Begaljica ( sr-cyr, Бегаљица ()) is a rural settlement in the

Grocka Grocka ( sr-cyr, Гроцка, ) or Grocka na Dunavu ( sr-cyr, Гроцка на Дунаву, ) is a Subdivisions of Belgrade, municipality of the city of Belgrade. According to the 2022 census results, the municipality has 82,810 inhabitants. L ...

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

of eastern

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

. It is one of 15 settlements of Grocka, situated in its centre, with a population of 8,233 according to the 2011 preliminary census. The village is located at the water source of the Begaljica river, a tributary of the

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

, thus in the southern half of

Podunavlje Podunavlje is the name of the Danube river basin parts located in Croatia (Slavonia, Syrmia, and Baranya) and Serbia (Vojvodina, Belgrade and Eastern Serbia). Podunavlje is located on the southern edge of Pannonian Basin. In its wider meaning, ...

, as well as in the fertile

Šumadija Šumadija ( sr-Cyrl, Шумадија, ) is a geographical region in the central part of Serbia. The area used to be heavily covered with forests, hence the name (from ''šuma'' 'forest'). The city of Kragujevac is the administrative center of t ...

region of central Serbia. Begaljica was first mentioned in 1528, seven years after the

Ottoman conquest of Serbia Ottoman Serbia refers to the Ottoman period in the history of Serbia. Various regions of medieval Serbia came under Ottoman rule already at the end of the 14th century, while the Serbian Despotate fell in 1459. Northern regions of what is now t ...

, as having 5 families, and the Rajinovac monastery on the hill above the village. As the region was located on the Ottoman-Habsburg war frontier, villages were constantly destroyed and deserted. In fact, the village of Begaljica (literally "fleeing town") derived its name from these events. In 1804, a notable ''knez'' from the village, Stevan Andrejević Palalija, was executed alongside some 70 nobles by the

janissaries A janissary (, , ) was a member of the elite infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops. They were the first modern standing army, and perhaps the first infantry force in the world to be equipped with firearms, adopted du ...

. This event sparked the

First Serbian Uprising The First Serbian Uprising (; sr-Cyrl, Први српски устанак; ) was an uprising of Serbs in Orašac (Aranđelovac), Orašac against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 1804 to 7 October 1813. The uprising began as a local revolt ...

. In 1902, an anthropogeographical study registered some 200 houses and 17 clans as living in Begaljica. The village is based on agriculture, namely

fruits In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

and

viticulture Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine ...

, with 38,6% of the population being agrarian in 1991.

Etymology

The name Begaljica is derived from the Serbian word ' (), meaning "fleeing". According to locals, it is derived from the fact that the Ottomans constantly attacked and seized the village, forcing the population to flee. When the Ottomans left, villagers would return. This is how the village received its name. In Turkish sources Begaljica was known as ''Begaljevo'', and the current form of the name may be a crossing with the name ''Bugarica'', which the village also was known as in Ottoman times. Under Austrian administration (1718–1739) it was known as ''Bigaliza''.

Geography

Begaljica is located in the central part of Grocka, in the geographical regions of

(Danube river basin), and

(central Serbia). It lies 107–270 m above sea level, on the water source sides of the Begaljica river, a right tributary of the Danube. Begaljica lies on both sides of the asphalt road towards Grocka, some 5 km southwest from the seat at Grocka. The cadastral area (') includes 3.171 hectares. Begaljica connects four physiographic "regions" – Nenadović, Brđani, Velemir and Manastir, and Cigan-mala. The Begaljica Hill (Begaljičko brdo) is located west of Begaljica, with one of the steepest sections of the Belgrade-

Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names of European cities in different languages (M–P)#N, names in other languages), less often spelled in English as Nish, is the list of cities in Serbia, third largest city in Serbia and the administrative cente ...

highway.

