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Husein Gradaščević

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Military People

   Husein-kapetan Gradaščević (1802 – August 17, 1834) was a Bosniak
   general who fought for Bosnian autonomy in the Ottoman Empire. He is
   often referred to as "Zmaj od Bosne", meaning "Dragon of Bosnia", a
   title he may have invented himself. Gradaščević was born in Gradačac in
   1802 and grew up surrounded by a political climate of turmoil in the
   western reaches of the Ottoman Empire. When his brother Murat was
   poisoned by a rival in 1821, Gradaščević rose to the head of the
   Gradačac military captaincy. The young Husein developed a reputation
   for wise rule and tolerance and soon became one of the most popular
   figures in Bosnia.
   Coin featuring Husein Gradaščević from the 19th century
   Enlarge
   Coin featuring Husein Gradaščević from the 19th century

   In 1831 Gradaščević was called upon to lead the movement for Bosnian
   autonomy. He overthrew the loyalist vizier and other anti-rebellion
   figures, becoming the de facto ruler of the Ottoman Bosnia Province (
   eyalet) in the process. On July 18 of the same year, Gradaščević met a
   large force commanded by the grand vizier himself near Štimlje
   (Shtimje) in Kosovo and dealt a heavy defeat to the imperial army. At
   that point, he decided to turn back from further campaigns and returned
   to Bosnia where he was proclaimed the new vizier by his soldiers on
   September 12. By 1832, however, the tide of the rebellion had turned.
   After a series of smaller clashes, the decisive battle occurred on the
   17th and 18th of May outside Sarajevo. Initially successful, the rebels
   were eventually defeated when Herzegovinian reinforcements arrived and
   sided with the Sultan.

   Although the Bosniak uprising would not be completely quelled for
   another 18 years, Gradaščević was forced to flee to the Austrian Empire
   on May 31. From there he negotiated for his return with the Sultan and
   was ultimately allowed back but barred from ever entering Bosnia again.
   He moved to Belgrade and then to Istanbul, where he died under
   mysterious circumstances on August 17, 1834. A legend in his own time,
   Gradaščević is considered a Bosniak national hero and one of the most
   revered figures in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Biography

Background and youth

   Location of Gradačac in modern Bosnia and Herzegovina.
   Enlarge
   Location of Gradačac in modern Bosnia and Herzegovina.

   The most widely accepted theory about the origin of the Gradaščević
   family is that they came to Bosnia from Buda. There they were said to
   be high-ranking Ottoman officials and soldiers, and even upon their
   arrival they were already known as wealthy aristocrats. They settled in
   Bosnian Posavina, as evidenced by an imperial decree that gave them
   land and military responsibilities in the region. The local peasantry
   knew them as beys and sipahis, and eventually forged a feudal
   relationship with them. Private family tradition holds that the
   Gradaščevićs were actually descendants of feudal Bosnian nobility, but
   historical sources suggest otherwise.

   The first known captain of the Gradaščević captaincy in Gradačac is
   Mehmed-kapetan, whose rule lasted until 1169 A.H. (1755–1756). The name
   of his successor is unknown, although this next captain was eventually
   succeeded by Mehmed-kapetan in 1765. (It was a common tradition among
   Bosniaks for children to be named after their paternal grandfathers).
   Mehmed-kapetan was in turn succeeded by Osman-kapetan, who was known to
   be one of the most powerful Bosnian captains of the period.
   Osman-kapetan had six male heirs. In order of birth, they were Hamza,
   Murat, Osman, Muharem, Husein, and H. Bećir. As Hamza died in 1212 A.H.
   (1797–1798) it was Murat-beg who succeeded him to the captaincy.

   Husein was born to Osman and his wife Melek-hanuma in 1802 in the
   Gradaščević family house in Gradačac. Outside of family tradition and
   folklore invented much later, little is known of his childhood. It is
   said that he spent much time around the family fort while it was
   undergoing renovations. He grew up during turbulent times and taking
   into account his father's military experience and brother Osman's
   services during the 1813 war against Serbia, young Husein surely heard
   many firsthand accounts that shaped his personality.

