Novica Cerović | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | 1895 (aged 89–90) Tušina,
Principality of Montenegro |
Nationality | Montenegrin |
Novica Cerović ( Serbian Cyrillic: Новица Цepoвић; 1805–1895) was a Montenegrin vojvoda (duke) of the Drobnjak clan, [1] who is noted as having defeated and killed a local Ottoman tyrant, Smail-aga Čengić, on the auspices of Petar II Petrović-Njegoš, the Prince-Bishop of Montenegro. He later became a senator in the Montenegrin government. [2]
Cerović was born in Tušina, a village near Šavnik in the Drobnjaci clan, then part of the Ottoman Empire (today in Montenegro). His most noted act was leading a successful assault to kill local Ottoman tyrant Smail-aga Čengić under the auspices of Petar II Petrović-Njegoš [3] thereby freeing parts of Herzegovina from the Ottoman Empire and joining them to the Principality of Montenegro.
His heroism and the death of Smail-aga Čengić was the theme of Ivan Mažuranić's poem Smrt Smail-age Čengića, an epic poem celebrating the struggle for freedom.
There is a tower in Tušina named after him (the Tower of Duke Novica Cerović).