Petrović-Njegoš

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Coat of arms of the royal family of Montenegro

The Petrović-Njegoš family was the fourth dynasty, after Vojislavljević , Balšić and Crnojević , in the period from 1697 to 1918, first as bishops ( Vladika ), from 1852 as princes and from 1910 as kings, the rulers of Montenegro . After the village of Njeguši ("Njegusch" or "Njegosch"), near Cetinje in Montenegro, the ruling family of the Petrović received the nickname Njegosch or Njegoš .

Even after the Turkish conquest of the Balkans in the 15th century, the tribes of Montenegro, who retained their old patriarchal social structure, lived more or less independently. The Ottomans contented themselves with a pro forma suzerainty over Montenegro. The unifying symbolic authority among the tribes became the bishop (Vladika) of Cetinje . A form of theocracy of its own developed under the bishops in Montenegro , which, however, could only function with the consent of the leading clans of Montenegro. The ecclesiastical office was inherited from 1697 within the Petrović family; from this emerged in the 19th century the Montenegrin princely dynasty of the Petrovići.

  • Danilo I. , 1696-1735. Was founded by the Serbian Patriarch Arsenije III. Čarnojević was appointed bishop of Cetinje. Unified the mountain tribes and established a semi-independent state of Montenegro .
  • Sava II. , 1735–1781, together with
  • Vasilije , 1750-1766;
  • The reign of the false Tsar Šćepan Mali (Stefan the Little) , 1767–1773, did not belong to the Petrović family;
  • Arsenije Plamenac , 1781, † 1784;
  • Petar I. Petrović-Njegoš , 1784 to 1830. Fought war against the Ottomans as well as the French , pacified the hill tribes like his predecessors and tried to abolish blood vengeance. Issued the first written law book in Montenegro in 1796. Tried in Europe and especially in Russia to popularize the idea of ​​a Serbian tsarist empire, with the Russian Romanovs as the Serbian tsars.
  • Petar II. Petrović-Njegoš , 1813–1851. Died very early at the age of 38. One of the most important Montenegrin poets, wrote a. a. The Mountain Wreath , The False Tsar Šćepan the Little, etc. Administratively laid the foundations for a modern state in Montenegro.
  • Danilo II. Petrović-Njegoš , 1851–1860. Last prince-bishop (1852) and since then, as Danilo I, the first secular prince of Montenegro. Triumphed over the Ottomans at Grahovo in 1858. Was killed in an assassination attempt ( blood revenge ) in Kotor in 1860.
  • Nikola I. Petrović-Njegoš , 1860–1910 prince and 1910–1918 king of Montenegro. With him the rule of his dynasty ended. Montenegro was incorporated into the SHS state in1918. The brilliant roles of five of his pretty daughters in the European aristocracy made him “Europe's father-in-law”.
  • Mirko Petrović-Njegoš (second son of Nikola Petrović Njegoš) remained in Montenegro in 1916 as the only member of the dynasty, which was interpreted by some as an attempt at a separate peace solution with Austria-Hungary (with or without the knowledge of his father). Died in Austria during the war in 1918 and was buried in Vienna's central cemetery.
  • Danilo Petrović (eldest son of Nikola Petrović), Hereditary Prince or Crown Prince of Montenegro. After the death of his father in French exile in 1921 he was proclaimed “King of Montenegro”, but after a few days renounced all claims in favor of his nephew Mihajlo. Died in 1939.
  • Mihajlo Petrović-Njegoš (son of Prince Mirko and grandson of King Nikolas), who was proclaimed “King of Montenegro” in exile in 1921, which, however, became almost meaningless in 1922 when the government in exile collapsed. Died in France in 1986.
  • Nikola Petrović-Njegoš , b. 1944 , son of the titular king Michael, current pretender to the throne .