Vule Ilić ( sr-cyr, Вуле Илић; c. 1766 –1834), known as Vule Ilić Kolarac, was a
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
n military commander (
vojvoda) who fought the Ottomans during the
First Serbian Uprising
The First Serbian Uprising ( sr, Prvi srpski ustanak, italics=yes, sr-Cyrl, Први српски устанак; tr, Birinci Sırp Ayaklanması) was an uprising of Serbs in the Sanjak of Smederevo against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 18 ...
. Vule Ilić Kolarac fought alongside
Hajduk
A hajduk ( hu, hajdúk, plural of ) is a type of irregular infantry found in Central and parts of Southeast Europe from the late 16th to mid 19th centuries. They have reputations ranging from bandits to freedom fighters depending on time, p ...
Stanoje Glavaš then under Grand Leader
Karađorđe
Đorđe Petrović ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Петровић, ), better known by the sobriquet Karađorđe ( sr-Cyrl, Карађорђе, lit=Black George, ; – ), was a Serbian revolutionary who led the struggle for his country's independ ...
distinguishing himself at the
Battle of Suvodol
The Battle of Suvodol was fought near Sjenica between the Serbian rebels under Karađorđe and Ottoman army consisting of Albanians under Köprülüzade Numan Pasha in late May 1809, during the First Serbian uprising. It resulted in a Serbian ...
and at the
Siege of Belgrade. During the uprising he was commander of the city of
Smederevo
Smederevo ( sr-Cyrl, Смедерево, ) is a city and the administrative center of the Podunavlje District in eastern Serbia. It is situated on the right bank of the Danube, about downstream of the Serbian capital, Belgrade.
According to ...
the temporary capital of Serbia during that time.
Life
Vule Ilić Kolarac was born in the village of
Kolari
Kolari is a municipality of Finland at the Swedish border, which follows the Torne River, the longest free-flowing river in Europe.
It is located in the region of Lapland. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of whic ...
, in the
Sanjak of Smederevo
The Sanjak of Smederevo ( tr, Semendire Sancağı; sr, / ), also known in historiography as the Pashalik of Belgrade ( tr, Belgrad Paşalığı; sr, / ), was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman administrative unit (sanjak), that existed between the 1 ...
. In the early 19th century, most of the Balkans was under Ottoman rule. Christian communities of Serbs lived under the
devshirme
Devshirme ( ota, دوشیرمه, devşirme, collecting, usually translated as "child levy"; hy, Մանկահավաք, Mankahavak′. or "blood tax"; hbs-Latn-Cyrl, Danak u krvi, Данак у крви, mk, Данок во крв, Danok vo krv ...
system of forced assimilation, forced labor, harsh taxation and slavery; Oppression and violence filled the land after the
dahies started targeting the most prominent Serbs.
On February 14, 1804, in the small village of Orašac, nearby modern Aranđelovac, Vule Ilić and other
Hajduk
A hajduk ( hu, hajdúk, plural of ) is a type of irregular infantry found in Central and parts of Southeast Europe from the late 16th to mid 19th centuries. They have reputations ranging from bandits to freedom fighters depending on time, p ...
s gathered to discuss how to fight back and to keep Turkish rule and authority out of Serbia,
Karađorđe Petrović
Đorđe Petrović ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Петровић, ), better known by the sobriquet Karađorđe ( sr-Cyrl, Карађорђе, lit=Black George, ; – ), was a Serbian revolutionary who led the struggle for his country's independ ...
was elected as the leader of the uprising, this event is known as the
Orašac Assembly
The Orašac Assembly ( sr, Збор у Орашцу, Zbor u Orašcu) was the gathering of 300 Serbian chiefs and rebels on (Presentation of Jesus at the Temple) at Orašac, a village near Aranđelovac, following the "Slaughter of the Knezes" whic ...
In July 1806 Vule Ilić Kolarac fought at The
Battle of Deligrad
The Battle of Deligrad was fought between Serbian revolutionaries and an army of the Ottoman Empire, and took place in December 1806 during the First Serbian Uprising. A 55,000-strong Ottoman army commanded by Albanian Pasha of Scutari Ibrahim P ...
; 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 Glavaš and Vule Ilić, 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.
![Siege of Belgrade (30 Nov](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Siege_of_Belgrade_%2830_Nov._1806%29.jpg)
The
Siege of Belgrade started before daybreak on the 12th of December 1806. That morning Karageorge assembled in
Vračar
Vračar ( sr-Cyrl, Врачар, ) is an affluent urban area and municipality of the city of Belgrade known as the location of many embassies and museums. According to the 2011 census results, the municipality has a population of 56,333 inhabitants ...
with 15,000 rebels, he had decided with the commanders that the attack should be carried out on
St. Andrew's Day
Saint Andrew's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Andrew or Andermas, is the feast day of Andrew the Apostle. It is celebrated on 30 November (according to Gregorian calendar) and on 13 December (according to Julian calendar). Saint Andrew is ...