1903

The village is located at the water source of the Begaljica river.Srpski etnografski zbornik 1903, pp. 1023–1024 The houses are located in the valley sides and flat areas nearer the river, while a large part is located on the hill as well. The highest elevations are at Gornji Kraj and Brđani. The ' (cadastral area) is large, while half of it is located in Šumadija, south of the Belgrade boundaries. The village is of the scattered type (), divided into the following parts: Gornji Kraj, Brđani, Topciski Kraj, Tašin Kraj, Prnjavor, Nestorovića, Radosavljevića, and Palalića Kraj. The central part is not divided into parts. Prnjavor (also known as Šatorište) is located by the Rajinovica Monastery. There is a total of 200 houses, and they are located equally distanced from each other in all parts. In the locality of Karaula, there is a ' (deserted village). The locals said that Begaljica was once deserted, and empty for 70 years. Later, when the village was re-populated, the settlement (seat) was firstly in Milošev Potok (located in the north of the village), and then it was moved to Karaula (towards the Vrčin village), and from there in times of fleeing, the population then moved to the present settlement seat, while Karaula remained a '.

History

Prehistory and Roman era

The

Vinča-Belo Brdo Vinča-Belo Brdo () is an archaeological site in Vinča, a suburb of Belgrade, Serbia. The Tell (archaeology), tell of Belo Brdo ('White Hill') is almost entirely made up of the remains of human settlement, and was occupied several times from th ...

archaeological site is located nearby in

Vinča Vinča ( sr-cyr, Винча, ) is a List of Belgrade neighborhoods, suburban settlement of Belgrade, Serbia. It is part of the municipality of Grocka. Vinča-Belo Brdo, an important archaeological site that gives its name to the Neolithic Vinča c ...

, and dates to 5700 BCE; the

Starčevo culture The Starčevo culture is an archaeological culture of Southeastern Europe, dating to the Neolithic period between ''c.'' 6200 and 4500 BCE.Istorijski atlas, Intersistem Kartografija, Beograd, 2010, page 11. It originates in the spread of the Ne ...

and

Vinča culture The Vinča culture , also known as Turdaș culture, Turdaș–Vinča culture or Vinča-Turdaș culture, is a Neolithic archaeological culture of Southeast Europe, dated to the period 5400–4500 BC. It is named for its type site, Vinča-Belo B ...

covered most of the Balkans. Archaeological findings dating to the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

and

Roman period The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

has been found in the cadastral area. A complex of Roman sites in and around Grocka have been identified with ''AD SEXTUM MILIAREM''. A 3rd century AD marble statue from the Severan era was discovered in Begaljica (se
Belgrade City Museum link
. Other findings include Roman silver coins of

Trajan Trajan ( ; born Marcus Ulpius Traianus, 18 September 53) was a Roman emperor from AD 98 to 117, remembered as the second of the Five Good Emperors of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. He was a philanthropic ruler and a successful soldier ...

and

Philip the Arab Philip I (; – September 249), commonly known as Philip the Arab, was Roman emperor from 244 to 249. After the death of Gordian III in February 244, Philip, who had been Praetorian prefect, rose to power. He quickly negotiated peace with the S ...

Modern history

After the fall of Belgrade on August 28, 1521, the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

under Sultan Suleiman occupied Belgrade and its surroundings. Central Serbia was incorporated into the

Sanjak of Smederevo The Sanjak of Smederevo (, ), also known in historiography as the Pashalik of Belgrade (, ), was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman administrative unit (sanjak) centered on Smederevo, that existed between the 15th and the outset of the 19th centuries. It ...

, then part of the

Budin Eyalet Budin Eyalet (also known as Province of Budin/Buda or Pashalik of Budin/Buda, ) was an administrative territorial entity of the Ottoman Empire in Central Europe and the Balkans. It was formed on the territories that Ottoman Empire conquered fro ...

