# Battle of Krusi (September 1796)

URL: https://allhistories.com/montenegro/timeline/1796-battle-of-krusi
Location: Krusi, near Podgorica, Montenegro
Themes: Key Events

After his defeat at Martinići, Kara Mahmud Bushati gathered a larger army to punish the Montenegrins and the Brda clans and to restore his authority over the highlands. In the autumn of 1796 he advanced again through the Lješkopolje area near Podgorica. Kara Mahmud had earlier been pardoned by the Sultan after rebelling against him, and his ambition to dominate the highlands remained undiminished. On 22 September 1796 (by the Julian calendar; early October by the Gregorian) the Montenegrins, with the Piperi and Bjelopavlići, met his army at Krusi. The battle ended in a crushing defeat for the Shkodër forces. Kara Mahmud was killed, and according to tradition his head was taken to Cetinje, where his skull was long kept in the monastery. The death of Kara Mahmud ended the threat from the Bushati principality for a generation. It enabled Petar I to bring the Bjelopavlići and Piperi formally into union with Old Montenegro, creating the state known as "Montenegro and the Hills" (Crna Gora i Brda). The battle became one of the most celebrated in Montenegrin history and oral poetry.

## Why it matters
Krusi removed the most dangerous enemy of the prince-bishopric and allowed its expansion into the Brda.

Ruler at the Time: [Petar I Petrović-Njegoš](https://allhistories.com/montenegro/rulers/petar-i)

Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (suzerain of Montenegro): Selim III
Sovereign of Venetian Albania (Bay of Kotor and coast): Republic of Venice

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Battle of Krusi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Krusi)
- [Wikipedia — Kara Mahmud Pasha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kara_Mahmud_Pasha)
- [Wikipedia — Prince-Bishopric (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince-Bishopric_of_Montenegro)