Karadjordje Petrovic

The founder of Karadjordjevic dinasty, Djordje(George) Petrovic, called Karadjordje, was born in 1752 in the village of Visnjevac. Soon after startin a family, he took part in the Austro-Turkish war 1787-1791, as a member of a Austrian “Freikpors. Durinгthet war he was awarded a gold medal for courage and became a non-commissioned officer.

Upon returning to Serbia, Karadjordje joined Serbs resistance groups to the Ottomman occupation. These popular “Robin Huds“ called “hajduks”. At first he was a member of hajduk bands and later he became a leader of one of these bands of rebels. The establishment of limited autonomy in the Belgrade region, of Turkish occupied Serbia enabled Karadjordje to go back to farming and trade and to settle to his estate Topola in the Serbian district Sumadia.

During that period the Serbian people were reduced to slavery and suffering. The Turkish repression culminated and in the response to these Serbian leaders met at a rally in the town Orasac in 1804. At that meeting they chose Karadjordje Petrovic to lead anuprising againist the Turkish chieftais known as dahije.

Serbian victories under Karadjordje followed one after the other, but after 10 years, the First Serbian Uprising was crushed in bloody repression.

Karadjordjewith his family and many prominent Serbian chieftains left the country, initial for Austria and later for Russia. After attempts to to persuade the Russian tzar to go to the war aganist Turkey failed, Karadjordje made contacts with the Greek organization, whose aim was the allied uprising of the Greeks, Serbs, Bulgarians and the establishment of a great Balkan state. Under orders of the Turkish vizier and rival Serbian chieftain Milos Obrenovic, Karadjordje was assassinated in Radovanjski Lug near the city of Smederevo. His body was later buried in the Mausolem of St. George in Oplenac, buil by King Peter I.