   Osman senior died in 1812 when Husein was merely ten years old. Certain
   scholars have argued that his mother was also dead by then, although
   some family traditions claim otherwise. By all accounts, his mother had
   a strong influence on Husein's upbringing. Upon his father's death,
   Husein deferred to his eldest brother Murat because of his age and
   status as successor to the Gradačac captaincy.

   As his status implied, Husein was well educated, learning to read and
   write at an early age. At sixteen he was taught Arabic calligraphy by
   Murat's personal scribe Mullah Mustevica, who praised his brightness
   and called him a "gifted child". In addition to this, Husein was taught
   by two dervishes. It is not known for certain whether Husein belonged
   to a dervish order but, based on his great piety and the modest
   lifestyle that he would demonstrate in the future, it is often assumed
   that he did.

   Husein married Hanifa, sister of Mahmud-kapetan of Derventa, at an
   early age. Although the exact date is unknown, his son Muhamed-beg was
   probably born no later than 1822 when Husein himself was twenty years
   old. The pair would also have a daughter, Šefika, born in 1833. Neither
   Muhamed nor Šefika were known to have had children themselves.

   In the year 1820 Murat was invited to Travnik by his rival Dželaludin-
   pasha amidst political turmoil in Bosnia. Upon his arrival, he was
   poisoned by Dželaludin and died. As Osman and Muharem had already died
   by then, Husein thus ascended to the head of the Gradačac captaincy at
   the age of eighteen.

Gradačac captaincy

   Gradačac castle. The administrative headquarters of the Gradačac
   captains.
   Enlarge
   Gradačac castle. The administrative headquarters of the Gradačac
   captains.

   When Husein took over the Gradačac captaincy, he focused most of his
   attention on administration of internal affairs. It is notable that all
   of Husein's construction projects were related to the city of Gradačac
   and its immediate area. During his rule, Gradačac further expanded its
   status as one of the most prosperous captaincies in Bosnia.

   The first and most notable construction was that of the Gradaščević
   family castle. The fort had existed for decades and was subject to
   extensive renovations since the time of Mehmed-kapetan in 1765.
   Husein's father Osman and brother Murat had done some work as well, in
   1808 and 1818 to 1819 respectively. However, the exact nature of
   Husein's contribution to the complex is unknown. The castle's tower has
   long been associated with Husein but architectural evidence points to
   the tower existing alongside the rest of the complex from earlier
   times. It seems likely that Husein was merely responsible for a
   significant renovation of the tower that lingered in the people's
   memory.

   Husein was certainly responsible for a completely new castle built
   during his rule. By all accounts, this was a large project, which
   included the construction of an artificial island surrounded by a moat
   up to 100 meters wide and of a great depth. The castle was named Čardak
   and the surrounding village quickly derived its name from it. The walls
   were of an oval shape, the entire structure being seventeen meters long
   and eight meters wide. The complex and area also included a mosque,
   wells, a fishery, and hunting grounds.

   Within the Gradačac city walls Husein's most significant contribution
   to the city was the clock tower ( Bosnian: sahat-kula) which was built
   in 1824. The object's base is 5.5 by 5.5 meters, while the height is
   21.50 meters. It was the last object of this type to be built in
   Bosnia.

   Some 40 to 50 meters outside the city walls lies Husein's greatest
   architectural contribution to Gradačac: the Husejnija mosque. Built in
   1826, it features an octagonal dome roof and a particularly high
   minaret of twenty-five meters. Three smaller octagonal domes are found
   above the verandah. Islamic decorations and artistry are seen on the
   door and surrounding wall as well as the interior. The entire complex
   is surrounded by a small stone wall and gate.

