Marko Miljanov Popović ( sr-Cyrl, Марко Миљанов Поповић, ; 25 April 1833 – 2 February 1901) was a Brda chieftain and Montenegrin general and writer. He entered the service of Danilo I, the first secular Prince of Montenegro in the modern era, and led his armed Kuči tribe against the

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 wars of 1861–62 and 1876–78, distinguishing himself as an able military leader. He managed to unite his tribe with Montenegro in 1874. There was later a rift between Miljanov and Prince Nikola I. He was also an accomplished writer who gained repute for his descriptions of Montenegrin society. His grand-daughter

Olgivanna Lloyd Wright Olgivanna Lloyd Wright (born Olga Ivanovna Lazović; December 27, 1898 – March 1, 1985) was the third and final wife of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, whom she met in November 1924. The two married in 1928. In 1932 the couple founded Wright's ar ...

headed

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...

's iconic fellowship and foundation in the United States.

Biography

Marko was born in the village of

Medun Medun ( cnr, Медун) is a settlement located 13 km northeast of the capital Podgorica, Montenegro. The village houses the archaeological site of the ancient fortified city of ''Medeon''. It is situated in the tribal area of Upper Ku� ...

on 25 April ( St. Mark's Day) 1833, and was given the name "Marko" accordingly. His father was Miljan Jankov Popović, his mother Borika, born in Oraovo. He was baptized by Orthodox priest Spasoje Jokov Popović. The village of Medun was located in the Kuči tribe (in present-day

Podgorica Podgorica (Cyrillic: Подгорица, ; lit. 'under the hill') is the capital and largest city of Montenegro. The city was formerly known as Titograd (Cyrillic: Титоград, ) between 1946 and 1992—in the period that Montenegro form ...

municipality,

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

) of the Brda (Highland) region. The tribe at the time was ''de facto'' independent from the

as well as the direct rule of

Petar II Petrović-Njegoš Petar II Petrović-Njegoš ( sr-cyrl, Петар II Петровић-Његош, ; – ), commonly referred to simply as Njegoš (), was a Prince-Bishop (''vladika'') of Montenegro, poet and philosopher whose works are widely considered ...

. The tribe was caught up in internal

blood feud A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one pa ...

ing since 1825, for the next 50 years, with brotherhoods (clans) plotting with the Pasha of Scutari or other tribes to deal with their enemies. Like his fellow highlanders, Miljanov took part in '' hajdučija'' (guerilla fighting) against the Ottomans in the region. Lazar Sočica and Marko Miljanov

In 1856, he came to the Montenegrin capital Cetinje and entered the service of Prince Danilo in his guards unit called ''perjanici''. For his bravery and successes in raids on Ottoman territory and as a man of confidence, he was awarded in 1862 the position of judge and head of

Bratonožići The Bratonožići ( sr-Cyrl, Братоножићи, ) is a historical tribe (''pleme'') of Albanian origin in the Brda region of Montenegro. It appeared during the Ottoman period and was a captaincy of the Principality of Montenegro in the 19 ...

tribe (that neighboured Kuči). For his work on the unification of Kuči with Montenegro in 1874, he had a price set on his head by the Ottomans. The same year saw his appointment to the Montenegrin Senate (from 1879 transformed into a State Council). In the 1876–78 war against the Ottomans, he was one of three commanders that victoriously led Montenegrin forces in the Battle of Fundina. In 1879 the Brda forces under his supreme command were defeated by the Albanian irregulars in the Battle of Novšiće, fought for the territory of Plav and Gusinje. After a fierce disagreement with Prince Nikola in 1882, he had to leave the State Council and decided to retire from public life to his native Medun. Although he was 50 years old, Marko Miljanov, who was illiterate like the most of his countrymen, decided to learn to write. He explained his urge in a foreword to the lost manuscript of his epic songs with the words: "Dear Serb brother, if you had the chance to see the heroes that I have seen, your heart would give you no peace until you have responded to the heroes who die merrily for their own and rights of all of us." He died at

Herceg Novi Herceg Novi ( cyrl, Херцег Нови, ) is a coastal town in Montenegro located at the Western entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of the Herceg Novi Municipality with around 33,000 ...

in 1901.

Works

Marko Miljanov died before any of his works were published. All works were originally published in Serbia, as Marko was a well-known dissident to King Nicholas. *''Examples of Humanity and Bravery'' ( sr, Примјери чојства и јунаштва, Belgrade 1901), his most important work, is a collection of true anecdotes depicting practical examples of achieved ethical ideal Montenegrins of his time strived for. It is a lasting monument to the otherwise unsung heroes of the Montenegrin struggle for independence in the 19th century. The anecdotes describe common and humble people, their language and customs and their deeds that made other Montenegrins and Albanians admire them. Marko's language and phrase is plain and coarse, however, his message is resounding. *''The Kuči Tribe in Folk Stories and Poems'' ( sr, Племе Кучи у народној причи и пјесми, Belgrade 1904), his second published book, is a collection of historical, folkloric and ethnographical (anthropological) data on the Kuči tribe. *''Life and the Customs of Albanians'' ( sr, Живот и обичаји Арбанаса), is a work on the immediate neighboring Albanian Catholic tribes which describes their culture and daily life. Written in 1907 describing the customs of the Albanian malesoris (highlanders). Although he spent a lifetime fighting the Albanians, he was also much fascinated and an admirer. The book was published posthumously. The book describes the culture of Northern Albanian highlanders (the "Malissori"), their customs (including '' besa'', "oath", and vendetta), kinship and hospitality. *''Serbian

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'' ( sr, Српски хајдуци), epic *''Something about the Bratonožići'' ( sr, Нешто о Братоножићима), epic

Ethnicity

Miljanov considered himself a

Serb The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

. Near the end of his life, Miljanov wrote a letter to one of the Kuči clan leaders. In the letter he writes:

Gallery

Meteon city of Montenegro 08.jpg,

, Kuči, the birthplace of Marko Miljanov Popović Grave of Marko Miljanov.jpg, Tomb of Marko Miljanov on the fortress Meteon (Medun) Museum of Marko Miljanov.jpg, Museum of Marko Miljanov 1901 izdanje Primjera čojstva i junaštva M Miljanova.png, 1901 edition of Miljanov's "Examples of Humanity and Bravery" Marko Miljanov - spomenik u Podgorici.jpg, Monument to Marko Miljanov in

Marko Miljanov Popović.JPG, Memorial bust of Marko Miljanov in Belgrade,

Kalemegdan The Kalemegdan Park ( sr, / ), or simply Kalemegdan ( sr-Cyrl, Калемегдан) is the largest park and the most important historical monument in Belgrade. It is located on a cliff, at the junction of the River Sava and the Danube. Kal ...

Serbian soldier Milica Lazović, daughter of Marko Miljanov.jpg, Miljanov's daughter

Milica Milica ( sr-Cyrl, Милица; pronounced 'Millitsa') is a feminine name popular in Balkan countries. It is a diminutive form of the given name Mila, meaning 'kind', 'dear' or 'sweet'. The name was used for a number of queens and princesses, inc ...

, soldier and war heroine in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

References

Bibliography