Grahovo (Serbian Cyrillic: Грахово) is a field and historical region in western Montenegro. The region's area roughly comprises , west of Rudine, in the centre between Petrovići and Cuce, from the top of Orjen mountain to the west of the Ostrog Monastery.
Etymology The name Grahovo is composed of Serbo-Croatian grah (bean) (from Proto-Slavic *gorxъ) and -ovo (from Proto-Slavic *-ovъ), a suffix used in Slavic languages to indicate a placename, thereby making the name of Grahovo, 'place of beans'.
Geography Grahovo field is a small karst field in the northwestern part of Montenegro, not far from the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina northeast of Orjen. It covers an area of , stretches for and is wide. The altitude of the field is . It is close to the Risan Bay, which is away. Northeast of the field is the vast karst plateau of Katun Karst and Banjan, and to the west rises Orjen () and its branches.
The field was formed in limestones of Cretaceous age, on the border with dolomites, and its bottom was covered with fluvioglacial deposits of the Orient Glacia, with an average thickness of . Grahovo field belongs to the group of periodically flooded karst fields, so there are well-developed industries such as farming and livestock.
The Grahovo river flows through it, on which an artificial lake for watering was built. It has an average temperature of in January and in July. The annual rainfall is . The fields occupy 50% of the field area, and the rest are meadows.
On the northern edge of the field is the springs of Grabovica, Grahovo River and Čeline. There is also an archeological site in the field - the Petkovići necropolis and the Grahovo settlement. A Stećak can be found in the Saint Nikola Church of Grahovo.
In the past, the borders to the south and east were different. The region was inhabited by the Riđani a tribe-clan that had assimilated or migrated by the end of the 17th century. Mountain ranges, Mt. Njegoš and Mt. Somina form a natural border to the north. Brekovac, Bratogošti, and Tisovac extend down to Trebišnjica and Bilećko Lake from the northwest to the southwest border. The southern and eastern boundaries of Banjani travel over hilly terrain, with no major natural barriers.
The Region of Grahovo is determined by the following settlements that were part of the Municipality which was abolished in 1960, The settlements are Balosave, Bare, Broćanac, Vilusi, Grahovac, Grahovo, Gornje Polje, Dolovi, Zagora, Zaslap, Jabuke, Nudo, Podbužer, Riječani and Spila.
History Pre-Slavic The Western Goths invaded this area in 459, and the Eastern Goths conquered 488/489; years and managed it for about half a century (488–536), when it became part of the Byzantine state again.The movements of various peoples were constantly taking place. Already at the end of VI and start of the 7th century; after the destruction of Doclea (602), and the areas of the Slavs, who penetrate the Balkan Peninsula and inhabit it.The geographical names of settlements and buildings also speak of these diameters. Sites that have survived to this day, and bear the Illyrian-Romanesque or some mixed Illyrian-Romanesque and Slavic names (Balosave, Broćanac, Bobijerna, Deljevac, Droškorica, Katalina, Kurjaj, Mirotin, Maočići, Skorča, Gora, Tospude, etc.). It is interesting that the names of the villages and some larger ones localities (except Vilus and Spila) Slavic: Grahovo, Grahovac, Zaslap. Rijeka, Bara and so on. Slavs form their own social organizations. Among the most earlier it mentions Onogost (after the priest Dukljanin, created in the time of X to XII centuries).
Pre-Ottoman History Grahovo was first mentioned in 1318, then in a Kotor document in 1377, and then again in 1399. Vilusi was mentioned in a Kotor Document in 1440. During the medieval period, it was inhabited by the Mataruge tribe. The region was settled by the Riđani specifically the territories of Krivošije and Cerovo Ždrijelo near Grahovo. According to traditional belief, the tribe Riđani and other brotherhoods extensively tried to emigrate towards the fertile lands of the Grahovo field, However they faced resistance from the Mataruge natives. Mataruge attacked settlers and travelers on the Risan-Grahovo route.
Ottoman History During the times of the Ottoman Empire, After the establishment of the Nahija of Riđani, its seat was in Grahovo. The tribe was governed by its vojvoda (of Drobnjaci and Banjani) or by their knez (Prince of Riđani). In 1466 the subaşi of Riđani was Širmerd. In 1469 Riđani were one of the "Vlach" tribes that participated in the kidnapping of a young male and female population of Konavle and Herzegovina. They sold them to Ottoman subaşi, vojvodas, martoloses and Muslims in Trebinje who sold them as slaves. Riđani were registered in the first Ottoman defter (tax registry) of the Sanjak of Herzegovina, as part of the Novi kadiluk (modern-day Herceg Novi). One of the knezes (princes) of Riđani in the Ottoman period was Sinan, who was also chieftain of Banjani, and son-in-law of Ali Paša Hercegović.
In 1499 the Church of Saint Nikola was built by the Vujačić, Bulajić and Vučetić brotherhoods, remains in the time of the Risan prince Mirko Vujačić, when it was built by Ragusan investors.
In 1614, Mariano Bolizza wrote that Grahovo was situated in a beautiful plain, and commanded by Mile Perin. The settlement had 90 houses, out of which 70 were of the Serbian rite, and 20 were Turkish (Muslim). The town had 200 men in arms.
