The Batak Uprising

Batak's role in the April Uprising was to provide supplies for the insurgents, block important roads and deal with neighbouring Pomak villages. On 20 April 1876, some of the village's armed men, led by the voivodes Petar Goranov and Stefan Trendafilov Kerelov-Petstotnik, rose against Turkish rule.

The insurgents removed some Turkish officials, but a large force of bashi-bazouks under Ahmed Aga Barutanliya was sent against them. To save the inhabitants' lives, the village notables and wealthy leaders decided to surrender their weapons to Barutanliya, who promised to leave after receiving the rebels' ammunition. After the surrender of weapons, the settlement was besieged, and the bashi-bazouks began looting and carrying out a mass slaughter. Many houses were burned, and people sought refuge in sturdier buildings such as the church and school.

These events publicised the Bulgarian people's aspirations for liberation and drew world attention to their desire for freedom and independence.