The Slaughter of the Knezes () was a campaign of organized murders and assaults of notable Serbs in the Belgrade Pashalik (Sanjak of Smederevo) in JanuaryâÂÂFebruary 1804 by the renegade Janissaries known as "Dahije", who had seized power in a coup against the Vizier Hadji Mustafa Pasha in 1800âÂÂ1801. Fearing Serbian plans of rebellion, they decided to execute leading Serbs throughout the pashalik. At least 95 notable Serbs were murdered, many whose decapitated heads were put on public display. Notable victims were Aleksa NenadoviÃÂ, Ilija BirÃÂanin, Hadà ¾i-Ruvim. The event triggered the First Serbian Uprising, aimed at putting an end to the centuries of Ottoman occupation.
Following the Austro-Turkish War (1788âÂÂ91), the Porte gave amnesty to participants on the Austrian side (including the Serbs) and banned the problematic Janissaries from the Belgrade Pashalik. The Janissaries had before been part of the backbone of Ottoman military power but had lost their importance in the 18th century, becoming a source of disorder, due to lack of discipline and bad morals. It was clear that military reforms according to European models were needed, thus the Porte decided to banish them. The Janissaries revolted and briefly occupied Belgrade, but they were expelled by the new Vizier Hadji Mustafa Pasha ( 1793âÂÂ1801), who is remembered positively in Serbian history, having improved the situation in the Pashalik through reforms. A well-trained Serbian militia supported Mustafa Pasha against the invading Janissaries and Vidin Pasha Osman Pazvantoglu, and as a reward the Pashalik's Serbs received self-governing privileges and better socio-economic status. Violence on Christians was strictly forbidden and measures were taken to distance the rural Muslims and Christians as to not make way for conflict. The Serbian militia continued to defeat Janissary rebels. The significant improvement to the Serbs' status did not last long, as new conflicts with Janissaries arose and 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 kircalis.
The Janissaries renewed terror against the Serbs, plundering and killing in the interior of the Pashalik, then proceeded to capture Belgrade and Mustafa Pasha in July 1801, murdered him in December, then ruled the Pashalik with a Vizier as their puppet. The Janissaries were led by Aganlija, KuÃÂuk-Alija, Mula-Jusuf and Mehmed-aga FoÃÂiÃÂ. The Pashalik became a haven for Janissaries and other bandits, coming from Bosnia, Albania and elsewhere in Rumelia. They came into conflict with the Serbs, sipahi (noble cavalry) and ordinary "Turks". The Janissaries, called the Dahije, abolished the Serbs' rights, banished unsupportive sipahi and invited Muslims from nearby sanjaks which they used to control the Serbs.
The banished sipahi and imperial Muslims organized a rebellion against the Janissaries with the support of the Serbs in mid-1802, but it failed, resulting in further oppression. The Dahije learnt of a conspiracy between the Serbs and Mustafa Pasha's associates (who wanted revenge) to rise against the Dahije, forged in 1803, as well as a letter written by obor-knez Aleksa Nenadoviàin Valjevo nahiya to Austrian officer Mitesser in Habsburg Semlin (Zemun). Aleksa Nenadoviàin Valjevo and merchant KaraÃÂorÃÂe in à  umadija, both Free Corps and militia veterans, planned for uprising. Nenadoviàbelieved and hoped for a new Austro-Turkish war and occupation of Serbia, however, there was no chance that this would happen due to the political landscape. KaraÃÂorÃÂe met with Austrian Serb associates in Ostruà ¾nica where he bought gun powder, then crossed the Morava to Resava, meeting with Milenko Stojkoviàwho was to rise people in the Poà ¾arevac and Smederevo nahiyas, then returned to à  umadija with a band of hajduks; these plans were made for supporting Hadji Mustafa Pasha's followers against the Dahije. The Dahije began to monitor Serbs more intensely after learning of NenadoviÃÂ's letter, but they believed it was written by archimandrite Hadà ¾i-Ruvim and held him accountable, as he had left his monastery in the beginning of 1803 following a dispute with the prnjavor (monastery village) subaà Âñ in 1802. The Dahije were initially concentrating more on the Valjevo nahiya and were less informed on KaraÃÂorÃÂe's plans in à  umadija. Hadà ¾i-Ruvim soon returned, and Aleksa asked him to leave the pashalik as he was in danger, and the Dahije might think that his return was a signal for rebellion, but he refused as he "wanted to share the fate of the people". KuÃÂuk-Alija's associate Maksim of Guberevac made a body search on a priest at Ostruà ¾nica and found a letter of correspondence between Serbian knezes and imperial Turks, while the Dahije likely received information from Semlin gun smugglers about plans in à  umadija, at the beginning of 1804, which made the Dahije decide to kill Serb leaders in order to thwart a rebellion against them, force the Serbs into total submission, and continue ruling the pashalik.
