Marko Vasià(), known as Kara-Marko () was a Serb revolutionary, active in the First Serbian Uprising (1804âÂÂ1813), notably in the Podrinje (Drina river) region. He was a hajduk who was elevated to vojvoda (general) of RaÃÂa in 1810 by supreme leader KaraÃÂorÃÂe
Marko Vasiàwas born into a large zadruga (patriarchal extended family) in the GruÃÂiÃÂi hamlet in the village of Crvica, in the Osat region of the Sanjak of Zvornik in the Bosnia Eyalet. According to another account, he was born in MleÃÂva, also in Osat. Osat was a Serb-inhabited area by the Drina river (on the left, Bosnian side), that in the 1800s was part of the land tenure held by Hadji Sali Bey of Srebrenica, who also held Azbukovica by the Drina (on the right, Serbian side). Vasiàwas a blacksmith by trade. He was physically strong, athletic and energetic, known as courageous and a marksman. He became a hajduk (brigand) and rose to become a harambaà ¡a (hajduk leader). He had a characteristic large dark spot on his face. The Srebrenica Turks feared him and often travelled around Crvica due to this.
When the uprising against the Dahije reached the Soko nahiya, he joined the uprising. During the uprising he had a house in Valjevo. In early 1805, KaraÃÂorÃÂe recommended vojvoda (general) Jakov Nenadoviàto take Soko and Uà ¾ice and to rise up all of the Soko, Uà ¾ice and Zvornik nahiyas. Jakov called the archimandrite of RaÃÂa and rebel leader Hadà ¾i-Melentije Stevanovià(who also was from Osat), who had risen and armed part of the Soko nahiya, Milan Obrenoviàwith the Rudnik nahija army, and captain RadiàPetroviàto aid him in the capture of Uà ¾ice, to begin with. Jakov's Valjevo army liberated the areas of Ljubovija, BauriÃÂ, BaÃÂevci, Dona, RogaÃÂica, Pljeskovo and RaÃÂa. The Valjevo army was accompanied by Hadà ¾i-Melentije and Vasiàwho led rebels of the RaÃÂa area. The Valjevo army was then joined by Aleksa Popoviàfrom Subjel. At the end of July, Ottoman Bosnian troops from Zvornik failed in a general attack on the rebels. Some 2,000 troops of the Zvornik group were stationed towards Uà ¾ice. Hadà ¾i-Melentije was a commander in the takeover of Uà ¾ice, and KaraÃÂorÃÂe appointed him the stareà ¡ina (governor) of the Soko nahiya, and he later received the vojvoda rank. Vasiàparticipated in the takeover of Uà ¾ice.
Vasiàupheld communications with Hadà ¾i-Melentije and other notables of Soko and Valjevo nahiyas and prepared Osat for rebellion. Hadà ¾i-Melentije knew of VasiÃÂ's abilities and called upon him. Kara-Marko was the leader of Bosnian Serb hajduks, and he rallied the Orthodox against the Muslims of Srebrenica. In February 1806, Kara-Marko defeated Hasan Pasha of Srebrenica with the coordination of vojvoda (general) Milan ObrenoviÃÂ. This eased KaraÃÂorÃÂe's burning of many Podrinje cities and settlements by the end of March 1806. In the battles on the Drina, Vasiàdistinguished himself through courage and fearlessness that became known even in à  umadija. Hearing of him, KaraÃÂorÃÂe ordered that he report, and when meeting VasiÃÂ, he gave him the nickname Kara-Marko. Kara-Marko asked for an army, and KaraÃÂorÃÂe lent him vojvoda (general) Lazar Mutap to attack Srebrenica and liberate Osat. Kara-Marko's first attack failed, and he retreated with his men to Serbian Podrinje. His wife was killed during that retreat while crossing the Drina by boat, near Skelani.
Kara-Marko participated in all notable battles on the Drina, fighting alongside Hadà ¾i-Melentije. He strengthened positions at RaÃÂa, BaÃÂevci, PetriÃÂa and PeruÃÂac towards Bosnia. In early 1806 the Travnik Vizier Mehmed Pasha was ordered to support the Belgrade Vizier against the Serbian rebels and return Podrinje and Soko to Ottoman administration. Mehmed Pasha and Sinan Pasha took control of Uà ¾ice, Podrinje and Soko. On 29 September 1807, Hasan Pasha of Srebrenica and Hadji Sali Bey crossed the Drina at Sikiriàin Osat where they pushed out Serbian rebels from three trenches. Among these were Hadà ¾i-Melentije and Kara-Marko, and they lost over 40 men and one monk. The Serbian rebel army now mustered to support Podrinje and included also the Russian captain Ilija Novokrà ¡teni, who came up with a tactic for the 12,000-strong army that succeeded, with many Ottoman casualties and great loot. Several hundred families resettled in Serbia. Russian deputy Rodofinikin informed Prozorovsky about the victory on the Drina and in Osat in a letter dated 20 October 1807 and suggested that Matija, Hadà ¾i-Melentije and KaraÃÂorÃÂe receive specific decorations (which they all received in 1810).
The new Travnik Vizier Ibrahim Pasha was ordered by the new sultan to break through Podrinje towards Uà ¾ice in early 1808, and with Hasan Pasha of Srebrenica the Ottoman Bosnian army crossed the Drina at Bukovica and began burning down Serb villages in Podrinje and take slaves. The Podrinje rebels were eventually aided by Milan ObrenoviÃÂ. On LuÃÂindan (St. Luke's Day) the 13,000-strong Bosnian army clashed with the 15,000-strong rebel army led by Milan ObrenoviÃÂ, Jakov NenadoviÃÂ, Sima BirÃÂanin, Hadà ¾i-Melentije and Kara-Marko at Oklenac and Vranjkovina in Osat. Osat was devastated and 66 Serbs were captured at Crvica, used by Hasan Pasha as human shields. Kara-Marko led a strong assault via RaÃÂa and Skelani which freed the prisoners and pushed Hasan Pasha towards Srebrenica. A battle was fought in PribiÃÂevac. Luka Lazareviàmentioned him in his memoirs, regarding fights in Osat and Srebrenica in 1809: "Karamarko expels the Turks, and rises the [Orthodox] Christians against them".
After Hadà ¾i-Melentije left for the Russian Empire in 1810, KaraÃÂorÃÂe appointed Kara-Marko the vojvoda (general) of the Soko nahija (district) and a military senior (stareà ¡ina) in RaÃÂa. He fought heroically in the Podrinje region, and for his courage, he was elevated to vojvoda. He was based at the Bauriàtrench. At this time, his clerk was NiÃÂifor NinkoviÃÂ, and his buljubaà ¡e (captains) were Petar and Janko. After an intrigue, KaraÃÂorÃÂe had him removed on 7 April 1813, after which he worked with Matija Nenadoviàin Valjevo. In May 1813 he gathered an army and crossed into Osat to defend it from the Ottomans. He was one of few that did not flee to the Habsburg monarchy after the suppression of the uprising. He settled a village near Topola and became a hajduk (brigand).
Due to his loyalty to KaraÃÂorÃÂe, the new Serbian leader Miloà ¡ Obrenoviàordered his murder and had his severed head given to the Vizier of Belgrade. The rest of his body were brought by his descendants to the church in Grabovac near Valjevo to be buried in the porta in 1845. He had received many wounds while fighting in Podrinje, and was described as very heroic, famed, and a good singer. He was included in an epic poem in Sarajlija's Srbijanka.
He attained legendary fame in Osat. His scribe NiÃÂifor NinkoviÃÂ wrote about him.