Principality of Serbia

For other uses, see Principality of Serbia (medieval).

Principality of Serbia
Кнежевина Србија Kneževina Srbija
1815–1882
Flag Coat of arms
Principality of Serbia in 1878
Capital		Kragujevaca Belgrade
Government		Principality
Prince
•	1817–39	Miloš Obrenović I (first)
•	1868–82	Milan Obrenović IV (last)
Prime Minister
•	1815–1816	Petar Nikolajević Moler (first)
•	1880–1882	Milan Piroćanac (last)
History
•	Recognized by Porte	1815
•	Statehood Day	February 15, 1835c
•	Recognized	July 13, 1878d
•	Proclaimed Kingdom	1882
Preceded by Pashaluk of Belgrade
a: Moved to Belgrade in 1838. b: de jure in the 1830 Hatt-i Sharif. c: Outbreak of Serbian Revolution, First Constitution adopted. d: De facto independent since 1867, de jure by the Treaty of Berlin.

The Principality of Serbia (Serbian: Кнежевина Србија / Kneževina Srbija) was a semi-independent state in the Balkans that came into existence as a result of the Serbian Revolution which lasted between 1804 and 1817. Its creation was negotiated first through an unwritten agreement between Miloš Obrenović, leader of the Second Serbian Uprising and Ottoman official Marashli Pasha. It was followed by the series of legal documents published by the Porte in 1828, 1829 and finally, 1830 — the Hatt-i Sharif.

History

Main article: History of Serbia (1804–1918)

Despite oppression by the Ottoman authorities, the Serbian revolutionary leaders — first Karađorđe and then Miloš Obrenović — succeeded in their goal of liberating Serbia from the centuries-long Turkish rule. Turkish authorities acknowledged the state in 1830 by the charter known as the Hatt-i Sharif, and Miloš Obrenović became a hereditary prince (knjaz) of the Serbian Principality.

At first, the principality included only the territory of the former Pashaluk of Belgrade, but in 1831–33 it expanded to the east, south, and west. On 18 April 1867 the Ottoman government ordered the Ottoman garrison which had been since 1826 the last representation of Ottoman suzerainty in Serbia withdrawn from the Belgrade fortress. The only stipulation was that the Ottoman flag continue to fly over the fortress alongside the Serbian one. Serbia's de facto independence dates from this event. A new Constitution in 1869 defined Serbia as an independent state. Serbia was further expanded to the south-east in 1878, when its independence from the Ottoman Empire won full international recognition at the Treaty of Berlin. The Principality would last until 1882 when it was raised to the level of the Kingdom of Serbia.

Rulers

The Principality was ruled by the Obrenović dynasty, except for a period under Prince Aleksandar of the Karađorđević dynasty. Princes Miloš and Mihailo Obrenović each reigned twice.

Portrait	Name	Birth	Death	From	Until	Notes
	Miloš Obrenović I	March 17, 1780	September 26, 1860	November 6, 1817	June 25, 1839
	Milan Obrenović II	October 21, 1819	July 8, 1839	June 25, 1839	July 8, 1839
	Mihailo Obrenović III	September 16, 1823	June 10, 1868	July 8, 1839	September 14, 1842
	Aleksandar Karadjordjevic	October 11. 1806	May 3. 1885	September 14, 1842	December 23, 1858
	Miloš Obrenović I	March 17, 1780	September 1860	December 23, 1858	September 26, 1860
	Mihailo Obrenović III	September 16, 1823	June 10, 1868	September 26, 1860	June 10, 1868
	Milan Obrenović IV	August 22, 1854	February 11, 1901	June 10, 1868	March 6, 1882

Gallery

• 

  Principality of Serbia in 1817

• 

  Principality of Serbia in 1833

• 

  Principality of Serbia from 1833-1878

See also

• History of Serbia
• Kingdom of Serbia

External links

• Principality of Serbia in 1833
• Principality of Serbia in 1878
• Balkan Peninsula in 1878
• Map
• Map