Stevan Sinđelić
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| Stevan Sinđelić | |
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 Stevan Sinđelić |
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| Nickname | Vojvoda Sinđelić |
| Born | 1770 Svilajnac, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | 1809 Niš, Ottoman Empire |
| Allegiance |  Revolutionary Serbia |
| Years of service | 1804-1809 |
| Rank | Vojvoda |
| Unit | Resava |
| Battles/wars | First Serbian Uprising: Ivankovac Deligrad Čegar† |
Stevan Sinđelić (Serbian Cyrillic: Стеван Синђелић ; 1770 – May 19, 1809) was a military commander (vojvoda) of Resava Infantry Brigade of the Serbian Revolutionary Army during the Serbian Revolutionary War (1804-1813) against Ottoman Empire. As commander of the unit he participated in many small and large battles, as are Battle of Ivankovac in 1805 and Battle of Deligrad in 1806. In the battle of Čegar Hill for the Niš Fortress on 1809, his unit was surrounded by the enemy, without the help and with no way out, he decided to with pistol shoot in gunpowder, after which was created a huge explosion that shook the Čegar Hill. He is a symbol of patriotism, personal courage and sacrifice among the Serbs.
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[edit] Life
Stevan was born in 1770, in the village of Grabovac in the Morava Okrug, Ottoman Smederevo (in present-day Svilajnac), Serbia. His father, zanatlija Radovan Rakić, died young, and his mother Sinđelija, re-married, hence people called him Sinđelić. Before the Uprising, he worked for the Duke Petar in Resava, whom the dahi murdered during the Slaughter of the Dukes massacre that would spark the revolution. Long before the start of the Uprising, Karađorđe Petrovic, when traveling cross the Velika Morava, met with Sinđelić and discussed the revolution with him. Later, Sinđelić gathered people from the Resava region to take part in the Uprising against the Ottoman government. He was notified directly as Karađorđe Petrovic was chosen to lead the Uprising, proclaimed on 14 February 1804.[1]
[edit] Revolutionary War
Steven Sinđelić at the beginning of the Revolution on 1804 be found on the head of free peasants from Resava area, of which formed a military unit. The Ottoman garrison, which was placed in Ćuprija, as soon as they heard of the uprising they move in action against Serb revolutionaries. Stevan was informed for Ottomans action, so it is readi awaited in place Jasenjaru, between Svilajnac and Ćuprija and defeated. It was his first battle and first military success.
After that, Steven participated in the Battle of Ivankovac (1805) with Milenko Stojković and Peter Dobrnjac, where they all together defeated Hafis Pasha, when he came Black George Petrovich in the aid. In the battle of Ivankovac, Steven Sinđelić are proved as good and capable military leader, and he was appointed commander Resava Infantry Brigade by side Black George, who was the commander-in-chief of the Serbian Revolution Army.
After the battle of Ivankovac, Steven Sindjelić is with Peter Dobrnjac fought on the Morava valley and freed: Ćuprija, Paraćin and Ražanj, all the area to south to Deligrad. There they dug and found a large and strong the trenches, where ther are awaited with a numerous army Huršid Pasha from Niš Fortress, at same time on the Western front was a battle of Mišar (1806). The main battle on the southern front took place on December 1806, knows as Battle of Deligrad, the revolutionaries took another significant victory. Steven′s men were well demonstrated during these struggles.
Steven unit is located on the southern front, when they started struggle for the liberation of Niš. With his detachment was digging a front trench in the village of Kamenica on Čegar (hill near Niš) and his troops was the closest Ottoman front lines. With these positions Serbian South Revolutionary Army has repeatedly come to the walls of Niš Fortress, but each time was returned by Ottoman Imperial Army on the starting position. After two months of struggle, the Ottoman troops move in a strong counter-attack on Steven′s trench on May 19, 1809 (N.S. 31 May) when he successfully surrounded and separated from other units of Serbian troops on front line. Steven and his men gave desperate resistance to the Ottomans who were increasingly penetrated into the trench. At that moment, commander of the Mlava Infantry Brigade Paul Matejić leaves his position on the front line and moves with 2000 soldiers to help Steven men. But in place Iziste near Kamenica, Ottoman army was waiting him in ambush. The struggle in this area are lasted until are not heard a huge explosion which came from the Čegar hill, which meant that Steven and his men lost. When Steven saw that was without the help and no way out, and when in the trench started fight, man on man, Steven decided on a desperate move, to fired his flintlock pistol into a pile of in the gunpowder kegs, triggering a huge explosion that shook the surrounding fields and hills. He himself took a position in the middle of the trench where the gunpowder was stored. When the Ottomans swarmed the trench from all sides and headed for him. The Serbs that were remained in the trench with Steven, as well as the attacking Ottomans, were all caught in the enormous explosion and perished. According to legend his famous last words were: "Save yourselves brothers, who wants and who can! Who stays will die!". The fall of Steven′s trench meant that Ottoman troops are broke through the front line, after which are the others units of Serbian South Revolutionary Army retreated to the position in Deligrad, where are fortified a new front line. After the arrival of Commander in Chief Black George with fresh troops on southern front, in Deligrad, offensive of Commander Hursid Pasha the Ottoman troops was stopped. After defeat at the Battle of Čegar Serbian Revolutionary Army had lost the initiative in war.
Some 3,000 revolutionaries and all of the Ottoman troops that were present were killed in the Battle of Čegar at Čegar Hill.[2] The Turks, following orders given by Hurşid Paşa of Niš, erected the famous Skull Tower (Ćele-Kula) on the road to Constantinople, containing 952 Serbian soldiers' skulls, as a warning to the Serbs about future dissident. Sinđelić's skull was placed at the top. Today, 57 skulls remain embedded into the walls of the Skull Tower in Niš. They have remained as a harsh reminder of the cruelty of the Ottoman Empire and serve to remind Serbs of their people's heroic fight for independence.
[edit] Legacy
In the modern Serbian military tradition Steven last name "Singelich" has become synonymous for the soldier who is not withdrawing from the battlefield and who is ready to be sacrificed.
[edit] See also
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