Slaughter of the Knezes

The Slaughter of the Knezes (Serbian: Сеча кнезова, romanized: Seča knezova) was a campaign of organized murders and assaults of notable Serbs in the Belgrade Pashalik (Sanjak of Smederevo) in January–February 1804 by the renegade Janissaries known as "Dahije", who had seized power in a coup against the Vizier Hadji Mustafa Pasha in 1800–1801. Fearing Serbian plans of rebellion, they decided to execute leading Serbs throughout the pashalik. At least 95 notable Serbs were murdered, many whose decapitated heads were put on public display. Notable victims were Aleksa Nenadović, Ilija Birčanin, Hadži-Ruvim. The event triggered the First Serbian Uprising, aimed at putting an end to the centuries of Ottoman occupation.