БОСАНСКИ ЕЈАЛЕТ У ПРВИМ ГОДИНАМА ПРВОГ СРПСКОГ УСТАНКА (1804–1806)
THE EYALET OF BOSNIA IN THE FIRST YEARS OF THE FIRST SERBIAN UPRISING (1804–1806)

Summary/Abstract: The paper gives an insight into the social and political situation in the most western Ottoman province during the first years of the First Serbian Uprising. By the beginning of the 19th century, Bosnia and Herzegovina had been almost twice as large as Serbia. According to estimates of the Serbian rebel leaders, there were around 700,000 people living in Bosnia, around 200,000 in Herzegovina, while Serbia had up to 500,000 inhabitants. The influence of Karađorđe’s movement on the national and political development of Bosnia and Herzegovina had been multiple. It revived the Serbian national feeling among the Orthodox population, strengthened the ties of Bosnian Muslims with the Porte and pushed the Catholics deeper into the arms of the Austrian empire. Preparations for the rebellion against the Ottomans included activities aiming to gain the support of Bosnian Serbs, notably wealthy traders from Sarajevo, for the Serbian politics. The goal that had been set by Serbia in the rebel political programme was to annex part of Bosnia and Herzegovina east of the Rivers Pliva and Vrbas. The mistake that had been made in believing in the support of the Muslims from Bosnia and Herzegovina came partly due to the misbelief common in the rebel circles that the Muslims in Bosnia were of the Serb ethnic descent. Karađorđe played the political game of involving the Bosnian Catholics into the rebellion, which was primarily a danger to Austria. To protect the Catholics living in the areas affected by the Serbian rebels’ activities, the Austrian emperor insisted on maintaining the permanent influence on them, by making them obey the Vienna’s decision to stay loyal to the Ottoman authorities.

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