, during the Muslim feast of
Eid al-Fitr
, nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast
, observedby = Muslims
, type = Islamic
, longtype = Islamic
, significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan
, dat ...
, when the attention of the guards would be lower. The rebels separated into groups to attack the different entrances to the city. Miloje Petrović, Sima Marković,
Vasa Čarapić
Vasilije "Vasa" Čarapić, known as the Dragon from Avala ( sr-Cyrl, Василије Васа Чарапић, Змај од Авале; 1768–1806) and Vasso Tscharapitsch was a Serbian ''voivode'' (military commander) that participated in the F ...
, Stanoje Glavaš and Vule Ilić each 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
Mirko Apostolović, known as Uzun-Mirko ( sr, Узун-Мирко Апостоловић; 1782 – 1868) was a Serbian (military commander), with the rank of ''bimbaša'' during the Serbian revolution; he took part in both the First and Second Se ...
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 Ilić Kolarac and Stanoje Glavaš 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 Ilić Kolarac participated at the
Battle of Suvodol
The Battle of Suvodol was fought near Sjenica between the Serbian rebels under Karađorđe and Ottoman army consisting of Albanians under Köprülüzade Numan Pasha in late May 1809, during the First Serbian uprising. It resulted in a Serbian ...
where Serbian rebels defeated an Ottoman army consisting mostly of Albanians. Serbian Cavalry under the command of Vojvoda Vule Ilić Kolarac 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 Ilić Kolarac began to yell out in Turkish “our forces have retreated” 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.
[The Revolt of the Serbs Against the Turks: (1804-1813), Cambridge University Press, 16 févr. 2012]
Descendants
His grandson is General
Sava Grujić
Sava Grujić ( sr-cyr, Сава Грујић, ; 25 November 1840 – 3 November 1913) was a Serbian politician, statesman, general, army officer, and author, serving five times as Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Serbia under two different mona ...
five times Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Serbia whose daughters Marija married Cavalry Division General
Vojin Tcholak-Antitch Vojin ( sr, Војин) is a masculine given name or surname of Slavic origin. It may refer to:
*Vojin Bakić (1915–1992), prominent Croatian sculptor of Serbian descent
*Vojin Božović (1913–1983), Montenegrin, Yugoslav international, footbal ...
, descendant of Vojvoda
Čolak-Anta
Antonije "Anta" Simeonović, better known as Čolak-Anta ( sr-cyr, Чолак-Анта Симеоновић; 1777–1853) was a Serbian fighter and military commander (''Vojvoda''), one of the most important figures of the First Serbian Uprising ...
, and Olga, lady-in-waiting to
Princess Olga of Yugoslavia
Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark ( el, Όλγα; 11 June 1903 – 16 October 1997) was a Greek princess who became princess of Yugoslavia as the wife of Prince Paul, Regent of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
Princess Olga was a daughter of Princ ...
, married Professor Milivoje S. Lozanić, son of
Sima Lozanić.
See also
*
List of Serbian Revolutionaries
This is a list of Serbian Revolutionaries, participants in the Serbian Revolution (1804–1817).
See also
*Serbian revolutionary organizations
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
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*
{{Serbian revolutionaries
*
Revolutionaries
Revolutionaries
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References
Sources
* Tihomir R. Djordjevic, "From Serbia, Prince of Milos", Belgrade, 1924, p. 133.
* Đ. Magarašević, "Traveling by Serbia", 1827, pp. 14–15
* Prota Matija, Memoari, p. 217 and 220, quoted by Tihomir R. Djordjevic, "From Serbia, Prince of Milos", Belgrade, 1924.
* Leopold Ranke, "The History of the Serbian Revolution, Part I", Belgrade, 1864 p. 128
* Sima Stojanović, "Old Serbian Food and Drink", cited in Vuk Vrcevic, "The Times for the History of the Black Mountain", National Book, Cetinje 1952 p. 111
* N. Petrović, Funds and Institutions, II tomstr 10,3 cited by Tihomir R. Djordjevic, Serbian Prime Minister Miloš, Belgrade, 1924 p. 148
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ilić Kolarac, Vule
Serbs from the Ottoman Empire
18th-century Serbian people
19th-century Serbian people
People of the First Serbian Uprising
Serbian military leaders
Serbian revolutionaries
People from Smederevo
Characters in Serbian epic poetry
1755 births
1788 deaths
Rebels from the Ottoman Empire