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Kingdom of Serbia | |||||||||
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| 1718–1739 | |||||||||
 Kingdom of Serbia (1718–1739) | |||||||||
| Status | Crownland of theHabsburg monarchy | ||||||||
| Capital | Belgrade | ||||||||
| Common languages | Serbian,German | ||||||||
| Religion | Roman Catholic, Serbian Orthodox | ||||||||
| Governor | |||||||||
• 1718–1720 | Johann O'Dwyer | ||||||||
• 1738–1739 | George de Wallis | ||||||||
| Historical era | Early modern period | ||||||||
| 21 July 1718 | |||||||||
| 1737–39 | |||||||||
| 18 September 1739 | |||||||||
| Currency | Kreuzer | ||||||||
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| Today part of | Serbia | ||||||||
TheKingdom of Serbia (Serbian:Краљевина Србија,romanized: Kraljevina Srbija,German:Königreich Serbien,Latin:Regnum Serviae) was a province (crownland) of theHabsburg monarchy from 1718 to 1739. It was formed from the territories to the south of the riversSava andDanube, corresponding approximately to theSanjak of Smederevo, anOttoman province that was conquered by the Habsburgs in 1717, during theHabsburg-Ottoman war (1716–1718). The Kingdom existed until the nextHabsburg-Ottoman War (1737-1739), when it was returned to the Ottoman rule in 1739.[1]
During Habsburg rule, the Serbian majority did benefit from self-government, including an autonomous militia, and economic integration with the Habsburg monarchy - reforms that contributed to the growth of the Serbmiddle class and continued by the Ottomans "in the interest of law and order".[2] Serbia's population increased rapidly from 270,000 to 400,000, but the decline of Habsburg power in the region provoked the second of theGreat Migrations of the Serbs (1737–1739).
In 1688–1689, during theGreat Turkish War, the Habsburg troopstemporarily took control over most of present-day Serbia,[3] but were subsequently forced into retreat. TheTreaty of Karlowitz in 1699 recognized Ottoman authority over most of present-day Serbia, while the region ofBačka and the western part ofSyrmia were assigned to the Habsburgs.
AnotherAustro-Turkish war broke out in 1716–1718,[4] in which Serbs massively joined the Habsburg troops. After the gains of 1718 (following theTreaty of Passarowitz), the Habsburgs sought to integrate Serbia into their empire. The land was officially named the "Kingdom of Serbia", because it was neither a part of theHoly Roman Empire nor theKingdom of Hungary. The actual administration of the province was in the hands of an appointed governor. Not all the Serb-inhabited territory south of the Sava and Danube rivers that was conquered by the Habsburgs in 1718 was included in the Kingdom of Serbia. A large eastern area was administratively separate as part of theBanat of Temeswar.
During theAustro-Turkish War (1737–1739), the Habsburg monarchy lost all territories south of the Sava and Danube, including the whole territory of the Kingdom of Serbia, andOrșova north of the Danube. It retained, however, the rest of the Banat of Temeswar. The breakout of war and consequent end of Habsburg rule resulted in the secondGreat Migration of the Serbs (1737–1739).[5]
Serbia was jointly supervised by theAulic War Council and theAulic Chamber, and subordinated to a local military-cameral administration.[6]
There was a portion of the Serbian peasant population that had a military obligation (and were not taxed as the rest of the agricultural population), known as thehajduks.[7] They formed the "Serbian national militia" that fought the Ottoman troops, and were exempt from tax in exchange for their military service, which included defending the borderlands, keeping peace, and maintaining and protecting theGreat Road.[7] Thesehajduks constituted a privileged class in the kingdom, and received the most fertile lands for their settlements (which were separate from other villages)[7]
The economy of the Kingdom of Serbia was highly agricultural in nature and included viticulture, cereal farming, and livestock breeding, though none of these reached a substantial scale for large-scale export.Beekeeping, however, constituted one of the most economically important sectors in the kingdom, with the production and sale of honey and beeswax accounting for about one-third of tax revenue paid to Habsburg authorities. The government granted mining concessions to newjoint-stock companies, including theCaesarea privilegiata Societas Commerciorum Orientalium, whose largest shareholders wereCharles Alexander and his wife, theOrthodox Metropolitanate of Belgrade, and the urban German community of Belgrade as a whole. Projects were also undertaken to expand the forestry sector through reforestation of certain areas.[8]
A 1720 regulation declared that Belgrade was to be settled mainly by Germans, while the Serbs were to live outside the city walls in the "Rascian" part.[6] It has been estimated that the population in Belgrade in the 1720s did not exceed 20,000.[6] The population increased rapidly from 270,000 to 400,000, but the end of Habsburg power in the region resulted in the secondGreat Serb Migration (1737–1739).[9]
Religious policies of Habsburg authorities towards various Christian communities were implemented by recognizing theSerbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Belgrade, and also by establishing theRoman Catholic Diocese of Belgrade.[10][11]
Although the Habsburg administration over this part of present-day Serbia was short-lived, the consciousness about separate political entity was left behind by the Habsburgs, thus local inhabitants never again fully accepted Ottoman administration, which led toKoča's frontier rebellion in 1788 and to theFirst Serbian Uprising in 1804, that ended direct Ottoman rule over this part of present-day Serbia.[12]
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