page_title: Konda Bimbaša
hierarchical_section_title: Konda Bimbaša
caption_attribution_description: English: Liberated Belgrade, Serbian Revolution
context_page_description: Konda was a mercenary in Alija Gušanac's Dahije detachment in the Sanjak of Smederevo who switched sides to the Serb rebels during the First Serbian Uprising, proclaimed a hero for his efforts in the Siege of Belgrade.
  Konda, an Orthodox Christian, was according to his contemporary, Triantafyllos Doukas, born in the frontier of Ioannina in Epirus. According to some, he was Greek-Aromanian. He began his military career in 1804, as a mercenary in the forces of Alija Gušanac. Gušanac served the Dahije, the renegade Janissaries that took over the Sanjak of Smederevo defying the Sultan since 1801. After the slaughter of the Knezes, the Serbs decided to rise up against the Dahije after gathering in Orašac on 14 February. They crushed the power of the Dahije by August, but some towns were still held by the Dahije. The Ottomans now turned against the Serbs, and Gušanac had by then joined the Ottomans. In March 1804, with Gušanac's forces, Konda had gone to the Morava, around Ćuprija, and from there to the city of Belgrade where he stayed until prior to autumn 1806. At that time, he had the rank of bölükbaşı.
context_section_description: Konda (Serbian Cyrillic: Конда, fl. March 1804–d. May/June 1807) was a mercenary in Alija Gušanac's Dahije detachment in the Sanjak of Smederevo who switched sides to the Serb rebels during the First Serbian Uprising, proclaimed a hero for his efforts in the Siege of Belgrade (1806).
  Konda, an Orthodox Christian, was according to his contemporary, Triantafyllos Doukas, born in the frontier of Ioannina in Epirus (now Greece). According to some, he was Greek-Aromanian. He began his military career in 1804, as a mercenary (krdžalija) in the forces of Alija Gušanac. Gušanac served the Dahije, the renegade Janissaries that took over the Sanjak of Smederevo defying the Sultan since 1801. After the slaughter of the Knezes (January 1804), the Serbs decided to rise up against the Dahije after gathering in Orašac on 14 February. They crushed the power of the Dahije by August, but some towns were still held by the Dahije. The Ottomans now turned against the Serbs, and Gušanac had by then joined the Ottomans. In March 1804, with Gušanac's forces, Konda had gone to the Morava, around Ćuprija, and from there to the city of Belgrade where he stayed until prior to autumn 1806. At that time, he had the rank of bölükbaşı (captain). Konda joined the Serb rebels three months prior to the siege of Belgrade which took place on 30 November (Saint Andrew's Day). He received the rank of bimbaša (major) in the rebel army, hence, is known as Konda Bimbaša (Конда Бимбаша) in historiography.
  
   
  The plan of penetrating the town of Belgrade, through taking over the Sava, Varoš, Stambol and Vidin gates (see Gates of Belgrade), was presented by Konda to Karađorđe. Konda, well aware of the functioning of the Ottoman guard, took the leadership over volunteers to take over the Sava gate, accompanied by Uzun-Mirko. Karađorđe decided with the commanders that the attack is carried out on Saint Andrew's Day, during Eid al-Fitr when the attention of the guards was lower. Rebel colons were set on each gate, to storm after the gate was taken, commanded by Miloje Petrović-Trnavac, Sima Marković, Vasa Čarapić, Stanoje Glavaš and Vule Ilić. At the estimated time, Konda, Uzun-Mirko, Petar Sremac, Nikola Stambolija, Karlovalija, Dragić and Mladen headed out, followed by a detachment of volunteers, and then the main colon of Miloje Petrović. Since they arrived unnoticed at the gate, Konda and Uzun-Mirko first climbed the rampart and jumped over the palisade and headed towards the guards on a bypassing road. Met by an Ottoman patrol, they presented themselves as krdžalije, then proceeded to the town gates and guards where they divided into two groups. Uzun-Mirko and Konda attacked the guards, and the rest broke into the gate locks with axes. In the fight, Uzun-Mirko received two wounds, and Konda five, but they kept on. Even though shots were fired, the Turks in the town and at the rest of the gates did not suspect that a Serbian attack was in question, but that shots were fired for the holiday. After taking over the first gates, commandos went toward the Varoš Gate, at which time the Turks were alarmed. Most of the Turks tried to reach the Upper Fortress (Kalemegdan), while the resistance was provided by the krdžalije. Uzun-Mirko and Konda also fought on the Varoš Gate, while Vasa Čarapić died taking over the Stambol Gate, and Stanoje Glavaš and Vule Ilić penetrated through the Vidin Gate, after which the rebels easily took over the town towards Kalemegdan. According to another account, mentioned by Petar Jokić, Konda and Uzun-Mirko first entered a caravanserai (inn) prior to the attack, as they knew Turkish they were unsuspicious; their fighters, not knowing that their leaders were not present while approaching the rampart entered a conflict with Turks, at which time Konda and Uzun-Mirko fought the Turks in the inn.
  After taking over Belgrade, Konda looked after his wounds in the former shelter of dahija Aganlija. After recuperating, he returned to the battlefield. Konda fell at the Battle of Loznica (1807) (as mentioned by Doukas and Dositej Obradović). Milan Milićev
caption: Illustration of Belgrade during the siege. The Sava Gate, taken over by Konda and Uzun-Mirko, is the southernmost gate, by the Sava river.
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