Lazar Mutap (; 1775âÂÂ1815) was a Serbian commander in the Rudnik area in the First Serbian Uprising (1804âÂÂ13). He was the brother-in-arms of Arsenije Loma and MiliàDrinÃÂiÃÂ, with whom he was promoted to buljubaà ¡a (captain) in the beginning of the uprising. Mutap was the top captain in the army of Milan ObrenoviÃÂ, the commander of the Rudnik nahija. He distinguished himself in many battles, such as Karanovac, Sjenica, Prijepolje, on the Drina, Loznica, and Deligrad. He was promoted to vojvoda (general) in 1811. He was in the nearest circle of vojvoda Miloà ¡ Obrenoviàduring the outbreak of the Second Serbian Uprising (1815) and led the attack on important town ÃÂaÃÂak, during which he was mortally wounded. He was buried in the narthex of the Vujan Monastery.
Lazar was born in the village of Prislonica in the Rudnik nahiya. His paternal family, now known as the Mutapi, had ancestry from what is today Montenegro. The village was part of the RudniÃÂka Morava kneà ¾ina (Christian self-governing villages). He was a mutavdà ¾ija (bag-weaver) by trade, hence his nickname.
After the Slaughter of the Knezes and Oraà ¡ac Assembly (February 1804), the appointed leader of the uprising KaraÃÂorÃÂe sent men and letters into the nahiyas to rally the people. In the Rudnik nahiya, Lazar Mutap, merchant Milan ObrenoviÃÂ, Arsenije Loma, and other notable Serbs were called to rally in their nahiya. KaraÃÂorÃÂe was joined by Lazar Mutap, Arsenije Loma and MiliàDrinÃÂiàand a number of Rudnik nahiya men ahead of, as well as Milan Obrenoviàwith 60âÂÂ70 men during, the attack on the town of Rudnik (27âÂÂ28 February). Many "Turks" (Muslims) fell and the Dahije fled the town, and while the Turks were allowed to stay, they left for Uà ¾ice. Due to the distinction of the Rudnik leaders, Mutap was proclaimed stareà ¡ina (chief) and buljubaà ¡a (captain) of RudniÃÂka Morava, Loma was proclaimed buljubaà ¡a of the KaÃÂer kneà ¾ina, and DrinÃÂiàwas proclaimed buljubaà ¡a of the Crna GoraâÂÂPodgora kneà ¾ina by KaraÃÂorÃÂe. Milan Obrenoviàwas proclaimed the stareà ¡ina of the whole Rudnik nahija, and they were ordered to rise all of the nahija. Mutap was the top buljubaà ¡a of vojvoda Milan ObrenoviÃÂ. The Rudnik army under Milan attacked Jagodina in mid-March 1804 but were repelled, until KaraÃÂorÃÂe mustered an army which then liberated it. The Rudnik army under Milan then participated in the takeover of Poà ¾arevac and Smederevo.
On , 250 or 350 men under Mutap and DrinÃÂiàthat were entrenched on the Ljubiàhill and held ÃÂaÃÂak under siege, fiercely attacked the town and forced the Turks to escape in the night, and took it over by the next day. Next, Mutap supported KaraÃÂorÃÂe at Karanovac for several days, and through their distinction in the battle, Mutap and Arsenije Loma became famous and sung about in epic poems. He participated in the siege of Uà ¾ice (), a Dahije stronghold, alongside RadiàPetroviÃÂ, Milutin IliÃÂ, the Obrenoviàbrothers Milan and Miloà ¡, Luka LazareviÃÂ, Jakov NenadoviÃÂ, Milovan GrboviÃÂ, Cincar-Janko and Petar Moler. Mutap continued to distinguish himself in the battles of Sjenica, Prijepolje, on the Drina, Loznica, and Deligrad.
After securing the Morava and hearing of an incoming Ottoman Bosnian army, KaraÃÂorÃÂe focused on the Drina and ordered the generals of the Valjevo nahija to set out against Hadà ¾i-beg of Srebrenica who had crossed with 7,000 men. KaraÃÂorÃÂe ordered the Rudnik nahija commanders Milan ObrenoviÃÂ, Lazar Mutap, and Jovan Kursula to go to OseÃÂina where 1,500 infantry and 200 cavalry were to be mustered. Hadà ¾i-beg entrenched at BrataÃÂiàwhere an outnumbered Serb force attacked, and finally managed, after reinforcements sent by archpriest Matija NenadoviÃÂ. Mutap was among the commanders that fought at BrataÃÂià(1 August 1806) and then pursued Hadà ¾i-beg into Bosnia. After the Battle of Mià ¡ar (13âÂÂ15 August 1806), bimbaà ¡a Cincar-Janko and Mutap pursued Ottoman Bosnian troops across the Sava into Habsburg territory, where Cincar-Janko slew OstroÃÂ-kapetan and Mutap slew Hadà ¾i-Mosta at Bosut. At the same time, the Ottoman Bosnian troops that fled to Bosnia via à  abac were ambushed in the Kitog forest by vojvoda Stojan ÃÂupiÃÂ, vojvoda Miloà ¡ Pocerac and archpriest Nikola SmiljaniÃÂ, losing half of a force and much loot. In a letter compiled in Ostruà ¾nica in 1806, he is styled "knez of DragaÃÂevo".
