Ilija Garašanin Илија Гарашанин |
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Representative of the Prince of Serbia | |
In office 22 April 1852 – 26 March 1853 |
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Monarch | Alexander I |
Preceded by | Avram Petronijević |
Succeeded by | Aleksa Simić |
President of the Ministry of Serbia | |
In office 21 October 1861 – 15 November 1867 |
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Monarch | Michael I |
Preceded by | Filip Hristić |
Succeeded by | Jovan Ristić |
Personal details | |
Born |
Garaši, Ottoman Empire |
28 January 1812
Died | 22 June 1874 Grocka, Serbia |
(aged 62)
Nationality | Serbian |
Ilija Garašanin (Serbian Cyrillic: Илија Гарашанин; 28 January 1812 – 22 June 1874) was a Serbian politician and statesman, serving as Interior Minister and Prime Minister (1861–1867).
He is remembered for being the first Serbian politician that had a genuine political programme, working to replace the Russian protectorate over Serbia, with the joint service to all European great powers.
Ilija was born in Garaši, the son of businessman hadži Milutin Savić (nicknamed "Garašanin"), a Serbian revolutionary and member of the National Council, his mother was Pauna Loma, the sister of vojvoda Arsenije Loma.
Ilija was homeschooled with private teachers, he went to a Greek school in Zemun, and was for a time in Orahovica where he learnt German. He helped his father in business. Prince Miloš Obrenović put him in governmental work, appointing him customs officer in Višnjica, on the Danube, and later Belgrade. After serving in the regular army, Knez Miloš promoted him to colonel in 1837, he commanded the regular army and military police.
His father was part of the Defenders of the Constitution, who managed to overthrow Miloš Obrenović and appointed Aleksandar Karađorđević in his place (Aleksandar was the son of Karađorđe, who was assassinated by Obrenović in 1817). In 1842 his father and brother were killed in fights with knez Mihailo. Toma Vučić, his father's colleague and Interior Minister, appointed Ilija his assistant, and in 1843, when Toma was exiled by Russia, he became the new Interior Minister.