Miloš Obrenović I, Prince of Serbia

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Prince Miloš Obrenović I
Prince of Serbia
Reign	November 6, 1817 – June 25, 1839 and December 23, 1858 - September 26, 1860
Born	March 18, 1780
Birthplace	Dobrinja near Požega
Died	September 26, 1860
Place of death	Belgrade
Predecessor	First Serbian Uprising Karađorđe Petrović New Principality Alexander (Karađorđević)
Successor	Milan II (Obrenović) Mihailo III (Obrenović)
Consort	Ljubica Vukomanović
Issue	Princess Petrija, Princess Savka, Prince Gabriel, Princess Marija, Prince Todor, Prince Milan, Prince Mihailo
Royal House	House of Obrenović
Father	Todor Mihailović
Mother	Višnja Martinović

Miloš Obrenović (Serbian Cyrillic: Милош Обреновић; Anglicised: Milosh Obrenovich; also known as: Miloš Teodorović) (18 March 1780 - 26 September 1860) was Prince of Serbia between 1815 and 1839, and again from 1858 to 1860.

He participated in the First Serbian Uprising, led Serbs in the Second Serbian Uprising and he founded the House of Obrenović. During his rule, he was the richest man in Serbia and one of the richest in the Balkans. Prince Miloš ruled autocratically and permanently refused to share power.

Under his rule, Serbia became an autonomous dukedom within the Ottoman Empire. He is credited with starting the process of the re-establishment of the Serbian state and its domestic and foreign policies.

[edit] Early Life

Miloš Obrenović was born in the village of Dobrinja near Požega in the Užice District to a rather poor family that had immigrated from Montenegro. His father, Teodor Mihailović, was a poor peasant. In 1810, following his half-brother Milan's death, Miloš derived the name Obrenović from the first name of his stepfather Obren Martinović (Milan's father). His mother Višnja Gojković had three children by her first husband - sons Jakov and Milan, and daughter Stana, and three more by her second husband - sons Miloš, Jevrem and Jovan.

As a youth, Miloš was a servant in the family of an affluent Zlatiborian cattle trader Akso Ječmenica. He took part in the First Serbian Uprising together with his half-brother Milan, who was then elected as the commander (duke) of the Rudnik district.

[edit] Uprisings

He participated in the First Serbian Uprising to its very end in 1813. He was one of the few leaders of the rebellion that stayed in Serbia to face the vengeful returning Turks. Accordingly, in April 1815 he instigated the Second Serbian Uprising becoming Serbia's absolute leader.

After the death of Karađorđe Petrović, Obrenović became leader of Serbia. By 1817 the Turks defeated Miloš's armies but not before he negotiated with Marashli-pasha. Miloš's diplomacy achieved Serbia's autonomy under the Ottomans leaving him in power though recognizing the Ottoman state. Serb citizens often rebelled against Miloš's autocratic rule. Following a rebellion of Serb citizens against his autocratic and often brutal methods of rule, Miloš adopted a Constitution in 1835. This caused negative reactions from neighbouring Austria, the ruling Ottoman Empire and Russia. Metternich's Austria particularly ridiculed the constitution for giving Serbia a flag and a ministry of foreign affairs. Miloš withdrew the constitution at the demand of Russia and Turkey. It is believed that the three great empires saw the constitution as too much of a provocation for their own autocratic rule.

In two Sultan's Hatt-i Sharifs, first in 1830 and a second in 1833 which expanded the same rights to a wider area, Serbia was proclaimed a suzerain principality with Miloš Obrenović as hereditary prince. A Metropolitante of Serbia was established in Belgrade, autonomous from the Patriarch of Constantinople. Russia's status as the guarantor of Serbia's autonomy was also recognized.

[edit] Later life

Milo abdicated in 1839 in favor of his sons – Milan, who died a few weeks later, and Mihailo, who then became prince. Mihailo was deposed in 1842, and the family was out of power until 1858, when it returned with Milo restored as prince for the last two years of his life.

[edit] References

Miloš Obrenović information (Serbian)