The Burning of the Inns refers to the first actions undertaken by Serb rebels in the Belgrade Pashalik on 15 February 1804, as part of their uprising against the Dahije, the renegade Janissaries that had wrested the Pashalik and ruled in tyranny since 1801 and had placed their followers throughout the administration and henchmen in the villages and in inns (the so-called handà ¾ije) that were also used as tools to abuse the Serb population. The Dahije organized the Slaughter of the Knezes which saw notable Serbs murdered throughout the province, with the participation of innkeepers. The Oraà ¡ac Assembly was held on 14 February 1804, proclaiming the start of uprising. Immediately, rebels set out to burn down inns, kill Dahije followers and gather armed men.
Following the Austro-Turkish War (1788âÂÂ91), the Porte gave amnesty to the Austrian-supporting Serbs, and banned the problematic Janissaries from the Belgrade Pashalik, as they were a source of disorder, due to lack of discipline and bad morals. External threats made the Porte allow for the return of the Janissaries in early 1799. The reign of Selim III (1789âÂÂ1806) saw internal conflicts, with tumult among the pashas, ayans and kñrcalñs. The Janissaries renewed terror, plundering and killing in the interior of the Pashalik, then proceeded to capture Belgrade and ruling the Pashalik in 1801, led by Aganlija, KuÃÂuk-Alija, Mula-Jusuf and Mehmed-aga FoÃÂiÃÂ, known as the Dahije. The Pashalik became a haven for Janissaries and other bandits, coming from Bosnia, Albania and elsewhere in Rumelia, and they came into conflict with the Serbs, sipahi (cavalry) and ordinary "Turks". The Dahije abolished the Serbs' rights, banished unsupportive sipahi and invited Muslims from nearby sanjaks which they used to control the Serbs.
The Dahije learnt of conspiracies to overthrow them in 1803, started monitoring the Serbs and then decided to kill Serb leaders in order to thwart a rebellion against them. The Dahije gave orders to their mutasallims and others, such as innkeepers, to kill Serb notables, but still personally involved themselves. The innkeepers (handà ¾ije) and subaà Âñ, the Dahije henchmen, were especially cruel. While murders began in late December, most were in the second half of January, between 23âÂÂ29 January. The murders resulted in flight and instances of armed resistance.
The Oraà ¡ac Assembly was a secret meeting held on 14 February 1804 to decide for an uprising, with several hundred participants, mostly from the Kragujevac nahiya, including Austrian veteran, hajduk (brigand) and merchant KaraÃÂorÃÂe, his friend and also veteran and hajduk Stanoje Glavaà ¡, the knez and merchant Teodosije MariÃÂeviÃÂ, Glavaà ¡'s hajduk Veljko PetroviÃÂ, veteran Arsenije Loma, KaraÃÂorÃÂe's associate Tanasko RajiÃÂ, among others. During the assembly, KaraÃÂorÃÂe made a speech to those present:
The speech made the people opt for KaraÃÂorÃÂe to lead the uprising but he suggested others, who rejected the offers. It was decided that the uprising start immediately and KaraÃÂorÃÂe was chosen to lead. Letters were sent to other notable Serbs throughout the Belgrade Pashalik, such as merchant ÃÂuà ¡a VuliÃÂeviÃÂ, Milenko StojkoviÃÂ, Petar Dobrnjac and Milan ObrenoviÃÂ, including also participants in the 1803 conspiracy, to rise up.
After the assembly, KaraÃÂorÃÂe's men burnt down the Oraà ¡ac inn, but saved the local Turks who were his friends, and did the same at Topola, ensuring their safe passage to Muslim-inhabited territory. The inns were symbols of Ottoman and Dahije oppression, and KaraÃÂorÃÂe decided that the inns would be burnt at night for the flames to be seen and putting fear in Turks and encouraging Serbs. KaraÃÂorÃÂe had sent his men, including knez Jovan and Petar Jokiàfrom Topola, and Jakov Tomkoviàand Aleksa Dukiàfrom Banja, to burn down the inns in their villages. The Topola area villagers burnt down the inns at Topola, à ½abari and Jagnjilo.
KaraÃÂorÃÂe wrote letters through JaniÃÂije ÃÂuriÃÂ, who now became his secretary, to his associates and notable Serbs throughout the province, such as Smederevo nahiya notables ÃÂuà ¡a VuliÃÂeviàin Azanja, Obrad in Krsna; Poà ¾arevac nahiya notables Milenko Stojkoviàin KliÃÂevac, Petar Dobrnjac in Dobrnje, Momir in LuÃÂica; ÃÂuprija nahiya notables Stefan SinÃÂeliàand Milija Zdravkoviàof the Resava kneà ¾ina; Jagodina nahiya notables knez Jefta of TemniÃÂ, knez Miloje of LevaÃÂ, knez Mijuà ¡ko; Rudnik nahiya notables merchant Milan ObrenoviÃÂ, MiliàDrinÃÂiÃÂ, Lazar Mutap; Belgrade nahiya notables Janko Katiàin RogaÃÂa, knez Sima Markoviàof Borak, knez ViÃÂentije in KoraÃÂica. They were called to rise up, burn the Turk inns in Serb villages, destroy the handà ¾ije and subaà Âñ.
