During the rule of Prince Miloš Obrenović, Knićanin's political career began as a commissioner of the Jasenica municipality in 1835, and in 1839 as a commissioner of the Smederevo district, but he eventually joined the opposition as a Constitutionalist and supporter of the rival Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević of the Karađorđević dynasty.
Stevan Sremac | Stevan Stojanović | Stevan Mojsilović | Stevan Knićanin | Stevan Eldred-Grigg |
During the Hungarian Revolution in Vojvodina, in 1848, Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević sent Serbian volunteers under the command of Stevan Knićanin to help the Serbs’ struggle for autonomy.