Janko Gagić ( sr-Cyrl, Јанко Гагић; died 4 February 1804) was a Serbian hajduk leader (''buljubaša'') He was killed during the '' Slaughter of the Knezes'', the incident that sparked the

Serbian Revolution The Serbian Revolution ( / ') was a national uprising and constitutional change in Serbia that took place between 1804 and 1835, during which this territory evolved from an Sanjak of Smederevo, Ottoman province into a Revolutionary Serbia, reb ...

, ultimately leading to

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

's liberation from the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. Gagić was born in village of Ribnica in the Ribarska Banja region near

Kruševac Kruševac ( sr-Cyrl, Крушевац, ) is a list of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Rasina District in central Serbia. It is located in the valley of West Morava, on Rasina (river), Rasina river. According to the 202 ...

. After several Turks abducted his sister Teodora, Janko, a young and courageous man, with several comrades chased them down and killed them. As it was unsafe for him to remain in his home region, he moved to the village of

Boleč Boleč ( sr-cyr, Болеч) is a suburban settlement of Belgrade, Serbia. It is located in the municipality of Grocka. Location Boleč is located 17 km east of the Belgrade, near the road of ''Smederevski put'' which connects Belgrade ...

between

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

and

Grocka Grocka ( sr-cyr, Гроцка, ) or Grocka na Dunavu ( sr-cyr, Гроцка на Дунаву, ) is a Subdivisions of Belgrade, municipality of the city of Belgrade. According to the 2022 census results, the municipality has 82,810 inhabitants. L ...

. He joined the Serbian Free Corps and participated in the Austro-Turkish War and Koča's frontier rebellion, where he gained military experience. Known for his bravery, he was chosen to be a ''knez'' (village chieftain) in Boleč during the Habsburg occupation of Serbia. After the war and return of Ottoman rule, the

Janissaries A janissary (, , ) was a member of the elite infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops. They were the first modern standing army, and perhaps the first infantry force in the world to be equipped with firearms, adopted du ...

began to empower themselves. In 1801, the Janissary leaders, known as '' Dahije'', took over the

Sanjak of Smederevo The Sanjak of Smederevo (, ), also known in historiography as the Pashalik of Belgrade (, ), was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman administrative unit (sanjak) centered on Smederevo, that existed between the 15th and the outset of the 19th centuries. It ...

in defiance of the

Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

. Janko had by then become an influential freedom-fighter. Janko was unreluctant in attacking Dahije but controlled a road to

Smederevo Smederevo ( sr-Cyrl, Смедерево, ) is a list of cities in Serbia, 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, ...

near Boleč along with his comrades. When the Dahije started to fear that the Sultan would make use of the Serbs to oust them, they decided to execute all notable Serbs to forestall this. As a notable hajduk commander, Janko was subject of fear among Turks, which is why he was targeted; the Turks abducted his son, forcing Janko to surrender. He was decapitated. His death was described in the Serbian epic folk poem ''Otac'' ("The Father"). Today, one of the major streets, and a public fountain in Boleč, are named after him. In February 2014, exactly 210 years after his assassination, his remains were moved into a Boleč churchyard tomb.

References

External links

Lyrics of a folk song Seča (Slaughter)
at rajko-maksimovic.net {{DEFAULTSORT:Gagic, Janko 1804 deaths People murdered in 1804 Serbian soldiers People murdered in Serbia People of the First Serbian Uprising Executed Serbian people People executed by the Ottoman Empire by decapitation Year of birth missing Murder victims from the Ottoman Empire Serbian murder victims Serbs from the Ottoman Empire People from Kruševac 18th-century Freikorps