The Dahije leaders gave orders to their mütesellims and others, such as innkeepers, to kill Serb leaders, but still personally involved themselves. They made use of the innkeepers (handà ¾ije) and village henchmen (subaà Âñ), known as especially cruel. S. Novakoviàbelieved that Mehmed-aga FoÃÂiàwas tasked with overseeing the operation. The victims were obor-knezes (kneà ¾ina mayors), knezes (village mayors), buljubaà ¡as (captains), merchants, clergy, and other chosen people. The decisions to kill Serb notables were made by the Dahije some time between . At first, the Dahije henchmen were sent to carry out the murders, and then the Dahije leaders themselves set out from Belgrade to carry out murders of selected people.
The newly appointed mütesellim of Kragujevac, KuÃÂuk-Husejin, called on merchants to renew their trading rights, including former militia captain Mata, the knez Jovica, Mladen MilovanoviÃÂ, and KaraÃÂorÃÂe, the latter refused to come. KuÃÂuk-Husejin imprisoned the three, then killed Mata and Jovica. Those who were called upon but refused to, were now sent after and killed, with KaraÃÂorÃÂe surviving an attempt at Topola by Uzun-Mehmed and his 12 men. On , a Turk sipahi named Asan-aga was murdered by JaniÃÂije ÃÂuriàbelow the VenÃÂac mountain, which led to a manhunt by innkeeper Ibrahim of Topola, the innkeepers of à ½abari and à  ume, as well as others from Banja and Lipovac. Petar Jokiàwas approached by Ibrahim and asked to protect his inn from potential robbery. According to Gaja PanteliÃÂ, Uzun-Mehmed's gang had come to Topola during the manhunt and asked of KaraÃÂorÃÂe's whereabouts.
The Dahije leaders decided that they personally kill some of the knezes, thus, Mehmed-aga FoÃÂiàwent for Valjevo and à  abac nahiyas, KuÃÂuk-Alija went for Smederevo, ÃÂuprija and Jagodina nahiyas, Mula-Jusuf went to Belgrade and Grocka nahiyas, while Aganlija seems to have stayed in Belgrade. The leaders each took a strong Janissary contingent with them into the nahiyas, leaving Belgrade on at latest, and some being back in Belgrade by . The Dahije killed people while travelling the nahiyas.
Mehmed-aga FoÃÂiàleft Belgrade on for Valjevo where none of the Serb leaders awaited him, enraging him, then stayed at the konak (mansion) of the BogovaÃÂa Monastery for two days where he secretly issued further orders of murder. His escorts, Stanoje Mihailoviàand Sima MarkoviÃÂ, and the monastery archimandrite Hadà ¾i-Ruvim, were unaware of his plans. FoÃÂiàthen returned for Valjevo on , meeting up with Aleksa NenadoviÃÂ, Ilija BirÃÂanin and Milovan Grboviàon a field, from where his 200 Janissaries took them to a dungeon. The knez Stanoje Mihailoviàwas killed on , at his home while preparing a meal for three of FoÃÂiÃÂ's men, sent by FoÃÂiàwhile he stayed at BogovaÃÂa. The first victims are believed to have been knezes Stevan Palalija, Marko J. ÃÂarapiàand Stanoje MihailoviÃÂ.
Mula-Jusuf burnt down the village of VrÃÂin in the Grocka nahiya, while KuÃÂuk-Alija went into the Smederevo nahiya and cleansed the village of BaniÃÂina and killed several in Plana, then "beheaded in secrecy" in ÃÂuprija and went through the Poà ¾arevac nahiya, where the Livadice village was burnt down and many people were killed in Mlava, then returned to Belgrade.
Aleksa Nenadoviàand Ilija BirÃÂanin were executed by beheading on , with FoÃÂiàreading the intercepted conspiratory letter out loud. Their severed heads were put on display at FoÃÂiÃÂ's house. By , the Dahije decided that all notable Serbs were to be beaten, so that what was left would become real "rayah, to serve well"; local Turks then began to attack chosen notables in their districts. By killing NenadoviÃÂ, BirÃÂanin, Marko and Vasa ÃÂarapiÃÂ, knez Petar of Gloà ¾ane, and KaraÃÂorÃÂe, the Dahije believed they would rid themselves of notable Serb militia commanders.
