Danilo I | |||||
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Prince-Bishop of Montenegro, Prince of Montenegro |
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Prince Danilo I
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Reign | 1851–1852 as Prince-Bishop 1852–1860 as Prince |
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Predecessor |
Peter II (as Prince-Bishop of Montenegro) |
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Successor | Nicholas I | ||||
Born |
Njeguši, Montenegro |
May 25, 1826||||
Died | August 13, 1860 Kotor, Austria-Hungary |
(aged 34)||||
Spouse | Darinka Kvekić | ||||
Issue | Princess Olga | ||||
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House | Petrović-Njegoš | ||||
Father | Stanko Petrović-Njegoš | ||||
Mother | Krstinja Vrbica | ||||
Religion | Eastern Orthodox |
Full name | |
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Danilo I Petrović-Njegoš |
Danilo Petrović Njegoš (Cyrillic: Данило Петровић Његош; 25 May 1826 – 13 August 1860), was the Metropolitan or Prince-Bishop of Montenegro (as Danilo II) and later prince of Montenegro from 1851 to 1860 (as Danilo I). During his reign, Montenegro became a secular state, a lay principality instead of a bishopric-principality.
He became involved in a war with the Ottoman Empire in 1852, the Porte claiming jurisdiction in Montenegro, and the boundaries between the two countries were not defined until 1858. Danilo, with the help of his elder brother, Voivode Mirko, defeated the Ottomans at Ostrog in 1853 and in the Battle of Grahovac in 1858. The town of Danilovgrad is named after him.
When Petar II Petrović-Njegoš died, the Senate, under the influence of Đorđije Petrović (the wealthiest Montenegrin at the time), proclaimed Petar II's elder brother Pero Tomov Petrović as Prince (not bishop, or Vladika). Nevertheless, in a brief struggle for power, Pero, who commanded the support of the Senate, lost to the much younger Danilo who had much more support among people.
Prior to the determination of Petar II's successor, after making peace between the Crmnica and Katunjani tribes, and being recognized by all of the Montenegrin clans except for the Bjelopavlići, Danilo traveled to Vienna, Austrian Empire and then to the Russian Empire, supposedly to be ordained as Vladika, not Prince. After Danilo returned from Russia in 1852, he took Pero and his supporters by surprise, bringing with him the endorsement from Nicholas I of Russia to become the Prince of Montenegro. Thus somewhat unexpectedly, Danilo became prince and Pero conceded defeat by returning to his position as president of the Senate.