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Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro

Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro
1696–1852
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Montenegro in Europe, 19th century
Capital Cetinje
Languages Slavo-Serbian (written)
Serbian
Religion Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Government Ecclesiastical principality (1696–1767, 1773–1852)
Prince-bishop
 •  1696–1735 Danilo I (first)
 •  1851–1852 Danilo II (last)
Legislature Assembly of Montenegro and the Hills
History
 •  Establishment 1696
 •  Secularisation to principality¹ 13 March 1852
Area
 •  1851 5,475 km² (2,114 sq mi)
Currency Montenegrin perun (proposed)
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Montenegro Vilayet
Principality of Montenegro
Today part of  Montenegro

Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro (Serbian: Митрополство Црногорско / Mitropolstvo Crnogorsko) was аn ecclesiastical principality that existed from 1696 until 1852. It emerged from the Serbian Orthodox bishops of Cetinje, later metropolitans, who renounced Ottoman overlordship and transformed the parish of Cetinje to a Russian de facto protectorate, ruling as Metropolitans (vladika, also rendered "Prince-Bishop"). The history starts with Danilo Šćepčević, a bishop of Cetinje who united several clans of Montenegro into fighting the Ottoman Empire that had occupied most of southeastern Europe. Danilo was the first of the House of Petrović-Njegoš to occupy the office as Metropolitan of Cetinje until 1851, when Montenegro became a secular state (principality) under Danilo I Petrović-Njegoš. Also, it became a brief monarchy when it was temporary abolished 1767–1773, when impostor Little Stephen, posed as Russian Emperor and crowned himself Lord of Montenegro.

The state was virtually the Metropolitanate of Zeta under the supervision of the Petrović-Njegoš family. The name mostly used in historiography is "Metropolitanate of Cetinje" or "Cetinje Metropolitanate" (Цетињска митрополија). The highest office-holder of the polity was the Metropolitan (vladika, also rendered "prince-bishop"). Metropolitan Danilo I (1696–1735) called himself "Danil, Metropolitan of Cetinje, Njegoš, Duke of the Serb land" („Данил, владика цетињски, Његош, војеводич српској земљи..."). When Bjelopavlići and the rest of the Hills was joined into the state during the rule of Peter I, it was officially called "Black Mountain (Montenegro) and the Hills" (Црна Гора и Брда).


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