   Husein's rule in Gradačac was also notable because of his tolerance
   towards the Christian populace under his jurisdiction; both Catholic
   and Orthodox. Though social norms of the time dictated that the Ottoman
   sultan's official approval was necessary for the construction of any
   non-Islamic religious buildings, Husein approved the construction of
   several such buildings without it. A Catholic school was built in the
   village of Tolisa in 1823, followed by a large church that could hold
   1,500 people. Another two Catholic churches were built in the villages
   of Dubrave and Garevac, while an Orthodox church was built in the
   hamlet of Obudovac. During Husein's captaincy, the Christians in
   Gradačac were known to be the most satisfied in Bosnia.

   The year 1827 marked Husein's entrance into the greater Bosnian
   political scene. This was largely due to the impending Russo-Turkish
   War and his role in preparing the defense of the boundaries of the
   Province of Bosnia. Upon receiving orders from the Bosnian vizier
   Abdurahim- paša, Husein mobilized the Gradačac populace and
   strengthened his defenses. During talks held in Sarajevo between the
   vizier and the country's captains, it is said that Husein stayed the
   longest to discuss strategy. He was appointed commander of an army that
   he was to mobilize from the lands between the Drina to the Vrbas. By
   all accounts, he did a satisfactory job. However, in mid-June 1828,
   Husein had to rush to Sarajevo with a small accompanying force to get
   the vizier to safety following a revolt among the troops.

   By 1830, Husein had risen to new political heights as he was able to
   speak on behalf of all (or at least most of) the captains of Bosnia. At
   that time, he was coordinating the defense of Bosnia against a possible
   invasion by Serbia, as well as taking it upon himself to address
   Austrian authorities and warn them against any incursion across the
   Sava. The authority he wielded in the later years of his captaincy in
   Gradačac explains the great role he was to have in the years to follow.

Movement for Bosnian autonomy

The road to rebellion

   Sultan Mahmud II's actions were the catalyst for the Bosnian autonomy
   movement.
   Enlarge
   Sultan Mahmud II's actions were the catalyst for the Bosnian autonomy
   movement.

   In the late 1820s, Sultan Mahmud II reintroduced a set of reforms that
   called for further expansion of the centrally controlled army (nizam),
   new taxes and more Ottoman bureaucracy. These reforms weakened the
   special status and privileges Bosnia had historically enjoyed under the
   Ottoman Empire and coupled with the growing power and position of other
   European people under Ottoman control caused much anger and alarm.
   Contrary to popular belief, however, Gradaščević was not greatly
   opposed to these reforms.

   In 1826, when the Sultan issued a decree abolishing the janissaries in
   Bosnia, Gradaščević's immediate reaction was not unlike that of the
   rest of the Bosnian aristocracy. Gradaščević threatened that he would
   use military force to subdue anybody opposed to the Sarajevo
   janissaries. When the janissaries killed nakibul-ešraf Nurudin effendi
   Šerifović, however, his tone shifted and he rapidly distanced himself
   from their cause.

   For the rest of the 1820s, Gradaščević generally maintained good
   relations with imperial authorities in Bosnia. When Abdurahim-paša
   became vizier in 1827, Gradaščević was said to have become one of his
   more trusted advisors. This culminated in Gradaščević's large role in
   the Bosnian mobilization for the Russo-Ottoman war. Following a riot in
   the Sarajevo camp during these preparations, Gradaščević even provided
   shelter for the ousted Abdurahim-paša in Gradačac before assisting him
   in his escape from the country. Gradaščević was also relatively loyal
   to Abdurahim's successor, Namik-paša, reinforcing Ottoman garrisons in
   Šabac upon his orders.

   The turning point for Gradaščević came with the end of the
   Russo-Ottoman War and the Treaty of Adrianople on September 14, 1829.
   According to the provisions of the treaty, the Ottoman Empire had to
   grant autonomy to Serbia. In a move that outraged Bosniaks and launched
   numerous protests, newly autonomous Serbia was also given six districts
   (Bosnian: nahijas) that had traditionally belonged to Bosnia. Following
   this confiscation of historically Bosnian lands the Bosnian autonomy
   movement was born.

