The first and last king of Haiti - Marlene Daut

Prevodilac: Stefan Vesić Lektor: Milenka Okuka

The royal couple of Haiti rode into their coronation to thunderous applause.

Kraljevski par Haitija dočekan je na svoje krunisanje gromoglasnim aplauzom.

After receiving his ornate crown and scepter,

Nakon što je primio svoju ukrašenu krunu i skiptar,

Henry Christophe ascended his throne, towering 20 meters in the air.

Anri Kristof se popeo na svoj tron koji se uzdizao 20 metara.

But little did the cheering onlookers know that the first king of Haiti

Međutim, uzbuđeni posmatrači nisu ni slutili da će prvi kralj Haitija

would also be its last.

ujedno biti i njegov poslednji.

Enslaved at birth on the island of Grenada,

Porobljen po rođenju na ostrvu Grenada,

Christophe spent his childhood being moved between multiple Caribbean islands.

Kristof je proveo detinjstvo seleći se od jednog do drugog karipskog ostrva.

Just 12 years old in 1779,

Sa samo 12 godina, 1779. godine

he accompanied his master to aid the American revolutionaries

pridružio se svom gospodaru u pomaganju američkim revolucionarima

in the Battle of Savannah.

u Bici kod Savane.

This prolonged siege would be Christophe’s first encounter with violent revolution.

Ova dugačka opsada bila je Kristofov prvi susret sa nasilnom revolucijom.

There are few surviving written records

Postoji malo sačuvanih zapisa

about Christophe’s life immediately after the war.

o Kristofovom životu neposredno posle rata.

Over the next decade,

Tokom naredne decenije,

we know he worked as a mason and a waiter at a hotel

znamo da je radio kao zidar i kao konobar u hotelu

in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, as Haiti was then known.

u francuskoj koloniji San Domingo, kako se Haiti tada zvao.

In 1791, when the colony’s slaves rose up in rebellion,

Godine 1791, kada su se robovi te kolonije pobunili,

Christophe got another opportunity to fight for freedom.

Kristof je dobio još jednu priliku da se bori za slobodu.

Led by Toussaint Louverture, the rebels fought against plantation owners,

Na čelu sa Tusenom Luvertirom, pobunjenici su se borili protiv vlasnika plantaža,

as well as British and Spanish forces seeking control of the island.

kao i protiv britanskih i španskih sila koje su želele kontrolu nad ostrvom.

Christophe quickly rose through the ranks,

Kristof je brzo napredovao u službi,

proving himself the equal of more experienced generals.

dokazavši da je ravnopravan sa iskusnijim generalima.

By 1793,

Do 1793. godine,

Louverture had successfully liberated all of Saint-Domingue’s enslaved people,

Luvertir je uspešno oslobodio sve robove Santa Dominga

and by 1801 he’d established the island as a semi-autonomous colony.

i do 1801. ostrvo je funkcionisalo kao poluautonomna kolonija.

But during this time, Napoleon Bonaparte had assumed power in France,

Međutim, za to vreme, Napoleon Bonaparta došao je na vlast u Francuskoj

and made it his mission to restore slavery and French authority

i kao glavni cilj imao je vraćanje ropstva i francuske prevlasti

throughout the empire.

širom carstva.

French attempts to reinstate slavery met fierce resistance,

Francuki pokušaji da uspostave ropstvo naišli su na žestoki otpor,

with General Christophe even burning the capital city

gde je general Kristof čak i zapalio prestonicu

to prevent military occupation.

kako bi sprečio vojnu okupaciju.

Finally, the rebellion and an outbreak of yellow fever

Najzad, pobuna i epidemija žute groznice

forced French soldiers to withdraw— but the fight was not without casualties.

naterali su francuske vojnike da se povuku,

ali borba nije bila bez gubitaka.

Louverture was captured, and left to die in a French prison;

Luvertir je zarobljen i ostavljen da umre u francuskom zatvoru;

a fate that Christophe’s nine-year-old son would share only a few years later.

sudbina koju će i Kristofov devetogodišnji sin deliti samo nekoliko godina kasnije.

Following the revolution,

Nakon revolucije,

Christophe and generals Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Alexandre Pétion

Kristof i generali Žan Žak Desalin i Aleksandar Petion

rose to prominent positions in the new government.

došli su na ugledne položaje u novoj vladi.

In 1804, Dessalines was proclaimed the emperor of independent Haiti.

Godine 1804, Desalin je proglašen za cara nezavisnog Haitija.

