Janko Popović (Serbian Cyrillic:Јанко Поповић; 1779–1833), nicknamedCincar Janko (Цинцар-Јанко), was a Serbianvojvoda, one of the most prominent leaders of theFirst Serbian Uprising.
Janko was born in 1779 inOhrid, in a family of priests. His father came from theAromanian village ofDolna Belica,[1][2] where his cousinCincar Marko Kostić, another leader in theSerbian Uprising was born. After he had murdered a certain Turk, Janko fled northwards and around the year 1800 and settled inValjevo where he lived as a tradesman. His nickname wasCincar ("Aromanian"), because of his roots.[3]
When the outlawedjanissaries fromBelgrade decided to preemptively murder all the important Serbs in the district they controlled, Popović was also imprisoned, but was in the end released due to the pleading of many citizens ofValjevo.
Having lived through this ordeal, Popović joined the insurrection immediately. From 1804 until 1811 he fought against the Turks mostly onDrina River. He took part in the taking of Karanovac (nowadaysKraljevo) in 1805, battle ofLješnica (1806) and the battle of Čučuge (1806). He was appointed to be the commander of bećari, unmarried men or Serbs from out of Serbia, who – unlike the rest of the peasant army which was not too keen of leaving their villages for too long – were the most mobile part of the insurrectionist army.
Cincar Janko distinguished himself in the battle ofMišar (1806) and in the consequent pursuing of the defeated Bosnian army during which he even crossed into theHabsburg Empire to attack those who sought refuge there. Because of this incident, the Austrians will continue pressing for his trial. In late 1806 he took part in the liberation ofBelgrade. In 1807 he was at the head of theŠabac garrison and fought in the skirmished on RiverDrina.
In 1809 he is given the title of vojvoda (“duke”) and is commanding troops that crossed into Bosnia. In 1810 Popović was wounded in the battle of Tičar, nearLoznica.
He was famous for taking part in duels that took place before the battle would start.
During the Uprising Cincar Janko continued, as much as he could, with trade. He also bought himself a house inBelgrade.
In the conflict between the supreme commanderKaradjordje and some of the leaders of the Insurrection, Cincar Janko took Karadjordje’s side. Cincar Janko becamevojvode of the County ofPožarevac. He remained on this position until the end of the Uprising.
During the 1813 Ottoman offensive Cincar Janko was defendingDeligrad on the southern front but had to retreat, first toPožarevac and then toBelgrade, where from he crossed to the Habsburg Empire.
Because of the 1809 border incident Cincar Janko was now put to trial and imprisoned inArad.[4] Upon the insisting of the Russian Emperor he was released and joined the other leaders of the Insurrection inRussia. Like many of them, Cincar Janko lived inHotin (today inUkraine) until 1830. His sons got educated as officers of the Russian army in which they started their career but later returned to Serbia with their father.
After the Sultan had granted Serbia autonomy, Prince of SerbiaMiloš Obrenović, allowed most of the exiled vojvodas to return. Cincar Janko did so and settled inŠabac. In 1833 he got sick; on his way to theSokobanja spa he stopped atRavanica Monastery where he died.
Popović was a brave man and an able leader. All of his life he remained a devout Orthodox Christian. He helped several churches in Serbia and in the Habsburg Empire. He is mentioned in manyepic folk songs as well as inSima Milutinović Sarajlija’s epicSerbijanka.[5]
His descendants took the surname Cincar-Janković and were an eminentBelgrade family.
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