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 A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air co ...

. He was given the title of ''veliki vojvoda'' (Grand Duke) of Grahovo, and is thus also known as Vojvoda Mirko (Duke Mirko). He was the father of

Nikola Nikola () is a given name which, like Nicholas, is a version of the Greek '' Nikolaos'' (Νικόλαος) and it means "the winner of the people". It is common as a masculine given name in the South Slavic countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bul ...

, the future ruler of Montenegro.

Life

Mirko was born on 19 August 1820, in Njeguši, the son of Stanko Petrović-Njegoš and wife Krstinja Vrbica. He was the older brother of Prince Danilo I, while his uncle was

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

. He is famous for winning the

Battle of Grahovac The Battle of Grahovac took place in the eponymous village of Grahovac from 11 to 13 May 1858, when the Montenegrin Grand Duke Mirko Petrović-Njegoš led the army of Principality of Montenegro against the Ottomans, ending in a decisive Monten ...

on 1 May 1858, leading the Montenegrin army against the

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

. During this time he led a campaign against the Kuči tribe where 243 people were massacred, the majority old men, women and children. However, historians do not agree on the number of victims and some point out that the atrocity might have been exaggerated by chieftain

Marko Miljanov 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 Montene ...

. Members of the Kuči had refused to obey orders from the Petrović dynasty. In 1862, after the Convention of Scutari, he was deported because he had fought against the Ottomans. His epic corpus ''Junački spomenik'' (''Heroic Monument''), published in the Montenegrin capital of

Cetinje Cetinje ( cnr-Cyrl, Цетиње, ) is a List of cities and towns in Montenegro, town in Montenegro. It is the former royal capital ( cnr-Latn-Cyrl, prijestonica, приjестоница, separator=" / ") of Montenegro and is the location of sev ...

in 1864, glorifies Montenegro and Montenegrins, and tells of the great victories over the Ottoman Empire. He was married in Njeguši on to Anastasia Martinović ( Bajice, –

, ), daughter of Vojevoda Drago Martinović and wife Stana Martinović.Burke's Royal Families of the World; Europe and Latin-America They had three children: *

( – March 1, 1921) * Princess Anastasia (d. March 29, 1879), married to Savo Plamenac * Princess Maria, married to Capt. Y. Gopcević. In February 1857, vojvoda Mirko Petrović-Njegoš replaced his cousin Đorđije Petrović-Njegoš as the President of the Governing Senate of Montenegro and the Highlands, he served during the reign of his brother prince Danilo I and later during the reign of his son prince

Nicholas Nicholas is a male name, the Anglophone version of an ancient Greek name in use since antiquity, and cognate with the modern Greek , . It originally derived from a combination of two Ancient Greek, Greek words meaning 'victory' and 'people'. In ...

. He held the position of president until his death in August 1867.

Legacy

He is a controversial figure in Montenegro, where he is seen as a symbol of "Montenegrin identity, pride and statehood" by many, while others hold him responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians. A monument in his honor was erected in 1862 in

Podgorica Podgorica ( cnr-Cyrl, Подгорица; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Montenegro, largest city of Montenegro. The city is just north of Lake Skadar and close to coastal destinations on the Adriatic Sea. Histor ...

by his son, King Nikola, but demolished in 1919 after the dethronement of the Petrović dynasty. In 2017, a new monument was erected in the city, which was met with protest by ethnic Serbs, particularly those whose origins are traced back to the Kuči.

Work

His writings include this book of poetry owned by the Library of Congress in Washington, DC: * ''Junački spomenik'' (1951; 185 pages) LCCN: 55037918 Call number: PG1418.P53 J8

References

External links

Junački spomenik
*
"Ko je bio vojvoda Mirko: Veliki ratni pobjednik i spasilac moštiju sv. Vasilija Ostroškog" (text in montenegrin language)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Petrovic-Njegos, Mirko 1820 births 1867 deaths People from the Principality of Montenegro Montenegrin soldiers Montenegrin poets Montenegrin male writers Montenegrin composers Military personnel from Cetinje Petrović-Njegoš dynasty 19th-century poets Prime ministers of Montenegro Speakers of the Parliament of Montenegro Politicians from Cetinje Writers from Cetinje

Life

Legacy

Work

See also

References

External links