Vojvoda (, ) was a military rank of the Serbian Army during the First Serbian Uprising (1804âÂÂ13) and Second Serbian Uprising (1815), adopted from traditional and medieval usage. It was the equivalent of general. In the initial years, it was the highest rank, higher in rank than bimbaà ¡a and buljubaà ¡a. The vojvoda appointed and elevated ranks. The rank was not adopted into the Armed Forces of the Principality of Serbia, but it was later adopted into the Royal Serbian Army.
KaraÃÂorÃÂe, a knez in à  umadija, was appointed voà ¾d (leader) of the uprising at the Oraà ¡ac Assembly on (Presentation of Jesus). The leading Serbs in the Belgrade Pashalik had planned for years to rise up against the renegade Janissaries (known as Dahije) that had wrested the pashalik, abolished Serb self-governing rights, and finally carried out the "Slaughter of the Knezes".
In the beginning of the uprising braver locals gathered around their stareà ¡ina (chief, elder), gradually expanding with rebels joining of good will or through pressure. The first bands gathered around leaders such as KaraÃÂorÃÂe, Stanoje Glavaà ¡ and Janko Katiàin à  umadija, Jakov Nenadoviàin Kolubara and Milenko Stojkoviàin Pomoravlje. With the expansion of the uprising, the gathering of troops was through the knez, who often also was the stareà ¡ina, or another notable or merchant, such as Milan ObrenoviÃÂ, Mladen MilovanoviÃÂ, Teodosije MariÃÂeviàand others. Archpriest Matija Nenadoviàdescribed the stareà ¡ina as coming from "the wealthiest of Serbs, who was a knez, merchant, priest, kmet (serf) or otherwise wealthy, having a good patrimony, zadruga, plenty of livestock, mills and other income" and who could gather men and arm them. The first stareà ¡ine of the not yet organized army were recognized by the commoners in distinguished individuals in their midst, however, as the battles continued and the rebels became better organized, distinction through battle singled out people fit for leadership.
In the beginning, the rebel army was a militia with armed civilians, with the troop size depending on liberated territories. The military organization was territorial, divided into units of desetina ("tenth"), ÃÂeta ("company") and bataljon ("battalion"), formed according to the local administrative divisions of kneà ¾ina (villages under the responsibility of a knez) or nahija (a larger group of villages) which gave their names to the individual units. Senior ranks were the kaplar ("corporal"), fendrek (from "fähnrich"), kapetan or buljubaà ¡a ("captain"), podvojvoda (sub-vojvoda) and vojvoda, in the beginning of the uprising. The ranks were initially given from within the army until the strengthening of central power when commander-in-chief KaraÃÂorÃÂe with or without the Governing Council appointed them.
KaraÃÂorÃÂe was a strict and determined leader. Elders who were afraid to support the uprising received Turk corpses at their doorstep, scaring them into joining. He executed three villagers for feeding Turk soldiers, then appointed Miloà ¡ StojiÃÂeviàthe vojvoda of Pocerina, saying that if he did not follow his orders he would suffer the same fate. A veteran of the Serbian Free Corps, KaraÃÂorÃÂe had considerable experience from his Austrian service and understood how only a regular trained army could manage against the Ottomans.
The kneà ¾ina became an administrative unit in Revolutionary Serbia. All of the territory was divided into kneà ¾ina, where a vojvoda was appointed to lead. Thus, Stojan ÃÂupiàwas the vojvoda of MaÃÂva, Miloà ¡ StojiÃÂeviàof Pocerina, Antonije BogiÃÂeviàof Jadar, Hajduk Veljko of Negotinska Krajina, Radovan Grboviàof Kalubara, archpriest Milutin Iliàof DragaÃÂevo, etc. The kneà ¾ina was further divided into smaller units known as srez, which were made up of a smaller number of villages and headed by a veliki buljubaà ¡a ("great" captain), later designated kapetan (captain), that had under him several mali buljubaà ¡a ("lesser" captain). The knez of the kneà ¾ina remained alongside the vojvoda, but had lesser functions than during the Ottoman era.