. Begaljica (as Begaljevo) is first mentioned in an Ottoman defter dating to 1528, which registered a village with 5 households (families) and the Monastery of St. Rajko (Rajinovac) on the hill above the village. The 1530 defter registered 14 households. The 1536 defter registered 17 households, and apart from Rajinovac also the Monastery of St. Todor. The 1560 defter registered Rajinovac and a Monastery of St. Peter. Nothing is known about the monastery in the vicinity of Begaljica. Belgrade and its surroundings were under constant threat due to the

Ottoman–Habsburg wars The Ottoman–Habsburg wars were fought from the 16th to the 18th centuries between the Ottoman Empire and the Habsburg monarchy, which was at times supported by the Kingdom of Hungary, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Holy Roman Empire, The ...

. In 1688, during the

Great Turkish War The Great Turkish War () or The Last Crusade, also called in Ottoman sources The Disaster Years (), was a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League (1684), Holy League consisting of the Holy Roman Empire, Polish–Lith ...

, the

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

troops took control over most of present-day Serbia after numerous battles and successfully besieging Belgrade, with the massive help of Serbs, but when the King redirected all forces to the

Nine Years' War The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between Kingdom of France, France and the Grand Alliance (League of Augsburg), Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial poss ...

, the Ottomans closed in and took the city in 1690, ending the Habsburg conquests.McKay & Scott. ''The Rise of the Great Powers 1648–1815,'' p.75 Fear of Ottoman retaliation started the

Great Serb Migrations The Great Migrations of the Serbs (), also known as the Great Exoduses of the Serbs, were two migrations of Serbs from various territories under the rule of the Ottoman Empire to the Kingdom of Hungary under the Habsburg monarchy. The First ...

from south of the Danube deeper into Habsburg territory. In 1717 the Austrians took the city again, and Belgrade and its surroundings became the Kingdom of Serbia, 1718–1739, and the villages around Belgrade were deserted and therefore temporarily settled with families from

Worms The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive catalogue and list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scien ...

and

Styria Styria ( ; ; ; ) is an Austrian Federal states of Austria, state in the southeast of the country. With an area of approximately , Styria is Austria's second largest state, after Lower Austria. It is bordered to the south by Slovenia, and cloc ...

, including Begaljica, which under Austrian administration was called ''Bigaliza''. In 1732, Begaljica was part of the Orthodox parish of Rajinovac, and had 20 houses. Archimandrite Spiridon Vitković is mentioned as the prior of Rakovica and Rajinovac monasteries, possibly due to Rajinovac being deserted at the time, so it was put in joint administration. Serbian volunteers in the Austrian army liberated central Serbia in 1788, and the second Kingdom of Serbia was established. By 1791 however the

Austrians Austrians (, ) are the citizens and Nationality, nationals of Austria. The English term ''Austrians'' was applied to the population of Archduchy of Austria, Habsburg Austria from the 17th or 18th century. Subsequently, during the 19th century, ...

were forced into withdrawal across the

and

Sava The Sava, is a river in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. From its source in Slovenia it flows through Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally reac ...

rivers, joined by thousands of

Serbian Serbian may refer to: * Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular **Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans ** Serbian language ** Serbian culture **Demographics of Serbia, includes other ethnic groups within the co ...

families who feared Ottoman revenge for supporting the

Habsburgs The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

. During the

, Begaljica was part of the Grocka nahija which was headed by ''oborknez'' Stevan Andrejić Palalija, murdered in the Slaughter of the Dukes (1804). Oborknez Palalija was buried in Rajinovac. The village is mentioned in collected

Serbian epic poetry Serbian epic poetry () is a form of epic poetry created by Serbs originating in today's Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia. The main cycles were composed by unknown Serb authors between the 14th and 19th centu ...

about the Serb Uprising against the

(se
The Revolt of the Serbs Against the Turks 1804–1913, p. 48
. The Serbian Revolution led to unrest in all of Serbia due to Ottoman retaliation, including Grocka region which halted its development, and only after the

Second Serbian Uprising The Second Serbian Uprising ( / ''Drugi srpski ustanak'', ) was the second phase of the Serbian Revolution against the Ottoman Empire, which erupted shortly after the re-annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire in 1813. The occupation was ...

