Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/888

* SEK.VIA. 808 SERVIA. of the people, riums are an important crop and iorni, as prunes, a noteworthy item of export. 'I'obaceo is raised in the south. Silk culture is making a good beginning. The best pastures are ill the southwest. Cattle, sheep, and swine are raised extensively, oxen beiiif; used freely as work animals, in 1000 Servia had 9.56,001 cat- tle, 3,0«1,759 sheep, 959,580 hogs, and 184,849 horses. The manufaoturo!! are of little importance, be- iiij.' rhiclly native and houseliold, and confined in the main to the production of war accoutrements, cotton goods, glass, ajid carpets. The only water communication is afforded l>y the Danube and the Save on the northern border. The main railroad line is the Belgrade, Nish and Vrania. which forms a part of the International Railway, and with its braiiih lines has a total mileage of 354. It is under (iovernmcnt control. The trade of Servia (exclusive of the transit trade) in 1901 amounted to .H'il.'iTS.OlO, including exports to the vahie of .$12,{)9 1,702, and imports, .$8,586,908. Live stock and farm products are the leading ex- ports. The establishment of the National Bank of the Kingdom of Servia in 1883 marked the beginning of a new era in Servian banking. It is empow- ered to issue bank notes. In 1900 there were 5 smaller banking establishments. In 1875 the French standard of money, weights, and measures was adoi)ted. The dinar, the unit of the monetary system, corresponds to the franc and equals 19% cents in United States money. The public finances of Servia previous to the Treaty of Berlin, although not on a systematized basis, were nevertheless in a fairly good condition. As a result, however, of the cost of the wars of 1876-78 and the liabilities fastened upon the country by the Congress of Berlin and of Servia's participation in the construction of the Inter- national Railway, a large national debt was cre- ated, which in "1903 had risen to $81,.500,000. In 1882, four years after its complete independ- ence was acknowledged by the Treaty of Berlin, the Principality of Servia became a constitutional monarchy. A new Constitution supplanting the former one of 1869 was promulgated by the Na- tional Assembly in 1889. The Executive Depart- ment is composed of the King and a Cabinet of eight Ministers, responsible to the nation. The National Assembly, or Skupshtina, consists of 262 Deputies, 64 appointed by the King and 198 elected members apportioned among the various provinces or departnients on the basis of one member for each 4.500 tax-paying male citizens. An additional member is allowed for each surplus- age of 3000. All male Servians 21 years of age paying a direct annual tax of about $3 are en- titled to suffrage. There is also a State Coun- cil composed of 16 members, 8 appointed by the King, and 8 chosen by the Skupshtina, which supervises certain financial matters, hears claims against the Government, and examines proposed legislation. The Oreat National As- sembly, which is convened to act upon special matters of great moment, consists of double the number of members of the ordinary Skup- shtina, and is wholly an elective body. The judiciary is vested in a High Court of Appeal, a Court of Cassation, a Commercial Court, and 23 courts of the first instance. For purposes of local government Servia is divided into 17 prov- inces or departnients. The capital and largest city is Belgrade (q.v.). The second city in size is Nish. The population in 1901 was 2,493,770, almost all being Serbs, or Servians (of the Slav family), and Greek orthodox. There are 9 cities of over 8000. The cities, by striking contrast to the districts, are rapidly taking on the characteristics of modern European towns. There is no caste. All Christian religious faitlis are tolerated. The national Cburcli is governed by a synod of bishops. Education is free and on a rather promising foot- ing, but the percentage of illiterates is large. The attendance is meant to be obligatory, but there is a lack of instructors. The State maintains the high schools, and pays part of the expense of the elemental schools, the municipalities paying the balance. At the head of the educational system is the scientific 'Great School' at Belgrade, with faculties of technical science, philosophy, and law. It is virtually a university. HiSTOKY. The land occupied by modern Servia lay chiefly in the Roman province of Moesia, and was peopled by Thraeian or Illyrian tribes. It was overrun successively by Huns, Ostrogoths, and Lombards, and in the seventh century was seized by the Avars. About 637 the Serbs or Servians, a Slavic tribe, entering the country at the invitation of the Emperor Heraclius, to oppose the Avars, occupied it from the Save to the Balkans and from the Jlorava and the Adri- atic. They were converted to Christianity about the middle of the ninth century, and for two cen- turies were engaged in constant warfare with the Bulgarians, Asiatic invaders on the north, who at tluit time terrorized the Greek Empire. In the eleventh century the Byzantine Imperial au- thorities, who had hitherto allowed the Servians to retain a practically autonomous patriarchal government under their Grand Sliupans, or na- tive chiefs, sought to put more restrictions upon them. The Servians threw off' the Imperial au- thority, and their Grand Shupan Michael (c.1050- 80) proclaimed himself King of Servia and was so recognized by Pope Gregory VII. The hard struggle for independence ensued, occupying near- ly three generations. In 1165 Stephen Nemanyn (or Nemanja) founded a dynasty which lasted nearly two centuries. Under this dynasty the territory of Servia gradually expanded, and its power increased, reaching its height under Stephen Dushan (1331-55), when the Servian Empire, as it proudly called itself, embraced Bosnia, Albania, Macedonia, Thessaly. part of Bulgaria, and all of the Hellenic peninsula ex- cept Attica and the Peloponnesus. The Byzantine Emperor sought the alliance of the Servian mon- arch, who was a statesman as well as a general. But Dushan died before he was able to organize and consolidate his territories, and the advance of the Turks broke up the short-lived empire he had created. The dynasty of Nemanja closed with Dushan's son, who died about 1371. The tide of Turkish invasion was now sweeping over the Balkan Peninsula, and the battle of Kossovo in 1389 placed Servia at the mercy of the Otto- mans. A small body of survivors of the Servian forces found refuge in the mountainous region since known as Montenegro (Crnagora). Servia passed under T^irkish rule, its subjugation being completed by Sultan IMohammed in 1459. It was the scene of devastating warfare between Hun-