Kara-Marko Vasić
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Marko Vasić ( sr-cyr, Марко Васић), known as Kara-Marko () was a
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 ...
ary


Life and career

Vasić was born into a large ''
zadruga A zadruga (, ) refers to a type of rural community historically common among South Slavs. The term has been used by the Communist Party of Yugoslavia to designate their attempt at collective farming after World War II. History Originally, gener ...
'' (patriarchal extended family) in the Gručići hamlet in the village of Crvica, in the
Osat Osat ( sr-cyr, Осат) is a region in central Podrinje (left of the Drina), in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated between the towns of Višegrad and Srebrenica, and includes parts of the municipalities of Bratunac and Srebrenica. It is pa ...
region. He was a blacksmith by trade. As one of the strongest and bravest in Osat, he was chosen to lead the Serb villagers in the region against
Janissary 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 dur ...
attacks. With the outbreak of the
First Serbian Uprising The First Serbian Uprising (; sr-Cyrl, Први српски устанак; ) was an uprising of Serbs in Orašac (Aranđelovac), Orašac against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 1804 to 7 October 1813. The uprising began as a local revolt ...
(1804),
archimandrite The title archimandrite (; ), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot ('' hegumenos'', , present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") whom a bishop appointed to supervise several "ordinary" abbots and monaste ...
and rebel leader Hadži Melentije Stevanović called on him and his fellows to support the rebels against the
Dahije The Dahije ( sr-cyr, Дахије) or Dahijas were the renegade Janissary officers of the Ottoman sultan who took power in the Sanjak of Smederevo, after murdering the Ottoman Vizier Hadži Mustafa Pasha of Belgrade on 15 December 1801. The four ...
in the first fights on the
Drina The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long river in the Balkans, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Al ...
. He led rebels alongside Hadži Melentije,
Mateja Nenadović Mateja () is a given name, variant of the Greek given name ''Mathias'' ( Matthew). In Serbian, it's a masculine name, while in Croatian and Slovene, it's a feminine name. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Mateja Andrlić (born 199 ...
and
Jakov Nenadović Jakov Nenadović ( sr-cyr, Јаков Ненадовић; 1765–1836) was a Serbian voivode and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Serbia, prime minister of Serbia from 31 December 1810 to 22 January 1811. He was the first Serbian in ...
. After his heroic deeds had been heard, supreme commander
Karađorđe Đorđe Petrović (; ;  – ), known by the sobriquet Karađorđe (; ), was a Serbian revolutionary leader who led a struggle against the Ottoman Empire during the First Serbian Uprising. He held the title of Grand Vožd of Serbia from 14 ...
summoned him and gave him the nickname "Kara-Marko". Karađorđe lent Kara-Marko an army and ''vojvoda'' (general) Lazar Mutap to liberate Osat and
Srebrenica Srebrenica ( sr-cyrl, Сребреница, ) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a small mountain town, with its main industry being salt mining and a nearby spa. During the Bosnian War in 1995, Srebr ...
from the Ottomans. Kara-Marko and Mutap liberated most of
Osat Osat ( sr-cyr, Осат) is a region in central Podrinje (left of the Drina), in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated between the towns of Višegrad and Srebrenica, and includes parts of the municipalities of Bratunac and Srebrenica. It is pa ...
until the Ottoman Army attacked and the rebels retreated across the Drina. His wife was killed during the retreat. After the Pećani Assembly (17 April 1805), Kara-Marko participated in the liberation of
Užice Užice ( sr-cyr, Ужице, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative centre of the Zlatibor District in western Serbia. It is located on the banks of the river Đetinja. According to the 2022 census, the city proper has a popu ...
. In 1806 he returned to
Podrinje Podrinje ( sr-Cyrl, Подриње) is the Slavic name of the Drina river basin, known in English as the Drina Valley. The Drina basin is shared between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, with majority of its territory being located in Eastern ...