In 1809, Lazar Mutap accompanied KaraÃÂorÃÂe in the battles of Sjenica, Nova Varoà ¡, Novi Pazar, Suvodol, Kukutnica, Kolaà ¡in, Prijepolje and Nikà ¡iÃÂ. The Serbian campaign in the southwest (Sandà ¾ak or Raà ¡ka, Lim and Tara rivers) aimed at connecting the rebellion with the Brda, Herzegovina and Montenegrin tribes. At Sjenica in 1809, Mutap and bimbaà ¡a Karapavle Simeunoviàbesieged Ottoman Albanian chieftain Ganiàand had him and his 30 men burnt alive. Alija Guà ¡anac set out to Kragujevac and pursued Mutap and Tanasko RajiÃÂ, but was decisively defeated at Crni Vrh. Mutap took with him the ancestors of the BojoviÃÂ, MartiÃÂ, TrniniÃÂ, MuliÃÂ, Boà ¾oviÃÂ, RakiÃÂeviÃÂ, Bogdanoviàand Radoà ¡eviàof Prislonica when he left the Bihor nahiya in 1809.
Anta BogiÃÂeviàwas surrounded at Loznica but was saved after a bloody battle (17âÂÂ18 October 1810) in which Luka LazareviÃÂ, Stojan ÃÂupiÃÂ, Cincar-Janko, Mutap and many others were wounded. In 1811, Lazar Mutap was promoted to vojvoda in the Rudnik nahija. Other notables promoted in this period were Stojan ÃÂupiÃÂ, Miloà ¡ Pocerac, Petar Moler, Nikola SmiljaniÃÂ, Cincar-Janko, and his closest comrades from Rudnik, Arsenije Loma and MiliàDrinÃÂiÃÂ, among others. These commanders were given military administration over their areas and were independent from the old generals. Mutap trained the DragaÃÂevo troops at Karanovac.
With the suppression of the uprising in 1813, Mutap declined to flee (as most other commanders) and held out in the Rudnik mountains. He surrendered after hesitating, alongside vojvoda Miloà ¡ ObrenoviÃÂ, Loma, DrinÃÂiàand others at the Takovo church to delibaà Âñ Ali Agha SerÃÂesma. After the failed Hadà ¾i-Prodan's rebellion (September 1814), he was mostly close to Miloà ¡ ObrenoviÃÂ. Mutap, Loma and DrinÃÂiàchose not to join that rebellion due to Miloà ¡'s aid in suppressing it. He participated in the Rudovci meeting with Loma, DrinÃÂiÃÂ, Nikola KatiÃÂ, Milutin Garaà ¡anin, Toma VuÃÂiàand 60 others, discussing a new uprising, and then the Vreoci meeting and Takovo Meeting where the uprising was proclaimed.
With the outbreak of the Second Serbian Uprising, Mutap took Jovan ObrenoviÃÂ, Miloà ¡'s younger brother, with him and went cross the Morava into DragaÃÂevo to rise the people and muster an army to attack ÃÂaÃÂak. In the meantime, Loma unfortunately died of wounds while taking over Rudnik. The knez of Gruà ¾a, Jovan DobraÃÂa, besieged Kragujevac. Mutap left Jovan Obrenoviàwith a number of Rudnik men on the Ljubiàhill to set up trenches and then entered ÃÂaÃÂak with his force. The Turks were fortified in a trench by the great mosque, at the end of the town, and Mutap decided to surround them at a close distance. Ottoman reinforcements were expected, thus Mutap wanted to assault the trench; when Miloà ¡ arrived at ÃÂaÃÂak with too small of a force, they decided to wait and collect more troops. They then learnt that ÃÂaja-paà ¡a left Belgrade with a force, so Miloà ¡ set out to clash with him. ÃÂaja-paà ¡a destroyed a small force under Milutin Garaà ¡anin, while Miloà ¡ skirmished with SerÃÂesma and Kara-Mustafa at Rudovci. Miloà ¡ together with DobraÃÂa with 500 Gruà ¾a men and DrinÃÂiàwith 200 Crna Gora men now went for ÃÂaÃÂak to support Mutap. As ÃÂaja-paà ¡a neared, Mutap's force left the siege and entrenched below Ljubiàwhere Jovan was based. Jovan had left the trench when Mutap left ÃÂaÃÂak and ÃÂaja-paà ¡a arrived there; when Miloà ¡, DobraÃÂa and DrinÃÂiàarrived at Ljubiàthe trench was empty. ÃÂaja-paà ¡a entered ÃÂaÃÂak on .
While retreating from the town ahead of ÃÂaja-paà ¡a, who came with a large army, Mutap was seriously wounded. He was taken wounded on a stretcher to his home village where he died. Another account has him taken first to his village and then to Gornja TrepÃÂa where he died. He was said to have been very disappointed in having to leave the siege. His DragaÃÂevo troops went home with the loss of their commander. Miloà ¡ was very sad to hear about Mutap. Mutap's remains were buried at the Vujan Monastery, in a tomb on the right side, where also his war flag is kept. After many battles and skirmishes in and around ÃÂaÃÂak, it was finally taken by 1 June 1815.
Mutap was described physically as of middle height, with dark hair, red cheeks and bloodshot eyes. He was a great rider and wore a dinjara hat. Irritable by nature, he was generally disliked by his subordinates. He was regarded especially heroic. Together with Loma and DrinÃÂiÃÂ, K. Nenadoviàcalled them "three wise lions". The epic poem Lazar Mutap i Arapin was recorded by philologist Vuk Karadà ¾iàfrom guslar Filip Vià ¡njiÃÂ.