There are different accounts on the murder of Hadà ¾i-Ruvim: According to archpriest Matija Nenadovià(the son of Aleksa), Hadà ¾i-Ruvim heard of the imprisonment of Nenadoviàand BirÃÂanin and went to Belgrade Metropolitan Leontius, who instead of harboring him, gave him up to Aganlija, whose men had Hadà ¾i-Ruvim beheaded at the Varoà ¡ Gate. According to V. Karadà ¾iÃÂ, Hadà ¾i-Ruvim went to Belgrade and sought to hide with his nephew Petar Moler, who was the painter of KuÃÂuk-Alija's mansions, but KuÃÂuk-Alija sent him to Aganlija who threw in the dungeon. According to Zemun archpriest Mihailo PejiÃÂ, Leontius invited Hadà ¾i-Ruvim to Belgrade and asked him of the state of the people, to which he answered that "no words could describe the discontent and suffering", and advised the Metropolitan that the two cross into Austria, as the people planned an uprising against the Dahije. The Metropolitan then informed the Dahije of their discussion, and the Dahije arrested Hadà ¾i-Ruvim and brought him to KuÃÂuk-Alija on , then killed him the next day.
KaraÃÂorÃÂe was surrounded and attacked by Uzun-Mehmed (the second or third attempt), it is believed on , but KaraÃÂorÃÂe managed to kill two or more of the attackers and fled into the woods, according to several accounts. KaraÃÂorÃÂe went and met with hajduk leader Stanoje Glavaà ¡.
In early February (the end of January according to Old Calendar) FoÃÂiàstayed at à  abac then secretly and quickly returned to Belgrade by boat where he and his associates discussed how to calm down the people after the murders. Archpriest Pejiàwrote a letter to metropolitan Stefan Stratimiroviàsome time between and saying "these days revenge was done on Serbs, which the Janissaries long wanted". By , 72 severed heads had been brought to Belgrade.
The relative of KuÃÂuk-Alija, who was captured during the subsequent uprising, acknowledged the Dahije intention to erase all more important people and to put new serfs and chiefs in their place. These newly appointed would then be imprisoned and held hostage until all weapons of the villagers be collected, after which every person that was over the age of 10 during the Austro-Turkish war be killed and the rest forcibly converted into Islam.
M. VukiÃÂeviàconcluded that most were killed around , but some were killed prior and some after, depending on the route the Dahije took, with a "terrible week", as S. Novakoviàput it, being . A. Gavrilovià(1864âÂÂ1929) made a list of those murdered and concluded that the campaign stretched over some six weeks. The last victim was Hadà ¾i-Ruvim, who died on . The total number of victims was still unknown at the start of the 20th century. Notes regarding the beginning of the First Serbian Uprising included in Oestr. militärische Zeitschrift (1821) noted that 95 of "most distinguished were killed in 14 days". A letter of archpriest Mihailo Pejiàthat arrived at the Metropolitanate of Karlovci on mentions the decapitated heads of 72 knezes and priests which were brought to Belgrade. A petition to Russian envoy A. Italyansky at the Porte dated mentions 150 knezes and other notables killed. A report by Austrian officer Mitesser mentions 123 victims. It is currently estimated that around 100 heads were taken to Belgrade. Gavriloviàfound more information on those killed which he published in a 1904 work. Only a portion of the killed are known by name.
Many of the important people of the coming uprising were spared mostly by luck. Among those on the lists were Sima MarkoviÃÂ, Janko KatiÃÂ, Vasa ÃÂarapiÃÂ, Jakov NenadoviÃÂ, Nikola GrboviÃÂ, Cincar-Janko, Melentije StevanoviÃÂ, Milenko StojkoviÃÂ and most notably, KaraÃÂorÃÂe.
News of the murders led to flight of notables and their families, and these began to assemble and discuss rebellion, accompanied by hajduks who wintered at the time.
The economic hardships, evil administration, violence and "Slaughter of the Knezes" led to the uprising against the Dahije in 1804 and the start of the Serbian Revolution. Vuk Karadà ¾iàwrote how the Dahije sent Aganlija, the best of the four among the people, to pacify and advise them to refrain from rebellion and instead go home, that henceforth they would have a different and better approach and the zulum (injustice, atrocities) would stop. The Dahije tried to stop the uprising through talks on 4 March 1804, offering KaraÃÂorÃÂe a huge sum of money and the title of vrhovni knez (top knez) of the Pashalik; KaraÃÂorÃÂe answered "as long as I look at the graves of our Serb knezes who the Dahije slew, and as long as you do not kill me as you did the other knezes, there will be no peace between us".
The events are known in Serbian epic poetry, such as poems by Filip Vià ¡njiàand others.