(1815) and stability of the political situation in Serbia, Grocka region started to intensively develop. In ''

haraç Haraç (, , , sh-Cyrl-Latn, харач, harač) was a land tax levied on non-Muslim subjects in the Ottoman Empire. ''Haraç'' was developed from an earlier form of land taxation, ''kharaj'' (''harac''), and was, in principle, only payable by ...

'' (tax) texts, Begaljica had 51 houses in 1818, and 52 houses in 1822.

Joakim Vujić Joakim Vujić (Serbian Cyrillic: Јоаким Вујић; 9 September 1772 – 8 November 1847) was a Serbian writer, dramatist (musical stage and theatre), actor, traveler and polyglot. He was one of the most accomplished Serbian dramatists and ...

crossed by the village in 1827, and registered the three villages (parishes) of Rajinovac: Begaljica, Kamendol and Umčari as having 89 houses and 1212 people. In 1845, the village community wanted to move the school from the Rajinovica Monastery to the village itself, and in 1846 there was a school in the village. In 1846, it is mentioned as "a village in the Belgrade surroundings, in the Podunavlje srez", with 81 houses and 544 people. The school was located in a little house from 1871 to 1904, then a new school was built (mentioned in 1921). On August 22, 2010, new Serbian Patriarch Irinej served in Rajinovac for the feast day of Saint Matthias the Apostle and Saint Anthony the Martyr.

Economy

Begaljica is classified as a rural settlement (village) based on agriculture, namely

and

, with 38,6% of the population being agrarian (1991). Industrialism was not widely caught up in Ritopek, Slanci, Višnjica, Vinča, Veliko Selo, Zaklopača, and Begaljica, as these were intensively working with

silviculture Silviculture is the practice of controlling the growth, composition/structure, as well as quality of forests to meet values and needs, specifically timber production. The name comes from the Latin ('forest') and ('growing'). The study of forests ...

of fruits and vegetables (1962). Begaljica is mostly known for its strawberries, The Industrial Machinery "Elkom primat" is located in the village.

Culture

* Rajinovac, Serbian Orthodox monastery dedicated to the

Virgin birth of Jesus In Christianity and Islam, it is asserted that Jesus of Nazareth was conceived by his mother Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary solely through divine intervention and without sexual intercourse, thus resulting in his Virgin birth (mythology), virgin bir ...

, located on a hill above Begaljica, mentioned for the first time in 1528. It was rebuilt by oborknez Stevan Andrejević Palalija. It was added to the Monuments of Culture of Great Importance-heritage list in 1981. *"Zavičajni muzej Grocke", museum

Anthropology

1903

Families with unknown origin, viewed of as natives: *The oldest families (clans) in the village, viewed of as natives, whose area of origin is unknown, are the Antonijević, Cvejić, Maksimović, Obrenović, and Savković, who together had 100 houses, and all families had the '' slava'' (

Serbian Orthodox The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian churches. The majority of the populat ...

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

feast day) of St. Michael the Archangel (21 November). Families with known origin (the rest): *Bisenić (11 houses), old settlers from Kablar, slava of St. John. *Polić (5 houses), from

Prijepolje Prijepolje ( sr-Cyrl, Пријепоље, ) is a town and municipality located in the Zlatibor District of southwestern Serbia. As of 2022, the town has 11,928 inhabitants, while the municipality has 32,214 inhabitants. Etymology One possible mean ...

