The Beginning of the Revolt against the Dahijas (), a Serbian epic poem, is one of the best known poems about the liberation of Serbia. It was recited by Filip Vià ¡njiÃÂ, a blind gusle player. Linguist Vuk Karadà ¾iàheard it from Vià ¡njiàand wrote it down in 1815 while he was in à  ià ¡atovac monastery.
The poem recounts chronologically the events that led to the Uprising against the Dahije and the First Serbian Uprising in 1804.
In the opening part of the poem, the poet sends an artistic message about the imminent rebellion by describing rare natural events. Solar eclipse, comets and lunar eclipse are all signs which indicate the start of the rebellion against Turks, and it is the ordinary people who will start the uprising.
Meanwhile, Turks are also watching these occurrences. For Serbian people, the signs mean they should fight the Turks, and for Dahiyas, Turkish leaders, they are bad omens that need to be interpreted. Dahiyas use traditional divination methods: hydromancy and interpreting holy prophet books. All signs indicate the downfall of the Turks. Dahiyas were cruel to the Serbian people and thereby they offended their fallen SultanâÂÂs legacy.
The sin is as great as the punishment that will befall them. They didnâÂÂt listen to Sultan Murad on his deathbed nor to the wise old man FoÃÂo (one of the seven Dahiyas). Anxiety and fear become obvious in an argument between father and son â the old man FoÃÂo and FoÃÂiàMehmed aga. That argument represents the conflict of wisdom and hotheadedness.
The Slaughter of the Knezes will ensue after the young FoÃÂiàarrogantly rejects his fatherâÂÂs advice. The Serbs are infuriated when Turks come to Topola to execute KaraÃÂorÃÂe (the leader of the First Serbian Uprising). Filip Vià ¡njiàgives the role of the hero to the people and KaraÃÂorÃÂeâÂÂs victorious speech by the Drina river marks the final revenge of the oppressed.