Grahovo remained part of the Ottoman Empire from 1465 until 1858
Venetian-Turkish conflicts In 1649 the tribes of Nikšići, Riđani and Drobnjaci rebelled against the Ottomans capturing Risan, and Grahovo. This had been the first time Grahovo was ever liberated from Ottoman rule, Thus handing it over to the Republic of Venice. In mid-17th century their chieftain was Radul of Riđani. Riđani distinguished themselves in the struggle against the Ottomans, particularly during the late 17th-century Morean War. Riđani slowly fled west to Herzegovina, especially after the Ottomans established Nikšić as their stronghold, while remnants of Riđani with newly immigrated Uskoks formed three tribal societies: Krivošije, Grahovo and Nikšićke Rudine.
In 1687, A Prince named Ilija Balotić from the Drobnjaci tribe sent a letter to the town of Grahovo which according to him he would relieve the town and provide it with 100 families, of which 200 men were able to fight in the war. Another one of his writings conclude that he would attempt to strengthen the Grahovo field with 500 Soldiers, as to which they would guard places which were the most important. It was ordered by Ilija Balotić that with the Nikšići tribe, which demanded to have high salaries, that they would move into the Grahovo field on the day of Saint Nikola. The settlers will build and share homes with each other which will be organized and supported by Calvary Bolica, and Captain Krsto Zmajević from Perast. Since they showed their loyalty to the Campaign.
The joint Montenegrin-Venetian forces took control of Grahovo for 13 years, During their reign, Grahovo became an operation base for their troops in Herzegovina where they launched many attacks in Korjenići and Gacko. Grahovo remained under Venice until 1699 when the Ottomans at the Treaty of Karlowitz.
The significance of the attack on the Herzegovinian Turks was undertaken in 1738 by the citizens of Grahovo, Pivljani, Moračani, and Drobnjaci. The Riđani, as an old tribe, once inhabited the area from the togost to the glaciers above Risan. In anti-Turkish movements throughout the 17th century, especially in the Morean War, the tribe played a prominent role. Since the founding of the Turkish city in Niksic, it has begun, like the Niksic tribe, to weaken and displace, mostly in other parts of Herzegovina. From the rest of the population and new settlers, Uskoks, three smaller tribal groups were formed from the middle of the eighteenth century - Krivošije, Grahovo, and Nikšić Rudine, while a part of the territory of Riđa was appropriated by Čevljani and Cuce. The name Riđani remained in the name of only one village in the Nikšić field. The karst area of Grahovo, which stretches between Krivošije, Cuce, Banjani, and Nikšićki Rudini, was, as a border zone, the reason for frequent conflicts between Montenegrins and Turks. After the conflicts of 1836, 1852, and 1858.
Grahovo Drama Main articles: Battle of Grahovo, Battle of GrahovacAfter the rise of Petar II Petrović-Njegoš to power in the Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro, members of the Grahovo tribe, led by vojvoda Jakov Daković refused to pay haraç to the Ottoman authorities and joined the rest of Montenegrins in guerrilla warfare in Ottoman-controlled Herzegovina, expressing the desire to unite with Montenegro. In response, Ali-paša Rizvanbegović, vizier of Herzegovina, attacked Grahovo in 1836 known as the Battle of Grahovo. The battle that ensued took place when a band of around 300 young men led by Joko Petrović-Njegoš, arrived at Grahovo and decided to attack the Ottoman army without waiting for reinforcements. The Ottomans retreated at first, and then ambushed the Montenegrins near the Čelina stream (Čelinski Potok), resulting in Ottoman victory and 70 Montenegrin casualties, including nine members of the House of Petrović-Njegoš, including the Prince-Bishop's teenage brother.
Four years after the Montenegrin defeat at Grahovo, seeking revenge for the death of his brother, Njegoš plotted the assassination of Smail-aga with the assistance of the local Christians from Herzegovina who lived on the territory under Smail-aga's control. Njegoš ordered a Montenegrin tribal leader, Novica Cerović, to ambush Smail-aga Čengić, the Ottoman commander who was responsible for killing Njegoš's brother Joko.
In late September 1840, Montenegrins attracted Čengić and his army deep into their territory, organized an ambush, and murdered them by attacking their camp during the night. The assault occurred in the village of Mljetičak, north of Nikšić. In the ensuing clash, Smail-aga was shot and killed, after which his severed head was brought to Cetinje. As a sign of his gratitude, Njegoš made Cerović a senator.
On 28 April 1858 Ottoman commander Hussein Pasha captured the villages of Vilusi and Grahovo and continued his advance towards Grahovac, a small village located on a plateau elevated slightly above the captured area. The core of Montenegrin resistance was in Grahovac, which was the main bastion of Montenegrin defense according to military plans. The fighting itself started on 29 April, early in the morning. The Ottomans attacked Grahovac while Montenegrins were stubbornly defending, determined not to retreat at any cost. Most of 3,000 Ottoman and 1,000 Montenegrin casualties were made on that day. On 30 April, Hussein Pasha offered a truce to Montenegrin commander-in-chief Grand Duke Mirko Petrović-Njegoš, but he refused it, although he did allow the Ottomans time to bury their dead. He also refused to send men to disrupt the Ottomans supply of water. Although this would have given him a tactical advantage, he considered it a dishonourable move.