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ORDER OF THE CROSS OF TAKOVO Foundation in 1865 In the scope of the 50th Anniversary celebrations of the Second anti-Ottoman Uprising started in Takovo Region in Western Serbia by Milosh Obrenovich (1780-1860), the Council of Ministers of the Principality of Serbia has decided on 24 March 1865 to have a cross and a medal struck to commemorate the event. Prince Michael Obrenovich III, son and successor of Prince Milosh, has signed the Decree establishing the Cross and Silver Medal on 22 May 1865. The Ottoman Porte refused to recognize the Cross as an order of merit, since Serbia - being an authonomous vassal principality - was not in the position to establish orders or medals in its own right. However, the weakening Ottoman Porte has not been able to veto it eather and it appears that the Cross has finally been accorded status of a jubilee decoration. Turkish administration was generally dissatisfied with the anniversary celebrations in general and particularly irritated with the planned awards of the Cross to the survivors of the Uprising.
Reform of 1876 There is no evidence of bestowals of the Cross of Takovo between the Second Uprising Jubilee and 1876. The "Regulations on Wartime Decorations", promulgated on 12 July 1876, confirmed the 'Order of the Cross of Takovo' as "the highest and the only order of merit in the Principality of Serbia" which was henceforth to be bestowed for merits "for the Prince and Fatherland in times of war", thus effectively endowing it with the exclusive military character. The Order could have been bestowed either by the Prince's own motu proprio, or upon the proposal of the Minister of the Military (Defense) or the highest military commanders. The Regulations also established two grades of the Order, 'higher' - on the tri-color neck cravat and 'lower' - a breast cross upon a triangualr tri-color ribbon. The precise design of these two grades of the Order was not published, however based on the photographs of Serbian officers decorated for the Serbian-Turkish 1876 war it appears that the 'lower' grade retained the design of the 1865 Jubilee Cross. The 'higher' grade is a larger-size cross then the one worn on the breast. There is one specimen in private collection in Belgrade and has been also published by H. Schultze (Chronik sämmtlicher bekannten Ritterorden und Ehrenzeichen, Supplement II, Berlin 1878). The first bestowal after this reform was to the Russian General Michael Cherniaev, formerly conqueror of Tashkent, who commanded the Serbian armed forces, by the Decree of 2 August 1876 (Official Gazette "Srpske novine" Nr. 175 of 9 August 1876; "Istok" Nr. 87 of 12 August 1876). In his letter to General Cherniaev, Prince Milan IV Obrenovich congratulates him on the recent victory in one of the battles and states that he will "send him the Cross of Takovo of a higher grade". The Official Gazette "Srpske novine" Nr. 195 of 1 September 1876 and "Istok" Nr. 95 of 5 September 1876 mention further bestowals of the higher grade to Montenegrin Senate chairman Bozha Petrovich and military commanders Peter Vukotich (Petar Vukotić - Петар Вукотић), Elias Plamenats (Ilija Plamenac - Илија Пламенац) and Stanko Radonich (Stanko Radonjić - Станко Радоњић). By the Decree of 2 August 1876, General Ranko Alimpich (Ranko Alimpić - Ранко Алимпић), commander of the Drina army and Colonel Milojko Leshianin (Milojko Lešjanin - Милојко Лешјанин) were decorated with the lower grade (Official Gazette "Srpske novine" Nr. 175 of 9 August 1876). Lieutenant-Colonel Djuro Horvatovich (Đuro Horvatović - Ђуро Хорватовић), was decorated firstly with the lower grade by the Decree of 16 September 1876 (Official Gazette "Srpske novine" Nr. 232 of 19 October 1876) and then by the Decree of 30 December 1876 with the higher grade (Official Gazette "Srpske novine" Nr. 273 of 10 December 1876). Insignia for the both grades of the Order seem to have been manufactured in this period by C.F. Rothe u. Neffe of Vienna. The advertisement in "Istok" newspaper, Nr. 96 of 5 September 1876 reads that there are "sufficient stocks" of "genuine Takovo Crosses is small and large formats" (apparently implying having both lower and higher grades opn stock) which can be ordered from this manufacturer directly from their headquarters in Vienna, Kohlmarkt 7. The "Regulations on Wartime Decorations " state that the design of the bestowal documents will be regulated by the act of the Minister of the Military under separate cover, but it seems that the diplomas used for promoting officers to a higher rank were used in this purpose in most of the cases. These were produced by the Litographic workshop of the General Staff. Reform of 1877 Under construction Reform of 1878 Under construction Changes in 1883 and the foundation of the military division "with swords" The Law on Orders and Medals of 23 January 1883 confirmed the Order of the Cross of Takovo, which was henceforth to be awarded "for merits to the King, the Royal House and the State". It took precedence after the newly instituted Order of the White Eagle. The Regulations promulgated on 16 February changed the motto with regards to the spelling of the word "Fatherland" (ОТАЧЕСТВО instead of ОТЕЧАСТВО) and determined that the 3rd, Commander's and the 5th, Chevalier's class have the cipher "MO III" (to commemorate the founder, Prince Michael Obrenovich III), and the other classes "MO IV", the former princely cipher of King Milan I, as regulated in 1878. The Law instituted the separate division of the Order, "with swords", aimed exclusively for awarding military merits.
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