Principality of Serbia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Principality of Serbia Княжество Сербіа Књажество Србија
1815–1882
Flag (1835–1882) Coat of arms (1835–1882)
Anthem: Востани Сербије Vostani Serbije (English: "Arise, Serbia")
The Principality of Serbia in 1878
Capital	Belgrade (1841–1882) Kragujevac (1818–1841) Gornja Crnuća (1815–1818)
Common languages	Serbian
Religion	Serbian Orthodoxy (official)
Demonym(s)	Serbian, Serb
Government	Absolute monarchy (1815–1838) Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1838–1882)
Prince (Knez)
• 1817–1839 (first)	Miloš Obrenović I
• 1868–1882 (last)	Milan Obrenović IV
Prime Minister
• 1815–1816 (first)	Petar Nikolajević
• 1880–1882 (last)	Milan Piroćanac
Legislature	None (rule by decree) (1815–1838) National Assembly (1838–1882)
History
• Recognition by the Sublime Porte	1815
• Statehood Day	15 February 1835
• de facto independence	1867
• de jure internationally recognized	13 July 1878
• Proclaimed Kingdom	1882
Area
1815	24,440 km2 (9,440 sq mi)
1834	37,511 km2 (14,483 sq mi)
Population
• 1815	322,500–342,000
• 1834	702,000
• 1874	1,353,000
ISO 3166 code	RS
Preceded by Succeeded by Sanjak of Smederevo Revolutionary Serbia Kingdom of Serbia
Today part of	Serbia

The Principality of Serbia (Serbian: Књажество Србија, romanized: Knjažestvo Srbija) was a state in the Balkans. It became a separate area after the Serbian Revolution, which happened between 1804 and 1817. This new state was first agreed upon by Miloš Obrenović, a leader of the Second Serbian Uprising, and an Ottoman official.

Later, the Ottoman Empire issued official documents in 1828, 1829, and 1830 that recognized Serbia's special status. Serbia became truly independent in 1867. This happened when the last Ottoman soldiers left the Belgrade Fortress. Other countries officially recognized Serbia's independence in 1878 with the Treaty of Berlin. In 1882, the Principality of Serbia became the Kingdom of Serbia.

How Serbia Became a Principality

Serbian leaders like Karađorđe and Miloš Obrenović worked hard to free Serbia from many years of Turkish rule. In 1830, the Turkish authorities officially recognized Serbia as a state. Miloš Obrenović became its first hereditary prince, known as knjaz.

Serbia was still officially part of the Ottoman Empire. However, it had its own government. The Ottoman army was still present in Serbia, and Serbia had to pay a yearly tribute to Istanbul. This payment was about 10% of the country's budget.

Growing Borders and Independence

At first, the Principality of Serbia was a smaller area. But between 1831 and 1833, it grew larger, adding land to the east, south, and west.

In 1866, Serbia started to form alliances with other Balkan countries. This led to the First Balkan Alliance. On April 18, 1867, the Ottoman government ordered its soldiers to leave the Belgrade fortress. This was a big step for Serbia. The only condition was that the Ottoman flag would still fly over the fortress alongside the Serbian one. This event marked Serbia's de facto (in practice) independence.

A new constitution in 1869 officially called Serbia an independent state. Serbia gained even more land in the southeast in 1878. This was when its full independence from the Ottoman Empire was recognized by other countries at the Treaty of Berlin. The Principality of Serbia lasted until 1882, when it became the Kingdom of Serbia.

Important Laws and Agreements

Key Constitutions

Serbia had several important constitutions during this period:

• The Sretenje Constitution of 1835.
• The 1838 Constitution of Serbia, which was in effect from 1838 to 1869.
• The 1869 Constitution of Serbia, which was in effect from 1869 to 1888.

Agreements for Autonomy

Several agreements helped Serbia gain more freedom:

• The Akkerman Convention (October 7, 1826): This agreement between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire included rules for Serbia. It gave Serbia more self-rule and returned some lands. Serbs also gained freedom to travel through the Ottoman Empire.
• The 1829 hatt-i sharif.
• The 1830 hatt-i sharif.
• The 1833 hatt-i sharif.

How Serbia Was Organized

The Principality was divided into seventeen main areas called Okrugs. Each Okrug was then split into smaller parts called Sres, depending on their size. In total, the Principality had sixty-six Sres.

Serbia's Military Forces

The Principality of Serbia had its own armed forces. They were created in 1830. These forces became a standing army, ready to fight. They took part in the First and Second Serbo-Turkish Wars of 1876-1878. These wars were the first major conflicts in Serbia's modern history. After these wars, Serbia gained its full independence. The Principality's army was later replaced by the Royal Serbian Army.

Population Changes

In the early years of the Principality, about 85% of the people were Serbs. The other 15% were non-Serbs, mostly Vlachs (Romanians) and some Muslim Albanians. The new Serbian state wanted its population to be more unified.

Over time, the population changed. Many people who were not Serbs moved out of the Principality. For example, from 1830 to the 1870s, a large number of Albanians left the areas that became part of Serbia. In 1862, more than 10,000 Muslims moved to Ottoman Bulgaria and Ottoman Bosnia. During the Serbian–Ottoman Wars of 1876–1878, many Muslims also left the Sanjak of Niš region.

Rulers of the Principality

The Principality of Serbia was mostly ruled by the Obrenović family. However, there was one period when Prince Aleksandar from the Karađorđević family was in charge. Princes Miloš and Mihailo Obrenović each ruled 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	Son of Miloš Obrenović I
	Mihailo Obrenović III	September 16, 1823	June 10, 1868	July 8, 1839	September 14, 1842	Son of Miloš Obrenović I
	Aleksandar Karađorđević	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

Images for kids

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  The Principality of Serbia in 1817

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  The Principality of Serbia in 1833

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  The Principality of Serbia from 1833 to 1878

See also

• History of Serbia
• List of orders, decorations, and medals of the Principality of Serbia