Jovan Simić Bobovac
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Jovan Simić Bobovac (17. August 177526 July 1832) was a
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 ...
n politician, who began his career as '' knez'' during the Ottoman period, participated in the
Serbian Revolution The Serbian Revolution ( / ') was a national uprising and constitutional change in Serbia that took place between 1804 and 1835, during which this territory evolved from an Sanjak of Smederevo, Ottoman province into a Revolutionary Serbia, reb ...
(1804–17), and served as the President of the Serbian Supreme Court. He was one of the closest collaborators of Prince
Miloš Obrenović Miloš Obrenović (; ; 18 March 1780 or 1783 – 26 September 1860) born Miloš Teodorović (; ), also known as Miloš the Great () was the Prince of Serbia twice, from 1815 to 1839, and from 1858 to 1860. He was an eminent figure of the Firs ...
.


Background

He was born in 1775 in the village of Bobova (hence ''Bobovac''), in the "Simić Hamlet" (). The Simić brotherhood moved to
Valjevo Valjevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Ваљево, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Kolubara District in western Serbia. According to the 2022 census, the city itself has a population of 56,145 while the city admini ...
's Podgorina around the beginning of the 18th century from Polimlje area, Montenegro-Serbia border. On their way towards the
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
with other refugees from
Old Herzegovina Old Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Stara Hercegovina, Стара Херцеговина) is a historical region, covering the eastern parts of historical Herzegovina, outside the scope of modern Herzegovina. A large section of ''Old Herzegovina'' ...
and
Old Montenegro Old Montenegro ( Montenegrin and sr-Latn-Cyrl, Stara Crna Gora, Стара Црна Гора, separator=" / "), also known as Montenegro proper ( sr-Latn-Cyrl, Prava Crna Gora, Права Црна Гора, separator=" / ", label=none), or ...
, they stopped in Podgorina, at the foot of the
Medvednik Medvednik (Serbian Cyrillic: Медведник) is a mountain in western Serbia, near the town of Valjevo Valjevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Ваљево, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Kolubara District in w ...
mountain (probably because the impassable hinterland provided security from the Ottomans). The hill beneath which the "Simić Hamlet" is still located today is called the "Simić peak" ().


Early career

It is known that he was a '' buljukbaša'' (hajduk commander) under the famous ''
obor-knez ''Ober-knez'' ( sr-Cyrl, обер-кнез) was a title borne by elected local native Serbs, Serbian chiefs (''Knyaz'') of the ''Nahiye (Ottoman), nahiyah'' (district of a group of villages) in the Sanjak of Smederevo (also known as the Pashalik ...
'' beneath the Medvednik mountain,
Ilija Birčanin Ilija Birčanin ( sr-cyr, Илија Бирчанин; 12 August 1764 – 4 January 1804) was a Serbian '' knez'' (Prince) who was killed during the '' Slaughter of the Dukes'', the incident that sparked the First Serbian Uprising of the Serbian R ...
. After the
Slaughter of the Knezes The Slaughter of the Knezes () was the organized assassinations and assaults of Knyaz, noble Serbs in the Sanjak of Smederevo in January 1804 by the rebellious Dahije, renegade janissary officers who had seized power in a coup against the Ottom ...
Milić Kedić Milić () is a Serbian given name and surname, and Croatian surname. People with the name include: Given name * Milić od Mačve (1934–2000), Serbian painter and artist * Milić Vukašinović (born 1950), Serbian musician Surname * Antonio Mi ...
from Suvodanje was appointed the new ''obor-knez''. Bobovac remained ''buljukbaša'' under Kedić, until the latter's death in 1809, when Bobovac was appointed a ''knez'' (a governor of a ''knežina'', "district") in
Revolutionary Serbia Revolutionary Serbia (), or Karađorđe's Serbia (), refers to the state established by the Serbian revolutionaries in Ottoman Serbia ( Sanjak of Smederevo) after the start of the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1804. The Sub ...
. The district was called "Bobovac's ''knežina''" ().