   Between the December 20 and December 31, 1830, Gradaščević hosted a
   gathering of Bosniak aristocrats in Gradačac. A month later, from
   January 20 to February 5, another meeting was held in Tuzla to prepare
   for the revolt. From there, a call was issued to the Bosnian populace
   asking them to rise up to the defense of Bosnia. It was then that the
   popular Husein-kapetan was unofficially chosen to head the movement.
   Further details of this meeting are murky and disputable. According to
   certain contemporary sources, the Bosniaks demanded that Istanbul:
     * Repeal the privileges granted to Serbia and, in particular, return
       the six old Bosnian districts.
     * Cease the implementation of the nizam military reforms.
     * End the governorship of Bosnia and accept the implementation of an
       autonomous Bosnian government headed by a local leader. In return,
       Bosnia would pay a yearly tribute.

The fight for autonomy

   Another outcome of the Tuzla meeting was an agreement that another
   general meeting should be held in Travnik. Since Travnik was the seat
   of the Ottoman Province of Bosnia and of the vizier, the planned
   meeting was in effect a direct confrontation with Ottoman authority.
   Gradaščević thus asked all involved to help assemble an army
   beforehand. On March 29, 1831, Gradaščević set out towards Travnik with
   some 4,000 men.
   1. Travnik, 2. Peć, 3. Priština, 4. Štimlje, 5. Sarajevo.
   Enlarge
   1. Travnik, 2. Peć, 3. Priština, 4. Štimlje, 5. Sarajevo.

   Upon hearing word of the oncoming force, Namik-paša is said to have
   gone to the Travnik fort and called the Sulejmanpašić brothers to his
   aid. When the rebel army arrived in Travnik they fired several warning
   shots at the castle, warning the vizier that they were prepared for a
   military encounter. Meanwhile, Gradaščević sent a detachment of his
   forces, under the command of Memiš- aga of Srebrenica, to meet
   Sulejmanpašić's reinforcements. The two sides met at Pirot, on the
   outskirts of Travnik, on April 7. There, Memiš-aga defeated the
   Sulejmanpašić brothers and their 2,000-man army, forcing them to
   retreat and destroying the possessions of the Sulejmanpašić family. On
   May 21, Namik-paša fled to Stolac following a short siege. Soon
   afterwards, Gradaščević proclaimed himself the Commander of Bosnia,
   chosen by the will of the people.

   Wasting no time, Gradaščević made a call on May 31 demanding that all
   aristocrats immediately join his army, along with all from the general
   populace who wished to do so. Thousands rushed to join him, among them
   being numerous Christians, who were said to comprise up to a third of
   his total forces. Gradaščević split his army in two, leaving one part
   of it in Zvornik to defend against a possible Serbian incursion. With
   the bulk of the troops he set out towards Kosovo to meet the grand
   vizier, who had been sent with a large army to quell the rebellion.
   Along the way, he took the city of Peć with a 52,000 strong Army and
   proceeded to Priština, where he set up his main camp.

   The encounter with Grand Vizier Mehmed Rashid-paša happened on July 18
   near Štimlje. Although both armies were of roughly equal size, the
   Grand Vizier's troops had superior arms. Gradaščević sent a part of his
   army under the command of Ali-beg Fidahić ahead to meet Rashid-paša 's
   forces. Following a small skirmish, Fihadić feigned a retreat. Thinking
   that victory was within reach, the Grand Vizier sent his cavalry and
   artillery into forested terrain. Gradaščević immediately took advantage
   of this tactical error and executed a punishing counterattack with the
   bulk of his forces, almost completely annihilating the Ottoman forces.
   Rashid-paša himself was injured and barely escaped with his life.
   The Tsar's Mosque in Sarajevo, where Gradaščević was officially
   proclaimed the vizier of Bosnia.
   Enlarge
   The Tsar's Mosque in Sarajevo, where Gradaščević was officially
   proclaimed the vizier of Bosnia.

