Mihailo ( sr-cyr, Михаило, en, Mihail; born Milovan Dožić; 15 November 18489 June 1914) was a

Serbian Orthodox The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian churches. The majority of the population in ...

hierodeacon A hierodeacon (Greek: Ἱεροδιάκονος, ''Ierodiákonos''; Slavonic: ''Ierodiakón''), sometimes translated "deacon-monk", in Eastern Orthodox Christianity is a monk who has been ordained a deacon (or deacon who has been tonsured monk). Th ...

and

archimandrite The title archimandrite ( gr, ἀρχιμανδρίτης, archimandritēs), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot (''hegumenos'', gr, ἡγούμενος, present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") who ...

, who established an insurgent battalion in Potarje (in

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

) to fight against

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

in the region. Having been sent in 1866 to the

Dobrilovina Monastery The Dobrilovina Monastery ( sr, Манастир Добриловина, Manastir Dobrilovina) is a Serbian Orthodox monastery in Donja Dobrilovina, Mojkovac, northern Montenegro. It is located on the left Tara river banks, in a region known as ...

, Dožić made the monastery the centre of the spiritual and political life and aspirations for freedom in the wide area of Potarje, and organized an insurgent battalion in the Potarje region active between 1875 and 1878 (during the

Montenegrin–Ottoman War (1876–1878) The Montenegrin–Ottoman War ( sr-Cyrl, Црногорско-турски рат, Crnogorsko-turski rat, "Montenegrin-Turkish War"), also known in Montenegro as the Great War (, ''Velji rat''), was fought between the Principality of Montenegro ...

Life

He belonged to the Medenica brotherhood of Donja (Lower)

Morača The Morača ( sr-cyrl, Морача, ) is a major river in Montenegro that originates in the northern region in Kolašin Municipality under Mount Rzača. It meanders southwards for before emptying into Lake Skadar. Its drainage basin covers . ...

. He was one of the sons of Mijat Dožić, who had fought against the

Kolašin Kolašin (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Колашин, ) is a town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 2,989 (2003 census). Kolašin is the centre of Kolašin Municipality (population 9,949) and an unofficial centre of Morača region, named af ...

Turks (Ottomans). Mihailo's paternal great-grandfather was Milovan Dožić. In the late 19th century much of the Balkans were still under the

. Dožić, a young monk, was sent as an administrator by

Mirko Petrović-Njegoš Mirko Petrović-Njegoš ( sr-cyr, Мирко Петровић-Његош; 19 August 1820 – 1 August 1867) was a Montenegrin military commander, politician and poet, belonging to the House of Petrović-Njegoš. He was given the title of ''veliki ...

with the task of renovating the

, which was located in Ottoman territory, in 1866. The monastery is located on the left Tara river banks, in a region known as ''Potarje'', at the beginning of the

Tara River Canyon The Tara River Canyon (, ; ), also known as the Tara River Gorge, is the largest and deepest canyon in Europe, which is for the most part located in Montenegro, and to a smaller extent in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The most attractive part of the ca ...

, the deepest river canyon in Europe. The monastery became the "centre of the spiritual and political life and aspirations for freedom in the wide area of Potarje", Dožić also having established a school that was operated secretly in the monastery, the first school in the valley of Tara — this was a very significant step towards national awakening in this region and surrounding regions. The school was temporarily moved to the nearby cave at times of Ottoman attacks. Dožić organized an insurgent battalion in the region, active between 1875 and 1878 (during the

Montenegrin–Ottoman War (1876–78) Montenegrin–Ottoman War may refer to: *Montenegrin–Ottoman War (1852–53) *Montenegrin–Ottoman War (1861–62) *Montenegrin–Ottoman War (1876–78) Montenegrin–Ottoman War may refer to: *Montenegrin–Ottoman War (1852–53) *Montenegrin� ...

and Serb–Ottoman War (1876–78)). The Ottomans had the monastery abandoned and quarters burned in 1877. On 12 June, that same year, Dožić defended Morača against Ottoman Mehmed Ali Pasha, who died in battle. He became a

hegumen Hegumen, hegumenos, or igumen ( el, ἡγούμενος, trans. ), is the title for the head of a monastery in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, similar to the title of abbot. The head of a convent of nuns is called a hegumenia ...

of the

Morača Monastery The Morača ( sr-cyrl, Морача, ) is a major river in Montenegro that originates in the Statistical regions of Montenegro, northern region in Kolašin Municipality under Mount Rzača. It meanders southwards for before emptying into Lake S ...

in 1879. He then served as archimandrite of the Morača Monastery. He sent his fraternal nephew Gavrilo Dožić, who had studied under his wing at Morača, to

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

to study in the gymnasium; Gavrilo would later serve as the 51st Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church (1938–1950). Mihailo was Gavrilo's main counselor and was the one who recommended him to

Nićifor Dučić Archimandrite Nićifor Dučić ( sr-cyr, Нићифор Дучић; 1832–1900), was a Bosnian Serb theologian, historian, philologist, archimandrite, writer and academic. As Archimandrite of Herzegovina Nićifor Dučić founded the Orthodox ...

for the envoy to

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

. He had the bridge over the

Morača river The Morača ( sr-cyrl, Морача, ) is a major river in Montenegro that originates in the northern region in Kolašin Municipality under Mount Rzača. It meanders southwards for before emptying into Lake Skadar. Its drainage basin covers . ...

built in ca. 1900.

Ancestry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dozic, Mihailo 1848 births 1914 deaths 19th-century Serbian people 20th-century Serbian people People of the Principality of Montenegro Serbian Orthodox clergy History of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro Serbs of Montenegro Serb rebels Serbian military leaders Ottoman period in the history of Montenegro Armed priests