But his desire to hold exclusive power alienated his supporters.

Međutim, njegova želja da bude apsolutni vladar odvratila je njegove pristalice.

Eventually, Dessalines’ rule incited a political conspiracy

Konačno, Desalinova vladavina podstakla je političku zaveru

that ended in his assassination in 1806.

koja se završila njegovim atentatom 1806. godine.

The subsequent power struggle led to a Civil War, which split the country in two.

Borba oko vlasti koja je usledila, dovela je do građanskog rata

koji je podelio zemlju na dva dela.

By 1807, Christophe was governing as president of the north in Cap-Haïtien,

Do 1807, Kristof je bio predsednik na severu u Kapu Aitjenu,

and Pétion was ruling the south from Port-au-Prince.

a Petion je vladao na jugu od Port o Prensa.

Pétion tried to stay true to the revolution’s democratic roots

Petion je pokušao da ostane dosledan demokratskim korenima revolucije,

by modeling his republic after the United States.

oblikujući svoju republiku po uzoru na SAD.

He even supported anti-colonial revolutionaries in other nations.

Čak je podržavao i antikolonijalne revolucionare iz drugih zemalja.

These policies endeared him to his people,

Ovakva politika kupila mu je pristalice,

but they slowed trade and economic growth.

ali je usporila trgovinski i ekonomski razvoj.

Christophe, conversely, had more aggressive plans for an independent Haiti.

Sa druge strane, Kristof je imao konkretnije planove za nezavisni Haiti.

He redistributed land to the people, while retaining state control of agriculture.

Raspodelio je zemlju narodu,

ali je kontrolu nad poljoprivredom još uvek imala država.

He also established trade with many foreign nations,

Uspostavio je i trgovinu sa mnogim stranim zemljama,

including Great Britain and the United States,

uključujući i Veliku Britaniju i SAD

and pledged non-interference with their foreign policies.

i obećao da se neće mešati u njihovu spoljnu politiku.

He even built a massive Citadel in case the French tried to invade again.

Čak je sagradio i ogromnu Tvrđavu za slučaj da Francuzi ponovo napadnu.

To accomplish all of this, Christophe instituted mandatory labor,

Kako bi postigao sve ovo, Kristof je ustanovio obavezan rad,

and to strengthen his authority, he crowned himself king in 1811.

a kako bi ojačao svoju moć, proglasio je sebe za kralja 1811. godine.

During his reign, he lived in an elegant palace called Sans Souci

Tokom svoje vladavine, živeo je u otmenoj palati - Sansusi

along with his wife and their three remaining children.

zajedno sa svojom ženom i njihovo troje dece.

Christophe’s kingdom oversaw rapid development of trade, industry, culture,

Kristofovo kraljevstvo doživelo je brz napredak u trgovini, industriji,

and education.

kulturi i obrazovanju.

He imported renowned European artists to Haiti’s cultural scene,

Dovodio je poznate evropske umetnike na haićansku kulturnu scenu,

as well as European teachers, in order to establish public education.

kao i evropske učitelje kako bi uspostavio javno obrazovanje.

But while the king was initially popular among his subjects,

Međutim, iako je kralj isprva bio popularan među narodom,

his labor mandates were an uncomfortable reminder

njegovi zakoni o radu budili su neprijatno sećanje

of the slavery Haitians fought to destroy.

na ropstvo za koje su se Haićani borili da unište.

Over time, his increasingly authoritarian policies lost support,

Njegova sve autoritarnija politika vremenom je izgubila podršku,

and his opponents to the south gained strength.

a njegovi protivnici sa juga postali su snažniji.

In October 1820, his reign finally reached its tragic conclusion.

U oktobru 1820, njegova vladavina se tragično završila.

Months after a debilitating stroke left him unable to govern,

Nekoliko meseci nakon teškog šloga koji mu je onemogućio da vlada,

key members of his military defected to southern forces.

ključni članovi njegove vojske prebegli su u južnjačke snage.

Betrayed and despondent, the king committed suicide.

Izdan i utučen, kralj je izvršio samoubistvo.

Today, the traces of Christophe’s complicated history

Danas, tragovi Kristofove složene istorije

can still be found in the crumbling remains of his palaces,

još uvek se mogu naći u trošnim ostacima njegovih palata

and in Haiti’s legacy as the first nation to permanently abolish slavery.

i u zaostavštini Haitija kao prve nacije koja je trajno ukinula ropstvo.