Ballads, Serbian; Folk songs, Serbian; Serbian poetry -- History and criticism; Serbian poetry -- Translations into English
detached from, and as frequently re-united to Servia proper. Milutin
Urosh, who reigned from 1275 to 1321, was subdued by Charles the First of
Hungaria. Soon after arose the monarch who is one of the most
illustrious names in Servian song and Servian story, Dushan Silni (Dushan
the mighty), who carried on several successful campaigns against the
Greeks, and recovered many of the lost provinces of his country. He took
the title of Tzar, {0b} and was succeeded by that ill-fated Lazar, whose
defeat by the sultan Murad (Amurath), on the field of Kosova (June 15,
1389), is the subject of so many of the melancholy ballads of the
Servians. Murad was stabbed by the Servian Molosh Obilich, and Lazar was
executed in the Mussulmans’ camp. Murad’s brother (Bajazet), divided
Servia between the two sons of Lazar, who did homage and paid heavy
tribute. Since then, no dawn of liberty has shone upon Servia. Reduced
to be the bloody theatre of the fierce wars which have been carried on
between the Turks and Hungarians, every struggle for freedom—each feebler
than the former one, has only served to deteriorate her condition, and to
destroy her hopes. In 1459, Servia was treated solely as a conquered
province,—her most respectable families banished or destroyed, while,
from time to time, vast numbers of Servians emigrated into Hungary. In
1481, prince Pavo Brankovich made an irruption into Servia, and after
defeating the Turks in several battles, headed 50,000 Servians, who fixed
themselves as colonists under the protection of Hungary. In 1689, many
thousand Servians flocked to the army of Leopold the First. The
following year, the patriarch Tzernovich led into Sirmia and Slavonia
nearly sixty thousand Servian families. By the treaty of Passarovich, in
1718, the greater part of Servia was transferred to the Austrians. It
reverted back to the Porte in 1739. In 1759, a vast number of Servians
emigrated into Russia, and peopled Newservia, but they have since been
completely blended with the Russians, whose language they soon adopted.
At the beginning of the present century, Servia was again released from
the Turkish sway, and under the auspices of the Austrian emperor, is now
governed by a _Knes_, or prince, whose name is Milosh Obrenowich. {0c}
* * * * *
There are four provinces or governments (Sandshaks), Semendria, Perserin,
Veltshterin, and Aladshahissar, consisting of nearly a million of
Servians, subjected to Turkish authority. The greater part of these are
Christians of the Greek Church. The number of Servians who recognise the
_Greek Church_ is estimated by Schaffarik at 2,526,000. {0d}
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account