Orašac Assembly

The Orašac Assembly (Serbian: Збор у Орашцу, romanized: Zbor u Orašcu) was the gathering of 300 Serbian chiefs and rebels on 14 February [O.S. 2 February] 1804 (Presentation of Jesus) at Orašac, a village near Aranđelovac, following the "Slaughter of the Knezes" which saw 70 notable Serbs murdered by the renegade Janissaries (the Dahije) in January which prompted the Serbs to rise up against the tyranny (known in historiography as the "Uprising against the Dahije"), resulting in the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire. Karađorđe was appointed leader of the Serbian rebels after they all raised their "three fingers in the air" and thereby swore oath.^[1] The site of the assembly, Marićevića jaruga, is today a memorial complex.

The leading Serbs of the Belgrade and Kragujevac nahiyas decided to secretly meet at a secluded place near Orašac to discuss the uprising on 14 February [O.S. 2 February] 1804 (Presentation of Jesus, Sretenje). This included selected knezes, serfs, elders, priests and hajduks, and their closest circles. In the morning, sentinels were set up around the assembly location at Marićevića jaruga near two large elms on a plateau surrounded on all sides by a dense meadow. Karađorđe, a leading figure in Šumadija, was chosen to lead the uprising against the Dahije, and was titled vožd ("leader"). Although Karađorđe, one of the main organizers of the assembly, had suggested Stanoje Glavaš, Vule Ilić Kolarac, knez Marko Savić and Teodosije Maričević to lead, all rejected and Karađorđe was instead chosen due to his fitting character.

Historian Milenko Vukićević maintains that about 300 people were present at the Orašac insurgent assembly. Today, based on historical and memoir literature, only the presence of these people can be determined: Protojerej Atanasije Antonijević, Stanoje Glavaš, Hajduk-Veljko Petrović, Vule Ilić Kolarac, Milisav Lipovac, Djordjic of Visevac, Jovan Krstović of Bukovik, Aleksa Dukić, Arsenije Loma, Tanasko Rajić, Janićije Đurić, Prince of Orašac Marko Savić, merchant Teodosije Maričević, Aleksa Jakovljević, Prince Vićentije Petrović of Koraćica, Prince Matija Jovićić of Topola, Mihailo Badžak of Jagnjilo, Matija Karatošić of Kopljar, Milutin Savić, Marko Petar Dugonjić of Masloševo, Blagoje and Gliša (no surname given) both of Masloševo, Ćira Prokić and Miloje Čekerević (Masloševo), Stevan Rajaković, Mata Milivojević, Mandić and Milovan Đurić (Stragari), Andreja Jokić, Rista Đurđezić, Mihailo Manojlović, Paun Čolkć, Matija Milošević, Lazar Milosavljević, Dimitrije Perić, Dimitrije Manojlović, Gavrilo Đurić, Grigorije Marković (all came from Topola), Đordje Dukić, Tanasije Dukić, Jovan Riznić, Sreten, Teofan and Jakov Tomkovići (Ba) also, Gaja Ostojić of Orašac, Petar Kara (Trešnjevica), Hajduk Mileta (Glibovac), Hajduk Kara Steva of Provo, Hajduk Milovan (Plana), Dimitrije Radović (Vrbica), Milovan Đurković (Jagnjilo), Miloš Arsenijević (Dravlje), Janko Račanin (Rača), Nikodije Dobrić (Ovsište), Marko Milosavljević (Kopljare), Nikola Leka (Lipovac), Milovan Garašanin (Lipovac), Radovan Garašanin (Lipovac), Sima Serdar (Darosava), Toma Starčević (Orašac), Jovan Bulatović (Orašac) and Vasa Saramanda (Bukovik).^[2]^[3]

Archpriest Atanasije Antonijević of Bukovik put on an epitaph, lit a candle, blessed the election, and the people's conclusions, and everyone swore allegiance to the vožd and the uprising. Karađorđe kissed everyone present. The uprising broke out the next day.

Background

Assembly

See also

References

Literature

Sources

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