Slaughter of the knezes
Encyclopedia
The Slaughter of the Knezes, , was an event which occurred in January 1804, on the central square of Valjevo
, Serbia
, when the most prominent Serbian nobles, titled knezes ("local dukes"), of Belgrade Pashaluk, were executed by the order of the Dahias, the Jannisary junta that ruled Serbia at the time.
The Dahis had taken power in the Pashaluk of Serbia in defiance of the Sultan and they feared that the Sultan would make use of the Serbs to oust them. To forestall this they decided to execute all noble Serbs thorughout Serbia.
Among the victims were Aleksa Nenadović and Ilija Birčanin
. The event triggered a widespread revolt and eventually evolved into First Serbian uprising
, aimed at putting an end to the 300 years of Ottoman occupation of Serbia
. The execution included many more high ranked Serb citizens (dozens of them). According to historical sources of the city of Valjevo
, heads of the murdered men (following their decapitation
) were put on some sort of a public display in the central square to serve as an example to those who might plot against the rule of the Dahia.
Valjevo
Valjevo is a city and municipality located in western Serbia. It is the center of the Kolubara District, which includes five other smaller municipalities with a total population of almost 180,000 people...
, 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...
, when the most prominent Serbian nobles, titled knezes ("local dukes"), of Belgrade Pashaluk, were executed by the order of the Dahias, the Jannisary junta that ruled Serbia at the time.
The Dahis had taken power in the Pashaluk of Serbia in defiance of the Sultan and they feared that the Sultan would make use of the Serbs to oust them. To forestall this they decided to execute all noble Serbs thorughout Serbia.
Among the victims were Aleksa Nenadović and Ilija Birčanin
Ilija Bircanin
Ilija Birčanin was a Serbian knez who was killed during the Slaughter of the Dukes, the incident that sparked the First Serbian Uprising of the Serbian Revolution, ultimately leading to the liberation of Serbia.-Life:...
. The event triggered a widespread revolt and eventually evolved into 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...
, aimed at putting an end to the 300 years of Ottoman occupation 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...
. The execution included many more high ranked Serb citizens (dozens of them). According to historical sources of the city of Valjevo
Valjevo
Valjevo is a city and municipality located in western Serbia. It is the center of the Kolubara District, which includes five other smaller municipalities with a total population of almost 180,000 people...
, heads of the murdered men (following their decapitation
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
) were put on some sort of a public display in the central square to serve as an example to those who might plot against the rule of the Dahia.