with Hadži-Melentije with whom he led fights against the Turks on the Sikirić ferry on the Drina. With Hadži-Melentije, Milan Obrenović, Mateja Nenadović and Sima Birčanin he led the Serb rebel army against the Turks on ''Lučindan'' 1808 in Oklenac, Vranjkovina in Osat, and Pribićevac near Srebrenica. In this
skirmish Skirmishers are light infantry or light cavalry soldiers deployed as a vanguard, flank guard or rearguard to Screening (tactical), screen a tactical position or a larger body of friendly troops from enemy advances. They may be deployed in a sk ...
he led the army in an assault from
Skelani Skelani (Serbian Cyrillic: Скелани) is a village in the municipality of Srebrenica, in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Location Altitude: 242 m According to the 1991 census the population of the town was 1123 - 95 ...
to Srebrenica and
Osmače Osmače () is a village in the municipality of Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Penin ...
, then a battle was fought in Pribićevac.
Luka Lazarević Luka Lazarević ( sr-cyr, Лука Лазаревић; 1774–1852), known as Pop-Luka (), was a Serbian Orthodox priest and ''vojvoda'' (commander) that participated in the First Serbian Uprising (1804–13) of the Serbian Revolution against the ...
mentioned him in his memoirs, regarding fights in Osat and Srebrenica in 1809: "Karamarko expels the Turks, and rises the rthodoxChristians against them". After Hadži-Melentije left for the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
in 1810, Karađorđe appointed Kara-Marko the vojvoda of the Sokol ''
nahija A nāḥiyah ( , plural ''nawāḥī'' ), also nahiyeh, nahiya or nahia, is a regional or local type of administrative division that usually consists of a number of villages or sometimes smaller towns. In Tajikistan, it is a second-level divisi ...
'' (district) and a military senior (''starešina'') in Rača. At this time, his clerk was Nićifor Ninković, and his ''buljubaše'' (captains) were Petar and Janko. After an intrigue, Karađorđe had him removed on 7 April 1813, after which he was for a short period with Mateja Nenadović in
Valjevo Valjevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Ваљево, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Kolubara District in western Serbia. According to the 2022 census, the city itself has a population of 56,145 while the city admini ...
. In May 1813 he gathered an army and crossed into Osat to defend it from the Ottomans. He was one of few that did not flee to the
Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...
after the suppression of the uprising. He settled a village near
Topola Topola ( sr-Cyrl, Топола, ) is a town and municipality located in the Šumadija District of central Serbia. It was the place where Karađorđe, a Serbian revolutionary, was chosen as the leader of the First Serbian Uprising against the Otto ...
and became a ''
hajduk A hajduk (, plural of ) is a type of Irregular military, irregular infantry found in Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and parts of Southeast Europe from the late 16th to mid 19th centuries, especially from Hajdú–Bihar Count ...
'' (
brigand Brigandage is the life and practice of highway robbery and plunder. It is practiced by a brigand, a person who is typically part of a gang and lives by pillage and robbery.Oxford English Dictionary second edition, 1989. "Brigand.2" first record ...
). Due to his loyalty to Karađorđe, the new Serbian leader
Miloš Obrenović Miloš Obrenović (; ; 18 March 1780 or 1783 – 26 September 1860) born Miloš Teodorović (; ), also known as Miloš the Great () was the Prince of Serbia twice, from 1815 to 1839, and from 1858 to 1860. He was an eminent figure of the Firs ...
ordered his murder and had his severed head given to the Vizier of Belgrade. The rest of his body were brought by his descendants to the church in Grabovac near Valjevo to be buried in the ''porta'' in 1845.


See also

* Luka Milovanov Georgijević (1784–1828) *
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

* * * * * * {{Serbian revolutionaries People of the Serbian Revol ...


References

Notes Sources * } * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vasic, Kara Marko 18th-century births 1815 deaths 19th-century Serbian people Serbs from the Ottoman Empire Serbian revolutionaries People of the First Serbian Uprising Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Serbian people of Bosnia and Herzegovina descent People from Srebrenica Hajduks Decapitation Serbian blacksmiths Assassinations in the Ottoman Empire People murdered in 1815 People assassinated in the 19th century