Principality of Serbia

On 6 October 1823 Prince
Miloš Obrenović Miloš Obrenović (; ; 18 March 1780 or 1783 – 26 September 1860) born Miloš Teodorović (; ), also known as Miloš the Great () was the Prince of Serbia twice, from 1815 to 1839, and from 1858 to 1860. He was an eminent figure of the Firs ...
appointed Bobovac the President of the People's Court in
Kragujevac Kragujevac ( sr-Cyrl, Крагујевац, ) is the List of cities in Serbia, fourth largest city in Serbia and the administrative centre of the Šumadija District. It is the historical centre of the geographical region of Šumadija in central Se ...
(Deed No. 1932) and then president of the
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 ...
People's Court (after ''knez''
Milosav Zdravković Milosav Zdravković-Resavac ( sr-cyr, Милосав Здравковић-Ресавац; 1787 – 1854) was the Duke of Resava, a participant in the First Serbian Uprising and Second Serbian Uprising, a state official and a participant in many ...
), at which position he remained until 1828, when he was made commander of the
Serbian Army The Serbian Army () is the land-based and the largest component of the Serbian Armed Forces. Its organization, composition, weapons and equipment are adapted to the assigned missions and tasks of the Serbian Armed Forces, primarily for operatio ...
on the
Drina The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long river in the Balkans, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Al ...
sent to prevent the surge of Ottoman Bosnians into
Mačva Mačva ( sr-Cyrl, Мачва, ; ) is a geographical and historical region in the northwest of Central Serbia, on a fertile plain between the Sava (river), Sava and Drina rivers. The chief town is Šabac. The modern Mačva District of Serbia is nam ...
. After the liberation of Serbia marked by the first ''
Hatt-i humayun Hatt-i humayun ( , plural , ), also known as hatt-i sharif ( , plural , ), was the diplomatics term for a document or handwritten note of an official nature composed and personally signed by an Ottoman sultan. These notes were commonly written b ...
'' in 1830, Prince Miloš's priority became to settle the Drina Valley with
Serb The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history, and language. They primarily live in Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia ...
population. But due to the increasingly numerous and violent conflicts between the
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
occupants and the newcomers from the
Dinara Dinara is a mountain range in the Dinaric Alps, located on the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. It has four major mountains or peaks, from north-west to south-east: * Ilica or Ujilica (1,654 m) * Sinjal or Dinara (1,831 m), epony ...
region, particularly from Grahovo (now in Montenegro), Prince Miloš sent Bobovac from Belgrade to the region of
Azbukovica Azbukovica is a highland area in western Serbia, on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. River Drina separates Azbukovica from municipalities of Srebrenica and Bratunac. Borders: to the northwest - municipality of Mali Zvornik, to the north - m ...
to join ''knez''
Jevrem Obrenović Prince Jevrem Teodorović Obrenović (18 March 1790 – 20 September 1856) was a Serbian politician and revolutionary. He was the younger brother of Miloš Obrenović I of Serbia, Prince Miloš Obrenović I of Serbia, the founder of the Obren ...
and
Petar Vasić Petar (, sr-Cyrl, Петар) is a South Slavic masculine given name, their variant of the Biblical name Petros cognate to Peter. Derivative forms include Pero, Pejo, Pera, Perica, Petrica, Periša. Feminine equivalent is Petra. People mon ...
in supervising and hastening the relocation of the Muslims who did not accept the provisions of the ''Hatt-i humayun'', which unambiguously ordered the compulsory eviction of Ottomans from Serbia, except those registered in the territories of the garrison posts. This decision was particularly opposed by the Muslims in the villages by the Drina and around the town of
Soko Soko ( sh-Cyrl, Соко) was a Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav aircraft manufacturer based in Mostar, Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina. The company was responsible for the production of ...
. Bobovac began his mission together with the abovementioned chiefs at the end of February, 1830. In April he already came into conflict with the Muslims whom Husein Pasha from Belgrade had called upon by decree ('' buruntia'') to return to their former estates and continue to farm them as they had before the eviction. Until August of the same year Muslims returned en masse to the Soko district, and by January 1831 they had practically all returned. During that time Bobovac had several conflicts with these, who wrote to Prince Miloš about it on March 9/21 threatening that they "will not leave until there are dead bodies". Despite the complex situation, Bobovac managed to complete the task entrusted to him by Miloš in 1831, but at the cost of a serious conflict with some of the Muslim chiefs which was to have tragic consequences for him and his life several months later.


