The region was heavily settled after the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, seen in the many medieval cemeteries in villages of Topola. DespotStefan Lazarević died and was buried in the nearby Crkvine hamlet. On 20 June 1459 the city of Rudnik fell to the Ottomans, situated south of Topola. A hamlet was named Despotovica in memory of the fallen Serbian Despotate. The region was further settled with the great migration of Serbs in the 17th century.
The town was established in 1781, by VoždKarageorge, on the right of the Kamenica River[sr]. The town was destroyed during the First Serbian Uprising, when Kučuk-Alija ravaged the Šumadija region in 1804, also burning down Karageorge's house. The renovation began in 1805, when the town was renewed as a fortified city; Karageorge built a new mansion on the ruins of his previous house, and several buildings surrounding, they were all protected with palisades and peep holes, making Topola a strategic settlement. With the successful revolts, Topola gains a political importance. The Vožd further expanded the town, from 1808 to 1813 he built large walls, towers, konaks, a school, a church and many other buildings. Topola became the centre of Revolutionary Serbia, where Karageorge was seated.
In 1814, just when the city was finished, the Ottomans tackle the Uprising and Topola was seriously damaged, only ruins were left. Aleksandar Karađorđević, the son of Karageorge, renewed the city and settled people in a higher degree, streets were built with nicer buildings and shops. With the comeback of the House of Obrenović in 1858, Topola saw further development.
Topola is an agricultural area and farmers are producing fruit, vegetables and breeding cattle.
The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2018):[4]
Activity
Total
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
84
Mining and quarrying
35
Manufacturing
809
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
51
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities
98
Construction
94
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles
664
Transportation and storage
174
Accommodation and food services
163
Information and communication
31
Financial and insurance activities
47
Real estate activities
2
Professional, scientific and technical activities
93
Administrative and support service activities
44
Public administration and defense; compulsory social security
223
Education
339
Human health and social work activities
142
Arts, entertainment and recreation
53
Other service activities
89
Individual agricultural workers
1,611
Total
4,849
Tourism
Topola has the preconditions necessary for development of a tourism industry. Historical and cultural monuments (Cultural Heritage of Serbia) exist: revolutionary and royal (Karageorge's town), ecclesiastical (St. George's church, Nikolje monasteries). It is a wine region (Oplenac), and a large hunting ground Kamenica.
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