KaraÃÂorÃÂe and his men went to Raniloviàand Drlupa where the inns were burnt down and the handà ¾ije killed, then went to RogaÃÂa to find Janko KatiÃÂ, who still was in hiding from the Dahije, and took his brother Marko Katiàwith them, then dealt with the inns and handà ¾ije in DuÃÂina and Stojnik. Leaving Stojnik for Sibnica, KaraÃÂorÃÂe was approached by two merchants of the Rudnik nahiya, Toma Terzija and Nikola RakiÃÂ. They told him they escorted 35 Janissary cavalry sent by the mutesellim of Kragujevac KuÃÂuk-Alija who was at Belgrade, to his brother Sali-aga at Rudnik; these were at SremÃÂica and would be at the konak (mansion) at Sibnica the next day. The Janissaries were to join Sali-aga and his 200âÂÂ300 Rudnik Turks and Janissaries in destroying "the hajduks", with the help of 400âÂÂ500 Turks from Uà ¾ice, Karanovac, ÃÂaÃÂak and Kragujevac.
Arsenije Loma arrived at Stojnik with 80 men, and they together immediately went to Sibnica and killed the already present Janissary camp, and KaraÃÂorÃÂe's men then waited in the corner of the inn to ambush the coming Janissary cavalry and Loma was sent to wait in ambush on the Belgrade road if any managed to flee Sibnica. The Janissary cavalry arrived before the inn, unknowing, and the rebels made a surprise attack from all sides, the inn and houses in the village, killing 16, while 17 or 19 fled in panic on the Belgrade road, where they were shot at by Loma's men, and then captured there and brought by Loma, or returned to the village and surrendered to KaraÃÂorÃÂe.
At Sibnica, the rebels took important booty which heightened morale, such as good horses, weapons and uniforms, and divided it among the best heroes. KaraÃÂorÃÂe immediately sent letters to the Valjevo nahiya leaders Jakov NenadoviÃÂ, knez Nikola Grboviàand knez MiliàKediÃÂ, à  abac nahiya leaders Ostoja Spuà ¾ and knez Ilija Markoviàto rise up their areas and defeat and expel the Janissaries.
In ten days, KaraÃÂorÃÂe, Glavaà ¡ and Marko Katiàhad burnt the inns and risen the people of and around RaniloviÃÂ, Drlupa, RogaÃÂa, Stojnik, Sibnica, VenÃÂane, Darosava, KoraÃÂica, while Loma did the same in the upper villages of the Rudnik nahiya. The Nenadoviàfamily led the uprising in Kolubara to the west of rebel stronghold à  umadija, and Milenko Stojkoviàand Petar Dobrnjac to the east of Morava. In the à  abac nahiya (in MaÃÂva), priest Luka Lazareviàand Ostoja Spuà ¾ burnt down inns and collected armed men towards the city of à  abac. Dahije Bego Novljanin and ÃÂurt-oglija who sat at à  abac killed Luka's cousin Ranko at the beginning of 1800 and he was out for revenge.
The rebel numbers grew up to 2,000 in the days following Sibnica. Hearing that a village elder had discouraged villagers of VenÃÂane to join the uprising, KaraÃÂorÃÂe hanged a Janissary corpse from Sibnica at his house. The rich merchant Mladen MilovanoviÃÂ, an associate of KaraÃÂorÃÂe, had been imprisoned during the Slaughter of the Knezes by KuÃÂuk-Alija. KuÃÂuk-Alija was the worst of the four leaders of the Dahije. KaraÃÂorÃÂe used the captives from Sibnica to negotiate Mladen's release, and threatened KuÃÂuk-Alija that he would raze Kragujevac if he didn't comply; Mladen was freed and sent to Topola and the captives to Kragujevac. The Dahije sent Aganlija to negotiate peace with KaraÃÂorÃÂe, but this failed and the uprising expanded. In March, the Turks were holed up in the cities and towns and were besieged.
The burning of the inns and ambush at Sibnica are known in Serbian epic poetry. V. StojanÃÂeviàassessed that the burning of the inns and killing of Dahije henchmen was the "destruction of the basic Dahije institutions, which were, in actual and symbolic significance, representing their rule, meant the beginning of the ten-year revolutionary struggle of the Serbian people to liberate themselves from the Turk political and economical government, and foundation of an independent and free national state". ÃÂurÃÂe Teodorovià(1907âÂÂ1986) painted Burning of the Inns which is held at the Historical Museum in Belgrade. Boà ¾idar Prodanovià(1923âÂÂ2006) painted Burning of the Inns which is held at the Residence of Prince Miloà ¡. MiÃÂa Popovià(1923âÂÂ1996) painted Burning of the Inns which was depicted on Yugoslav postcards (included in the article).