, a great-grandfather married into the Bisenić. *Palalić, they descend from 4 brothers who worked the land, but their area of origin is unknown. They derived their name from one of these brothers who was called "Palalija" by the Turks. Slava of St. Nicholas. Stevan Andrejević Palalija (1804), known from

about the dahija, was part of the family. *Nestorović, from the "Serb frontiers", slava of

Demetrius of Thessaloniki Saint Demetrius (or Demetrios) of Thessaloniki, Thessalonica (, ), also known as the Holy Great martyr, Great-Martyr Demetrius the Myroblyte (meaning 'the Myrrh-Gusher' or 'Myrrh-Streamer'; 3rd century – 306), was a Greeks, Greek Christianity, ...

(Mitrovdan). *Bugarčić, from

Pirot Pirot ( sr-Cyrl, Пирот) is a city and the administrative center of the Pirot District in southeastern Serbia. According to 2022 census, the urban area of the city has a population of 34,942, while the population of the city administrative are ...

, slava of

Presentation of Mary The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known in the East as The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, is a liturgical feast celebrated on November 21 by the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and some Anglo-Catholic Churches. The fea ...

(Vavedenje). *Karamihajlović, the great-grandfather Kara Mihajlo settled from Dučina (

Kosmaj Kosmaj (Serbian Cyrillic: Космај, ) is a mountain south of Belgrade. With an elevation of 626 meters, it is the highest point of the entire Belgrade City area and is nicknamed one of two "Belgrade mountains" (the other being the mountain o ...

srez). *Pirić and Milenković, one family (ca. 30 houses), from Pirot, slava of the Consecration of St. George (Đurđic). *Maričić, from

Lisović Lisović ( Serbian Cyrillic: Лисовић) is a suburban settlement of Belgrade, Serbia. It is located in the municipality of Barajevo. This village became known because the reality TV show The Farm is filmed here. Lisović is the easternmost ...

. *Ljubisavljević, their ancestor Ljubosav came from Takovo and was a servant in the village. *Martinović, their ancestor Martin, a

Vlach Vlach ( ), also Wallachian and many other variants, is a term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate speakers of Eastern Romance languages living in Southeast Europe—south of the Danube (the Balkan peninsula) ...

, came from

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

. *Gruičić, Stanković, Blagojević, Radojević families, came from

Bjelopavlići Bjelopavlići ( cyrl, Бјелопавлићи, ; ) is a historical tribe (pleme) of Albanians, Albanian origin and a valley in the region of the Brda (Montenegro), Brda, in Montenegro, around the city of Danilovgrad. Geography The ''Bjelopavl ...

after the Serbian-Turkish War (1878). *Ignjatović, their ancestor came as a farm servant (''argatin'') from Kožinac near Tran in Bulgaria.

Demographics

According to 2011 preliminary census, Begaljica had 8470 registered persons, with a population of 8233 (165 were abroad), and a total number of households of 2874 (4774 dwellings total).

Demographic history

;pre-Yugoslav documents *1528 – 5 houses *1530 – 14 houses *1536 – 17 houses *1732 – 20 houses *1818 – 51 houses *1822 – 52 houses *1846 – 81 houses, 544 people *1903 – 200 houses ;CensusesКњига 9, ''Становништво, упоредни преглед броја становника 1948, 1953, 1961, 1971, 1981, 1991, 2002, подаци по насељима''
Републички завод за статистику
, Београд, мај 2004, * 1921 – 2,930 * 1948 – 3,175 * 1953 – 3,301 * 1971 – 3,604 * 1981 – 3,842 * 1991 – 3,328 * 2002 – 3,255 (96,68% of whom were Serbs)

People

*Stevan Andrejević Palalija (d. 1804), Serbian knez * Milosav Jovanović (1935–2014), Serbian painter

References

Sources

* **Rista T. Nikolić, ''Okolina Beograda'', 17. Bregalnica * * * * * * * * Jovan Đ. Marković (1990): ''Enciklopedijski geografski leksikon Jugoslavije''; Svjetlost-Sarajevo;

External links

* {{coord, 44, 38, N, 20, 42, E, region:RS_type:city, display=title Suburbs of Belgrade Šumadija 16th-century establishments in Serbia Agriculture in Serbia