Vule Ilià(; c. 1766 âÂÂ1834), known by the demonym Kolarac, was a Serbian military commander (vojvoda) who fought the Ottomans during the First Serbian Uprising. Vule IliàKolarac fought alongside hajduk Stanoje Glavaà ¡ then under Grand Leader KaraÃÂorÃÂe distinguishing himself at the Battle of Suvodol and at the Siege of Belgrade. During the uprising he was commander of the city of Smederevo, the temporary capital of Serbia during that time.
Iliàwas born in the village of Kolari, in the Sanjak of Smederevo. In the early 19th century, most of the Balkans was under Ottoman rule. Christian communities of Serbs lived under an oppressive system of forced assimilation, forced labor, harsh taxation and slavery; Oppression and violence filled the land after the Dahije started targeting the most prominent Serbs. On February 14, 1804, in the small village of Oraà ¡ac, nearby modern AranÃÂelovac, Vule Iliàand other Hajduks gathered to discuss how to fight back and to keep Turkish rule and authority out of Serbia, KaraÃÂorÃÂe Petroviàwas elected as the leader of the uprising, this event is known as the Oraà ¡ac Assembly
In July 1806 Vule IliàKolarac fought at The Battle of Deligrad; the Turkish pasha Ibrahim ordered his commander to immediately go to Deligrad with 16,000 soldiers and take the city. Shait pasha, underestimating the quality of the fortification, as well as his military strength, arrived on July 13, with only 4,000 soldiers. Stanoje Glavaà ¡ and Vule IliÃÂ, who at the time commanded the fortification, saw the enemies on time and easily forced them to withdraw. The Turks decided to await for reinforcement on a nearby hill but the Serbian rebels gathered people from the surrounding fortifications and with the help of peasants from nearby villages, surrounded the Turks and managed to throw them out of the highlands. The Siege of Belgrade started before daybreak on the 12th of December 1806. That morning Karageorge assembled in VraÃÂar with 15,000 rebels, he had decided with the commanders that the attack should be carried out on St. Andrew's Day, during the Muslim feast of Eid al-Fitr, when the attention of the guards would be lower. The rebels separated into groups to attack the different entrances to the city. Miloje PetroviÃÂ, Sima MarkoviÃÂ, Vasa ÃÂarapiÃÂ, Stanoje Glavaà ¡ and Vule Iliàeach leading a group. A Greek Albanian named Konda, who had switched allegiance, was well aware of the functioning of the Ottoman guard, he and Uzun-Mirko were in charge of taking over the Sava gate with a group of 6 volunteers, they climbed over the rampart and fell upon the guards. Four of the rebels were killed but the two remaining Serbs broke open the gate with an axe and the rest of the commando rushed in. At the same time Vule IliàKolarac and Stanoje Glavaà ¡ attacked the Vidin Gate penetrating from the other side with their men. Even though shots were fired, the Turks did not suspect that a Serbian attack was taking place but that shots were fired for the holiday. After a fierce battle the Turks took refuge in the citadel.
In late May 1809 Vule IliàKolarac participated at the Battle of Suvodol where Serbian rebels defeated an Ottoman army consisting mostly of Albanians. Serbian Cavalry under the command of Vojvoda Vule IliàKolarac attacked one of the Albanian wings with such force and surprise that it threw the Albanian forces in disarray as the cavalry were flanking them. Albanian forces attempted to regroup and attack the revolutionaries; however they were met with fierce gun fire from the Serbian cannons and infantry. In the midst of the fighting and poor visibility due to the fog, Vule IliàKolarac began to yell out in Turkish âÂÂour forces have retreatedâ in order to fool the Albanians into retreating. The ploy worked and threw Numan Pasha's forces into even more disarray. Battered by relentless attacks, the injured Numan Pasha and his forces retreated.
His grandson is General Sava GrujiÃÂ five times Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Serbia whose daughters Marija married Cavalry Division General Vojin Tcholak-Antitch, descendant of Vojvoda ÃÂolak-Anta, and Olga, lady-in-waiting to Princess Olga of Yugoslavia, married Professor Milivoje S. LozaniÃÂ, son of Sima LozaniÃÂ.