   Following claims from the Grand Vizier that the Sultan would meet all
   Bosniak demands if the rebel army would return to Bosnia, Gradaščević
   and his army turned back home. On August 10 a meeting of all major
   figures in the movement for autonomy was held in Priština. At this
   meeting it was decided that Gradaščević should be declared vizier of
   Bosnia. Although Gradaščević refused at first, those around him
   insisted and he eventually accepted the honour. His new status was made
   official during an all-Bosnian congress held in Sarajevo on September
   12. In front of the Tsar's Mosque, those present swore on the Koran to
   be loyal to Gradaščević and declared that, despite potential failure
   and death, there would be no turning back.

   At this point, Gradaščević was not only the supreme military commander,
   but Bosnia's leading civilian authority as well. He established a court
   around him, and after initially making himself at home in Sarajevo, he
   moved the centre of Bosnian politics to Travnik, making it the de facto
   capital of the rebel state. In Travnik, he established a divan, a
   Bosnian congress, which together with him made up the Bosnian
   government. Gradaščević also collected taxes at this time, and executed
   various local opponents of the autonomy movement. He gained a
   reputation as a hero and a strong, brave, and decisive ruler. One
   anecdote that illustrates this is Husein-kapetan's alleged response to
   whether he was scared of waging war against the Ottoman Empire. God I
   fear slightly, Gradaščević replied, the Sultan not at all, and the
   Grand Vizier no more than my own horse.
   Map of modern Bosnia and Herzegovina. 1. Sarajevo, 2. Stolac, 3. Gacko,
   4. Trebinje. Herzegovina is shaded darker.
   Enlarge
   Map of modern Bosnia and Herzegovina. 1. Sarajevo, 2. Stolac, 3. Gacko,
   4. Trebinje. Herzegovina is shaded darker.

   During this lull in armed conflict with the Ottomans, attention was
   turned to the autonomy movement's strong opposition in Herzegovina. A
   small campaign was launched against the region from three different
   directions:
     * 1. An army from Sarajevo was ordered to attack Stolac for a final
       encounter with Namik-paša, who had fled there following
       Gradaščević's capture of Travnik.
     * 2. An army from Krajina was to assist the Sarajevan forces in this
       endeavor.
     * 3. Armies from Posavina and south Podrinje were to attack Gacko and
       local captain Smail-aga Čengić.

   As it happened, Namik-paša had already abandoned Stolac, so this attack
   was put on hold. The attack on Gacko was a failure as the forces from
   Posavina and south Podrinje were defeated by Čengić's troops. There was
   one success, however; in October, an army Gradaščević had deployed
   under the command of Ahmed-beg Resulbegović had taken over Trebinje
   from Resulbegović's loyalist cousins and other supporters of the Stolac
   opposition.

   A Bosnian delegation reached the Grand Vizier's camp in Skopje in
   November of that year. The Grand Vizier promised this delegation that
   he would insist to the Sultan that he accept the Bosniak demands and
   appoint Gradaščević as the official vizier of an autonomous Bosnia. His
   true intentions, however, were manifested by early December when he
   attacked Bosnian units stationed on the outskirts of Novi Pazar. Yet
   again, the rebel army handed a defeat to the imperial forces. Due to a
   particularly strong winter though, the Bosnian troops were forced to
   return home.

   Meanwhile in Bosnia, Gradaščević decided to carry on his campaign in
   Herzegovina despite the unfavorable climate. The captain of Livno,
   Ibrahim-beg Fidrus, was ordered to launch a final attack against the
   local captains and to thus end all domestic opposition to the autonomy
   movement. To achieve this, Fidrus first attacked Ljubuški and the local
   captain Sulejman-beg. In a significant victory, Fidrus defeated
   Sulejman-beg and secured the whole of Herzegovina except Stolac in the
   process. Unfortunately, the segment of the army that laid siege to
   Stolac itself met with failure in early March of the next year.
   Receiving information that the Bosnian ranks were depleted due to the
   winter, the captain of Stolac Ali-paša Rizvanbegović broke the siege,
   counterattacking the rebels and dispersing their forces. A force had
   already been sent towards Stolac from Sarajevo, under the command of
   Mujaga Zlatar, but was ordered back by Gradaščević on March 16 after he
   received news of a major offensive on Bosnia being planned by the Grand
   Vizier.
   Stup today: the eastern Sarajevo locality was the scene of Husein
   Gradaščević's final battle.
   Enlarge
   Stup today: the eastern Sarajevo locality was the scene of Husein
   Gradaščević's final battle.

