianity...
. Russia
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...
's status as the guarantor of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
's autonomy was also recognized.
Later rule
The people of Serbia often rebelled against Miloš's autocratic and often brutal rule. Following one such rebellion, he agreed to adopt a constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
in 1835. The move was opposed by neighboring Austria
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
, 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
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
. Miloš abolished the constitution at the demand of Russia and Turkey
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...
.
Miloš abdicated in 1839 in favor of his sons – Milan, who died a few weeks later, and Mihailo
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:...
, who then became prince. Mihailo was deposed in 1842, and the family was out of power until 1858, when it returned with Miloš restored as prince for the last two years of his life.