Obilic Milos: the feat of the Serbian hero

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:46

Serbian national hero Obilic Milos became famous for his feat during the Battle of Kosovo. Due to the lack of documents relating to his era, many facts of his biography are unknown.

Obilic's personality

Serb Obilic Milos dedicated his life to military affairs. The exact date of his birth is unknown. He lived in the second half of the 14th century, when his native country was under attack from the Ottoman Empire. This state became an increasing threat to the inhabitants of the Balkans. Previously, the Byzantine Empire served as a shield between East and West. When Obilic Milos became a knight (junak), this state was already hopelessly weakened. Byzantium had to fall - it was only a matter of time.

The Ottomans, without waiting for the capture of Constantinople, began to conquer the states located on the Balkan Peninsula. In 1366, the Bulgarian Tsar Shishman III was the first to recognize his dependence on the Sultan. Then came the turn of Serbia. At this time, Obilic Milos served as a knight under Prince Lazar.

In 1387, the first serious battle took place between Serbs and Turks. The battle took place on the banks of the Toplitsa River. The Slavs managed to defeat the enemy army. However, the threat of a second invasion has not gone away.

Turkish invasion

The medieval history of Serbia is full of civil strife and wars of feudal lords among themselves. They (bans) stubbornly fought among themselves, challenging the primacy in the country. Internal wars prevented the state from rallying its forces for a decisive war against the real threat - the Ottoman Empire. For the Slavs, the recognition of dependence on the Sultan could be a fatal catastrophe. The Turks differed not only on a national basis, they were also Muslims, which did not bode well for the Serbian Orthodox Church and the entire mentality of the people.

Turkish Sultan Murad I quickly regained his strength after the defeat on the Toplice River. He owned the human and natural resources of all of Asia Minor. Fragmented Serbia was noticeably weaker compared to his power. In the summer of 1389, the Turkish army again invaded the Slavic principality. The decisive battle took place on July 15 in Kosovo. Among the defenders of his Fatherland was Milos Obilic. The biography of this knight until that time remained little known. But it was on the Kosovo field that he immortalized his name.

Battle of Kosovo

Prince Lazar's army lined up on the banks of the Lab River. This water artery crossed the Kosovo field, at the opposite end of which was the Ottoman squad. There were also Bosnians and representatives of some other small Balkan peoples in the Serb army. Later, they will betray Lazarus, which will complete his defeat.

Until this day, the history of Serbia has not yet known such fateful battles. Even when her people were independent position on Byzantium, it was only for the benefit of the nation, since it was the Greeks who gave them literacy and many cultural realities. The Turks could have simply destroyed the Serbs.

The army of Sultan Murad directed its main blow to the right flank, where the best Slavic warriors were. Among them was Milos Obilic, whose years of life were spent in constant battles and battles.

Murder of the Sultan

At first, the Serbs successfully repulsed the attacks of the Ottomans. However, the Sultan continued to bring into battle all the new reserves, which the Slavs did not have due to a lack of people. Gradually, the Turks began to push their enemies.

Obilich, realizing that defeat would be a disaster for the Motherland, decided on a desperate act. He surrendered to the Turks. Yunak was brought to the Sultan's tent to swear allegiance to him. Obilic said that he converted to Islam and wanted to serve Murad. As a sign of his humility, the Serb had to kiss the Sultan's foot. However, at the decisive moment, the unarmed Milo Obilic suddenly pulled out a poisoned dagger from his sleeve. A fatal blow followed that took Murad's life.

Defeat of the Slavs

The Serb hoped that the death of the sovereign would bring confusion to the ranks of the Ottomans. However, this did not happen. At the decisive moment, the Turks learned that their army was headed by the Sultan's son Bayezid. The battle continued at the same pace. The Serbs were defeated. They were also defeated because of the betrayal of some fleeing feudal lords and Bosnians.

Defeat in Kosovoremains the main national catastrophe for all this South Slavic people. After the battle, the Serbs were helpless before the Turkish expansion. Murad's successors gradually took away freedom from the principality and finally annexed it to the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century.

Milos Obilic is known in historiography as the greatest hero of his people, who decided to sacrifice himself for the illusory hope of defeating the invaders. It is not known exactly how he died, one can only guess. Either the bodyguards chopped him up on the spot, or the knight was executed later after numerous sadistic tortures.

Order of the Dragon

Interestingly, Serbian folklore also credits Obilić with the creation of the knightly order of St. George. It included the twelve best warriors in the country. The symbol of a closed society was a shield with the image of a bright sun. Another distinctive sign of the order was the dragon, which was painted on helmets.

There are several points of view about the further fate of the organization after the tragic death of Obilich. All the knights of the order were on the battlefield and died in the slaughter. Only one comrade-in-arms of Milos survived - Stefan Lazarevich. Wounded, he was miraculously sent home. Later he went to the service of the Hungarian king Sigismund. The knight hoped that the neighboring monarch would help the Serbs in their fight against the Ottomans. At the beginning of the 15th century, Sigismund recreated the Order of the Dragon in the image of the community that existed under Obilic. The issue of its succession remains debatable.