Ottoman Serbs (Turkish: Osmanlı Sırpları) were ethnic Serbs who lived in the Ottoman Empire (1453–1922). Ottoman Serbs, who were Serbian Orthodox Christian, belonged to the Rum Millet (millet-i Rûm, "Roman Nation"). Although a separate Serbian millet (Sırp Milleti) was not officially recognized during Ottoman rule, the Serbian Church was the legally confirmed representative organization of the Serbs in the Ottoman Empire.[1]
The Serbs had taken an active part in the wars fought in the Balkans against the Ottoman Empire, and also organized uprisings.[2] Because of this, they suffered persecution and their territories were devastated.[2] Major migrations from Serbia into Habsburg territory ensued.[2]
In early 1594, the Serbs in Banat rose up against the Ottomans.[3] The rebels had, in the character of a holy war, carried war flags with the icon of Saint Sava.[4] After suppressing the uprising, the Ottomans publicly incinerated the relics of Saint Sava at the Vračar plateau on April 27, 1595.[4] The incineration of Sava's relics provoked the Serbs, and empowered the Serb liberation movement. From 1596, the center of anti-Ottoman activity in Herzegovina was the Tvrdoš Monastery in Trebinje. An uprising broke out in 1596, but the rebels were defeated at the field of Gacko in 1597, and were forced to capitulate due to the lack of foreign support.[5]
After allied Christian forces had captured Buda from the Ottoman Empire in 1686 during the Great Turkish War, Serbs from Pannonian Plain (present-day Hungary, Slavonia region in present-day Croatia, Bačka and Banat regions in present-day Serbia) joined the troops of the Habsburg Monarchy as separate units known as Serbian Militia.[6] Serbs, as volunteers, massively joined the Austrian side.[7] In 1688, the Habsburg army took Belgrade and entered the territory of present-day Central Serbia. Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden called Serbian Patriarch Arsenije III Čarnojević to raise arms against the Turks; the Patriarch accepted and returned to the liberated Peć. As Serbia fell under Habsburg control, Leopold I granted Arsenije nobility and the title of duke. After the ensuing Ottoman victory, a large migration of Serbs to Habsburg lands was undertaken by Patriarch Arsenije III.[8] The large community of Serbs concentrated in Banat, southern Hungary and the Military Frontier included merchants and craftsmen in the cities, but mainly refugees that were peasants.[8] Serbia remained under Ottoman control until the early 19th century, with the eruption of the Serbian Revolution in 1804.
In 1826, an addendum to the Akkerman Convention mentioned the Serb Millet.[12] Since given autonomy in 1830, the Principality of Serbia urged the Ottoman government to recognize the Serb nation outside the principality, in Ottoman territories.
In 1906, the Ottoman government recognized the Serb Millet in Macedonia.[13][14] This decision was made independently from the Serbian government.[13]
After the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans, the Ottoman Empire acquired a significant Serb community. Among notable people in the Ottoman government of fully or partial Serb ancestry were several viziers and sultans (Suleiman II and Osman III).
^Gavrilović, Slavko (2006), "Isaija Đaković"(PDF), Zbornik Matice Srpske za Istoriju (in Serbian), vol. 74, Novi Sad: Matica Srpska, Department of Social Sciences, Proceedings i History, p. 7, archived from the original(PDF) on 16 September 2011, retrieved 21 December 2011
^Janićijević, Jovan (1996), Kulturna riznica Srbije (in Serbian), IDEA, p. 70, ISBN9788675470397, Велики или Бечки рат Аустрије против Турске, у којем су Срби, као добровољци, масовно учествовали на аустријској страни
^Bernard Lewis (11 June 1991). The Political Language of Islam. University of Chicago Press. pp. 132–. ISBN978-0-226-47693-3. As early as 1826, an addendum to the Akkerman Convention signed in that year spoke of the "Serb Millet" (Turkish text in Mecmua-i Muahedat [Istanbul, a.h. 1294-98], vol. 4, p. 69).
^Meram 1977, p. 355, "İkinci Mustafa'nın (Şehsuvar Sultan) takma adlı câriyesi Sırp kızı Mari'den doğan oğlu Üçüncü Osman", İnal & Arşivi 2005, p. 27, "Osman'in annesi Sirp Mari yani §ehsiivar Sultan"
^Milenko M. Vukićević (1906). Znameniti Srbi muslomani. Davidović. p. 104. Кућа Сијерчића води своје поријекло од старе српске властеоске куће Шијернића, како запнси тврде, или од Лучевпћа, како предање каже. Кад је сила османлијска навалила на Босну п Херцеговину, онда се кућа Шијернића храбро бо- рила протпв снле османлијске, борила се бранећи јуначкн своје огњиште и свој народ, свој језнк и своју слободу. Алп ко ће силн ...
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