After Serbs forces nominally in the name of the Ottoman Empire, had ousted the rebel Janissaries in 1804, negotiations began over the degree of autonomy Serbia would now have. As Serb demands exceeded what the Sultan Selim was able to offer due to his political weakness in Constantinople, negotiations broke down. The Sultan sent Hafiz-paša, commander of Niš, to defeat the rebels. He led an army of 15,000 soldiers.