   The Ottoman campaign began in early February. The Grand Vizier sent two
   armies: one from Vučitrn and one from Shkodër. Both armies headed
   toward Sarajevo, and Gradaščević sent an army of around 10,000 men to
   meet them. When the Vizier's troops succeeded in crossing the Drina,
   Gradaščević ordered 6,000 men under Ali-paša Fidahić to meet them in
   Rogatica while units stationed in Višegrad were to head to Pale on the
   outskirts of Sarajevo. The encounter between the two sides finally
   happened on the Glasinac plains to the east of Sarajevo, near Sokolac,
   at the end of May. The Bosnian army was led by Gradaščević himself,
   while the Ottoman troops were under the command of Kara Mahmud
   Hamdi-paša, the new imperially recognized vizier of Bosnia. In this
   first encounter, Gradaščević was forced to retreat to Pale. The
   fighting continued in Pale and Gradaščević was once again forced to
   retreat; this time to Sarajevo. There, a council of captains decided
   that the fight would continue.

   The final battle was played out on June 4 at Stup, a small locality on
   the road between Sarajevo and Ilidža. After a long, intense battle, it
   seemed Gradaščević had once again defeated the Sultan's army. Near the
   very end, however, Herzegovinian troops under the command of Ali-paša
   Rizvanbegović and Smail-aga Čengić broke through defenses Gradaščević
   had set up on his flank and joined the fighting. Overwhelmed by the
   unexpected attack from behind, the rebel army was forced to retreat
   into the city of Sarajevo itself. It was decided that further military
   resistance would be futile. Gradaščević fled to Gradačac as the
   imperial army entered the city on June 5 and prepared to march on
   Travnik. Upon realizing the difficulties that his home and family would
   experience if he stayed there, Gradaščević decided to leave Gradačac
   and continue on to Austrian lands instead.

Exile and death

   A view of the Golden Horn from Eyup Sultan Cemetery where Gradaščević
   is buried.
   Enlarge
   A view of the Golden Horn from Eyup Sultan Cemetery where Gradaščević
   is buried.

   If the choice to flee Bosnia was not already clear, the Sultan's
   furious fatwa declaring Gradaščević "no good", an "evil-doer", a
   "traitor", a "gangster" and a "rebel" may have convinced Gradaščević to
   leave. Due to various customs and procedures, however, Gradaščević's
   departure from Bosnia was held up for several days. After pleading with
   Austrian officials to ease their restrictions, Gradaščević finally
   reached the Sava River boundary with a large party of followers on June
   16. He crossed the river into Habsburg lands the same day, along with
   some 100 followers, servants, and family. Though he expected to be
   treated as a Bosnian vizier, he instead found himself held in
   quarantine in Slavonski Brod for nearly a month, with his weapons and
   many of his possessions taken away.

   Austrian officials faced constant pressure from the Ottoman government
   to move Gradaščević as far away from the border as possible. On July 4
   he was moved to Osijek where he essentially lived in internment. His
   communications with the rest of his family and social circle were
   severely limited and he complained about his treatment to the
   authorities several times. His conditions would eventually improve, and
   before he left Osijek he remarked to local officials that he had
   enjoyed his stay there. Although intensely homesick and only partially
   in control of his own destiny, Gradaščević retained his pride and
   dignity. He was said to have lived a luxurious life that included
   jousting competitions with his companions.

