The Niš rebellion (; ) was a short-lived Christian uprising (5–26 April 1841) that broke out in the Ottoman nahiya (sub-districts) of Niš, Pirot, Vranje and Toplica, today in Serbia. At that time, it was known as the Bulgarian revolt.There was also considerable unrest among peasants in the Danubian Principalities, and in 1841, three separate uprisings in Bulgaria. The Bulgarian 1841 uprising at Nish, on the Serbian frontier, was especially serious. For more see: Robert Justin Goldstein, Political Repression in 19th Century Europe, Routledge, 2013, , p. 173.Jeffrey S. Dixon, Meredith Reid Sarkees, A Guide to Intra-state Wars: An Examination of Civil, Regional, and Intercommunal Wars, 1816-2014; Correlates of war series; CQ Press, 2015, , p. 257. In Serbian historiography it is regarded as a Serbian revolt,Dusan T. Bataković, The Foreign Policy of Serbia (1844-1867): IIija Garašanin's Načertanije, Institut des etudes balkaniques, 2014, , p. 111. while in Bulgarian historiography as a Bulgarian rebellion.Петър Иванов Чолов, Българските въоръжени чети и отряди през ХІХ век, Акад. изд. проф. Марин Дринов, 2003, , стр. 31-34.Revolutions in the Balkans, Revolts and Uprisings in the Era of Nationalism (1804-1908), Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Athens, pp. 27-28. and Südosteuropäische Hefte, 3 (2014) 1, pp. 163-166.According to Nenad Stefanov, PhD in history at Humboldt University of Berlin, the rebellions between 1836 and 1840 in the area of Niš, Pirot and Belogradčik are object of contention between a nationally centered Serbian and Bulgarian historical narrative, both sides claiming they to be a manifestation of Bulgarian national consciousness or respectively loyalty of the rebels to Miloš Obrenović in a Serbian national historiography. He claims, by conceptualizing the relationship of Obrenović to the rebellion not as the protagonist of any national idea, but as one political actor, acting in this concrete context, is possible to avoid a strictly nationalist views. A lot of sources related to the activity of Prince Miloš, shows his interaction and cooperation with the Ottoman authorities, in order to restrain this revolt. For more see: Revolutions in the Balkans, Revolts and Uprisings in the Era of Nationalism (1804-1908), Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Athens, pp. 27-28. and Südosteuropäische Hefte, 3 (2014) 1, pp. 163-166.

Rebellion and suppression The rebellion was led by Miloje Jovanović and Nikoča Srndaković Srndak. It was rapid, large and forceful, relatively unexpected by the Ottomans with initial combat successes. Ali Riza, a special commissioner sent to negotiate with the rebels, in a report sent to Istanbul, referred to the Bulgarians who dared intending to achieve supposed independence like that of the Serbs.Bulgarlarin Sirplular gibi guya serbestiyet tahsil etmek zu'mile mütecasir olduklari hareket-i isyaniyeleri. Inalcik, op. cit., p. 67, note 2.Игор Дамянов. „Нишкото въстание през 1841 година и европейската дипломация“. второ издание, издателство „Труд“, 2005, , Увод. During the rebellion, the Ottomans burnt down 225 villages.

Aftermath After the suppression of the rebellion, protests against Ottoman rule continued until September 1842.Sandra Halperin, War and Social Change in Modern Europe: The Great Transformation Revisited, 2004, Cambridge University Press, , p. 345. Around 10,000 people fled to the Principality of Serbia and the Ottoman government appealed for their return. As a result, Miloš Obrenović I of Serbia took a hand in arranging it.Stojančević, Narodnooslobodilački Pokret u Niškom Kraju, 1833, i, 1834/35 g.', Istoriski Casopis, V, (1954-1955), p. 431; S. Dimitrov, 'S'rbiia i V'stanicheski Dvizheniia v Zapadna B'lgariia ot 30te—40te godini na XIX vek,' Studia Balcanica, II, Prouchvaniia po Sluchai Vtoriia Mezhdunaroden Kongres po Balkanistika, (1970), pp. 258-261 and 263.Mark Pinson, Ottoman Bulgaria in the First Tanzimat Period — The Revolts in Nish (1841) and Vidin (1850) (Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 11, No 2 (May, 1975), pp. 103-146).Vladimir Stojančević (1988). Serbia and the Bulgarians, 1804-1878. Просвета. стр. 126: Избио велики народни устанак 1841 године у бугарским крајевима на територији видинског пашалука, кнез Михаило није могао помоћи, као што није помогао ни устанак српског становништва у крајевима нишког санџака. [...] У јавности овај устанак је познат као буна хришћана, и премда је то био оружани антитурски покрет и српског и бугарског становништва [...], убрзо се у Европу одомаћио назив „бугарска буна". Jérôme-Adolphe Blanqui wrote Voyage en Bulgarie (Voyage in Bulgaria), a report of a mission given by French authorities to investigate the real causes of the Niš revolt.E. D. Tanır, “The mid-nineteenth century Ottoman Bulgaria from the viewpoints of the French travelers,” M.S. - Master of Science, Middle East Technical University, 2005. Notes

See also Battle of Čegar Niš conspiracy (1821) Bulgarians in Serbia

References

Sources

Недељковић, С. "Учешће Арбанаса у гушењу Нишке буне 1841. године. У: С. Недељковић (Прир.)." Устанци и побуне Срба у Турској у XIX векуповодом 170. година од избијања Нишке буне (2012): 7-24. Tanzimat ve Sosyal Direnişler Niş İsyanı Üzerine Ayrıntılı Bir İnceleme (1841)