page_title: Hadži-Ruvim
section_title: Plot against the Dahije and death
hierarchical_section_title: Hadži-Ruvim / Plot against the Dahije and death
caption_attribution_description: Српски / srpski: Manastir StudenicaEnglish: Studenica monastery, Serbia This is a photo of Cultural Heritage site of Serbia number SK 158
context_page_description: Hadži-Ruvim, born Rafailo Nenadović, was a Serbian Orthodox archimandrite of the Bogovađa Monastery, near Lajkovac, an artist and engraver, who was part of a plot to overthrow the Dahije, renegade Janissaries that had taken control of the Sanjak of Smederevo. He was jailed and later killed in the event known as the Slaughter of the Knezes. Hadži-Ruvim was an artist, wood carver, engraver and book collector. His most beautiful engraved cross was the one for Čokešina Monastery dating from 1799. He left notes and drawings on empty pages at the monasteries he visited. In Mionica, 92 kilometers from Belgrade, there's a church famous for the icons belonging to the Hadzi-Ruvim Art School.
context_section_description: In early 1802, some Ottoman sipahi and Mustafa Pasha's men, in agreement with the Serbian knezes, attempted to remove the Dahije. Fighting raged in Požarevac, but the Dahije emerged triumphant. Despite this, the sipahi and the Serbs continued to plot their removal. Although antagonistic elements, the tyranny of the Dahije forced the sipahi and the Serbs to cooperate. The Serbs, organizing themselves in western Serbia (where knez Aleksa Nenadović was the leading figure) and Šumadija, wanted as the sipahi to return the state of Mustafa Pasha's rule, but needed securities – the status of Christians in the Ottoman Empire, as history told, was never permanent. In 1803, plans were processed and consultations made regarding this. The sipahi worked on one side, the Serbian seniors (starešine) and knezes (subject village heads) on the other.
  
   
  As a reputable church leader, protector of his people and great artist, Ruvim was for years targeted by the Dahije who tried to remove him by all means. It is considered that Hadži-Ruvim wrote the appeal in the name of twelve knezes to the Ottoman sultan, a petition for aid against the tyranny of the Dahije, based on which the sultan seriously threatened the Dahije. A monk had informed the Dahije that twelve knezes secretly met at Bogovađa in January 1803. Tradition holds that the letter was written by Hadži-Ruvim and his disciple Hadži-Đera, and that the knezes swore Oath before Hadži-Ruvim that they would rise up against the Dahije. As recorded by Vuk Karadžić, Hadži-Ruvim had a quarrel with the subaša of the prnjavor (parish settlement) in 1802, then complained several times to knez Aleksa Nenadović to have the subaša replaced (which would have been easy during Mustafa Pasha's rule), but Nenadović was unable to do him the favour. Because of the conspiracy (which the Dahije later learnt of) and quarrel, Hadži-Ruvim was forced to hide in the monasteries of Nikolje, Studenica, and on Mount Athos. He left Bogovađa for Studenica in the beginning of 1803. A manuscript in Nikolje dated 9 March 1803 records him arriving there on flight from Bogovađa. From Studenica, he sent fourteen messages to people in the Belgrade Pashalik, one of which was recorded to have arrived in Valjevo on 29 March. These messages called the Serbs to prepare an uprising against the Dahije. He also visited the Ovčar-Kablar monasteries. By Easter he arrived at Mount Athos.
  After visiting the monasteries, he returned home to Bogovađa in late autumn 1803. Meanwhile, another conspiracy letter had been written by knez Aleksa Nenadović (or prota Matija Nenadović in his name) to Austrian major Mitizer in Zemun that asked of the Austrians to prepare ammunition and officers to help them "get rid of the Dahije". Upon his return to Bogovađa, Hadži-Ruvim received a message from Aleksa Nenadović asking him to flee, as the Turks wrongly accused him of writing that letter to the Austrians, which was intercepted on the Sava ferry by the Dahije. The letter had been intercepted while Hadži-Ruvim was away from the Belgrade Pashalik, and his return might have been viewed by the Dahije as a signal for uprising, therefore they held him accountable. Nenadović asked Hadži-Ruvim to leave the Belgrade Pashalik once again, so as to leave suspicion solely on Nenadović, as it was believed that Hadži-Ruvim was out of danger. Hadži-Ruvim did not listen to Nenadović, whom he messaged that he "had enough of fleeing and wandering."
  After the Dahije intercepted Nenadović's letter, they increased the monitoring of Christians. They then learnt of further plans after finding a corresponding letter between the chieftains and the Ottoman government in a frisking of a priest in Ostružnica. The Dahije now took serious measures to suppress any plans, and decided to assault all notable Serbs, and to place new knezes and seniors in their place, then hold the notable Serbs as hostages until the confiscation of weapons from the rayah. They then planned to kill male adults, and employ the rest into their army and Islamize them. The Dahije began to take measures, espe
caption: Hadži-Ruvim left the Belgrade Pashalik for the Studenica monastery after increased tensions in early 1803.
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