Last years and death

Although Bobovac, according to his contemporaries, was an exceptionally "great friend of Prince Miloš", towards the end of his lifetime he supported the defenders of the Serbian Constitution in their wish to restrict Miloš's absolutism. Records suggest that Bobovac fell into disfavour with Miloš. But that fact has to this day failed to shed light on the exact cause of his sudden death on July 14/26, 1832. Namely, after Bobovac was ambushed by a never identified group of people, who could more probably have been Muslims from the Soko district seeking revenge due to Bobovac's role in their relocation to Bosnia, Bobovac died from his wounds, at the age of 67. He was buried on July 15/27, 1832 by the church in Kamenica (Valjevo), his endowment.


Legacy

In the villages beneath the
Medvednik Medvednik (Serbian Cyrillic: Медведник) is a mountain in western Serbia, near the town of Valjevo Valjevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Ваљево, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Kolubara District in w ...
is still taught the tale of the "Church built by knez Jovan Simić Bobovac, but burned down by the Turks after the failure of 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 ...
(1804)", when the local people fled to the mountain. It is also mentioned in the Memoirs of protoiereus
Mateja Nenadović Mateja () is a given name, variant of the Greek given name ''Mathias'' ( Matthew). In Serbian, it's a masculine name, while in Croatian and Slovene, it's a feminine name. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Mateja Andrlić (born 199 ...
, and the letters he exchanged with prince Miloš Obrenović have also been preserved in the Serbian Archive.Archives of Serbia, Belgrade, Fund: "Kneževa kancelarija", (1831), no. 329-330. Today there are five households in the Simić hamlet in the village of Bobova. The descendants of ''knez'' Jovan Simić Bobovac mostly live in Bobova (the Radisav–Simić family), Valjevo, Belgrade and Brussels (the families of
Desanka Maksimović Desanka Maksimović ( sr-Cyrl, Десанка Максимовић; 16 May 1898 – 11 February 1993) was a Serbian poet, writer and translator. Her first works were published in the literary journal ''Misao'' in 1920, while she was studying at t ...
,
Vasilije Simić Vasilije Vasa Simić (22 July 1866 4 September 1931) was a Serbians, Serbian lawyer, judge and attorney. He studied law in Paris and Geneva. He was president of the Belgrade Town Court and royal prosecutor in the summary court in the proceeding ...
and Gillès de Pélichy).


See also

*
List of Serbian Revolutionaries This is a list of Serbian Revolutionaries, participants in the Serbian Revolution (1804–1817). See also * Serbian revolutionary organizations References Sources

* * * * * * {{Serbian revolutionaries People of the Serbian Revol ...


References


Bibliography

* Miličević, Milan Đ. "Pomenik znamenitih ljudi u Srpskoga naroda novijeg doba", pp. 37 and 38 (1887) and "Kneževina Srbija", I, Beograd (1876), p. 525; * Ministarstvo Finansija Kraljevine Srbije, "Ustanove i Finansije obnovljene Srbije do 1842", Tom 2, p. 402, 408, 562, 582-589, (1899); * Stojančević, Vladimir "Istorija srpskog naroda", V, SKZ, Beograd (1981), pp. 24 and 49; * Jevtić, Milan M. "Podrinje u srpskoj revoluciji", Godišnjak Istorijskog Arhiva VIII, Šabac, (1970), p. 330; * Perović, Radoslav "Prvi srpski ustanak: Akta i pisma na srpskom jeziku", Beograd, Narodna knjiga (1977), p. 162; * Arhiv Srbije, Beograd, Fond: "Kneževa kancelarija", (1831), pp. 329–330; * Group of authors in "Azbukovica, zemlja, ljudi i život", Samoupravna interesna zajednica kulture opštine, Ljubovija, (1985), pp. 119 and 383. External links {{DEFAULTSORT:Jovan Simic Bobovac Hajduks 19th-century Serbian people People of the First Serbian Uprising People of the Second Serbian Uprising 19th-century Serbian nobility