   In late 1832, he agreed to return to Ottoman territory to receive a
   ferman of pardon from the Sultan. The terms, read to him in Zemun, were
   very harsh, insisting that Gradaščević not only never to return to
   Bosnia, but also never to set foot on the European lands of the Ottoman
   Empire either. Disappointed, Gradaščević was forced to obey the terms
   and rode on to Belgrade. He entered the city on October 14 in the
   manner of a true vizier, riding a horse decked out in silver and gold
   and accompanied by a large procession. He was greeted as a hero by the
   Muslims in Belgrade and treated like an equal by the local pasha.
   Gradaščević stayed in the city for two months, during which his health
   deteriorated (as was documented by local doctor Bartolomeo Kunibert).
   He left the city for İstanbul in December, but as his daughter was
   still very young, his wife remained in Belgrade, joining him in the
   spring of the following year.

   In Istanbul Gradaščević lived in an old janissary barracks at atmejdan
   ( Hippodrome square) while his family lived in a separate house nearby.
   He lived a relatively quiet life for the next two years, the only
   notable event being an offer from the Sultan for Gradaščević to become
   a high-ranking pasha in the Nizami army; an offer that Gradaščević
   indignantly refused. He died on August 17, 1834. Legend has it that he
   was poisoned by imperial authorities but, considering his long failing
   health, a more probable cause might have been cholera. He was buried in
   Eyup Sultan Cemetery near the site of the old veterinary school, where
   his grave remains to this day.

Legacy

   Husein Gradaščević was a living legend in his own time. Upon his death,
   he also became something of a martyr for Bosnian pride. There was a
   well-known saying among Bosniaks that for years after his death not a
   single man among our people would be able to hear his name and not shed
   a tear. This positive sentiment was not exclusive to the Muslim
   population, as Christians from Posavina are thought to have shared a
   similar view for decades.

   The first historic literature written about Gradaščević can be found in
   Safvet-beg Bašagić's work from 1900, A short introduction into the past
   of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, due to historical differences
   between the Bašagić and Gradaščević families, Safvet-beg's view of
   Husein-kapetan is somewhat opinionated. A year later, Gradaščević was
   mentioned by Kunibert in his works on the first Serbian Uprising, which
   painted a positive picture of Gradaščević as a tragic hero.

   In the years that followed, Gradaščević was mentioned, either
   specifically or in the context of the moment he led, by D. Pavlović,
   Slavko Kaluđerčić, and Hamdija Kreševljaković. The general sentiment
   was that the autonomy movement was merely a reaction to imperial
   reforms by the Bosnian upper class. This view would be predominant
   among historians for decades. Gradaščević had a minor resurgence during
   World War II when Ustaše ( Croatian fascists) launched a
   propaganda-rooted proposal to bring his remains back to Sarajevo.

   During the time of Communist Yugoslavia, Gradaščević and his movement
   were rarely mentioned. The perceived upper-class resistance to
   implementation of modern reforms did not go well with communist
   ideology. Gradaščević was briefly mentioned in such a light by Avdo
   Sućeska in his 1964 work on Bosnian captains. It would be another 24
   years before Gradaščević was mentioned again. This time it was in Galib
   Šljiva's 1988 work on Bosnia in the first half of the 19th century.
   Though several historiographical controversies were resolved, there was
   no significant shift in the perception of Gradaščević.

   Since the Yugoslav Wars and the Bosniak national awakening, Gradaščević
   and his movement have experienced a rebirth among historians and the
   common public alike. Works by Ahmed S. Aličić, Mustafa Imamović, and
   Husnija Kamberović have all cast Gradaščević in a more positive light.
   Gradaščević is once again widely considered the greatest Bosniak
   national hero, and is a symbol of national pride and spirit. The main
   streets in Gradačac and Sarajevo are both named after him, as well as
   numerous other places in Bosnia and Herzegovina. An impressive statue
   and monument to Gradaščević are to be built in Gradačac sometime in the
   near future. Talk of returning Gradaščević's remains to Bosnia has been
   proposed, but little has come of it.
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