Νὰ τρέξ΄ ἀπὸ τὴν Μπόσνα, καὶ ὡς τὴν Ἀραπιά.
“We will light a flame throughout the Turkish lands
That will spread from Bosnia to Arabia.”
Rigas Feraios
It is fair to say that the Serbians had a stake in the Greek Revolution and the Independence of Greece, even prior to 25 March 1821, with leaders of the Serbian people and key protagonists in, or veterans of the Serbian revolt, such as Serbian revolutionary leader Karadjordje, becoming sworn members of the Filiki Etairia.
Indeed, when the Greek Revolution was proclaimed, not in Greece, but in Moldavia in February 1821, Prince Alexander Ypsilanti’s forces were comprised of mixed Greek and Serbian fighters. Some of these were known for their ferocity. Captain Milenko Stojković, was renowned for having killed the Ottoman notables Aganlija, Kucuk Alija, Mula Jusuf and Mehmed Focic, responsible for the killing of Serbian Princes that triggered the First Serbian Uprising, arrived in Moldavia with his band of Serbian fighters and placed himself under Ypsilantis’ command. Petar Dobrnjac who had distinguished himself previously by defeating Ibrahim Bushati, pasha of Scutari at the battle of Deligrad and was one of the most important men in Serbian society, followed suit. Mladen Milovanović, prior to crossing the Danube to fight with Ypsilantis, served as the Prime Minister of Serbia and as a first Minister of Defence. The fearsome Prodan Gligorijević, known as Hadži-Prodan, on the other hand, after fighting in the First Serbian Revolt and another revolt he instigated of his own accord in 1814, also joined forces with Ypsilantis in 1821 in Wallachia, while mention is also made by chroniclers of an archimandrite “Servos”, probably his ethnonym, who also arrived from Serbia to fight for the Greek cause.