The Battle of Vrbica () was a clash between the Dahije (renegade Janissaries) leader KuÃÂuk-Alija and the Serbian rebel unit of supreme commander KaraÃÂorÃÂe in March 1804 near Vrbica in the valley of the VenÃÂac mountain. It took place during the resting and gathering of rebel troops to begin operations in the Jagodina area, meanwhile, the Dahije set out to relieve Rudnik and employ mercenaries, not knowing it was already in rebel hands. An informant gave up the location of KaraÃÂorÃÂe.
After the takeover of Rudnik on 6 March, supreme commander KaraÃÂorÃÂe sent the Rudnik nahija detachment of Arsenije Loma, MiliàDrinÃÂiàand Lazar Mutap to rest and then gather at Vrbica for the takeover of Jagodina, and Milan ObrenoviÃÂ, the stareà ¡ina (chief) of the Rudnik nahija, was sent to further arm the Rudnik nahija and then to also gather at Vrbica. KaraÃÂorÃÂe's troops rested at Stragari and had three-days leave and then went to Vrbica where they awaited the others. Jagodina was in the rebel plans, made at the Oraà ¡ac Assembly on .
The Dahije were alarmed by growing rebel numbers and operations and thus decided to send KuÃÂuk-Alija, one of their four main leaders, with 500âÂÂ600 or 600 men (dubbed hatlije, from kabahat, "criminals") to aid Sali-aga at Rudnik and then to muster an army of mercenaries in Arnautluk (Muslim Albanian-inhabited territories) to deal with the Serbian rebels. In that way, the Dahije would attack the rebels from the south of the Pashalik and Belgrade. KuÃÂuk-Alija took the route towards VenÃÂac as it was the fastest to Rudnik. On the way, KuÃÂuk-Alija learnt from knez Maksim from Guberevac that Rudnik had been taken over and burnt down by the Serbs and that the Turks had left the town, and that KaraÃÂorÃÂe was at Vrbica with a small number of men awaiting the rebel army. With the quick taking of Rudnik, the rebels had saved themselves from being attacked from two sides.
KaraÃÂorÃÂe was with 50, 100, or around 200 men near Vrbica in the valley of the VenÃÂac mountain. Among his men were buljubaà ¡a (captain) Petar JokiÃÂ, the leader of KaraÃÂorÃÂe's personal guard, Janko KatiÃÂ, and Gaja PanteliÃÂ. KuÃÂuk-Alija went on the Oraà ¡ac road in the evening of , while KaraÃÂorÃÂe was at the other side of Vrbica, in a plain below the VenÃÂac. Serb lookouts saw KuÃÂuk-Alija approaching with 500âÂÂ600 cavalry on the Oraà ¡ac road.
Arriving in the area, KuÃÂuk-Alija immediately attacked, first the Serbian lookouts, then KaraÃÂorÃÂe went and engaged. The Dahije tried to encircle them, but KaraÃÂorÃÂe and his men went up the VenÃÂac and Bukulja mountains (BukoviÃÂka planina), the Dahije unable or not wanting to pursue them; it was risky, and the Dahije perhaps feared attacks from Serb cheta (bands) in the deep groves and forests. The battle took an hour, or was "short". The rebels had 13 dead, and wounded. KaraÃÂorÃÂe's cargo horse with weapon tools and his personal fur coat was taken by the Dahije.
As night fell, the Dahije camped at a konak (mansion) in Vrbica. That night had been chosen as the gathering time for the Serb troops; KaraÃÂorÃÂe sent men to the nearby roads to make sure that the people wouldn't go to Vrbica, as earlier decided, but to VenÃÂac, which was safe. KaraÃÂorÃÂe sent part of his men to the Rudnik road, to possibly intercept the Dahije there, and went with the rest into Vrbica, to attack the resting Dahije. Approaching Vrbica, they saw that it was empty; KuÃÂuk-Alija had only rested his horses a while, then set out for Kragujevac. According to a local participant, included in Matija NenadoviÃÂ's Memoirs, someone alarmed that the Turks went on the PloÃÂnik road, and a detachment hurried and captured an ambuscade, but learnt that it was a deception by "perhaps Maksim ... who escorted him [KuÃÂuk-Alija] everywhere". KaraÃÂorÃÂe didn't know that KuÃÂuk-Alija had been informed of the fall of Rudnik.
In the night, and the next day, , the rebel army gathered at Vrbica, with Milan and Loma and other commanders. The larger part of the army was sent to pursue KuÃÂuk-Alija towards Kragujevac, while the rest was sent into the Belgrade nahija to rise up and gather more troops. KaraÃÂorÃÂe messaged Vasa ÃÂarapiàto hold the road below the Avala mountain and the surroundings of Belgrade, while he went for the Smederevo area to join with ÃÂuà ¡a VuliÃÂeviàand then divided his troops to block Smederevo, and went with his personal guard (momci) to BatoÃÂina where KuÃÂuk-Alija had sent Ganiàwith 250 Arnauts.
According to captain Petar JokiÃÂ, KaraÃÂorÃÂe uttered "the Turks beat us here and there, let them, this is the first time". KuÃÂuk-Alija left Vrbica for Kragujevac, and on the way, stopped at à  ljivovac where he captured three Serbs and cut them down. Arriving at Kragujevac, he demonstrated KaraÃÂorÃÂe's fur coat at the town square, saying that he had killed KaraÃÂorÃÂe, openly deceiving the people to deter them from rising up, and now "the villagers began to come with provisions". Next, kircali (bandits) and deli (light cavalry) were mustered at Jagodina, and KuÃÂuk-Alija was not pursued by the rebels, as KaraÃÂorÃÂe now was outside Belgrade. Next, there were skirmishes around Jagodina.
The knez Maksim, who had informed and escorted KuÃÂuk-Alija, was handed over to KaraÃÂorÃÂe in 1805 and executed at VraÃÂar by Janko KatiÃÂ.