Mirko was born on 19 August 1820, in Njeguši,[1] the son of Stanko Petrović-Njegoš and wife Krstinja Vrbica.

[2] During this time he led a campaign against the Kuči tribe where 243 people were massacred, the majority old men, women and children.

He is a controversial figure in Montenegro, where he is seen as a symbol of "Montenegrin identity, pride and statehood" by many, while others hold him responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians.

A monument in his honor was erected in 1862 in Podgorica by his son, King Nikola, but demolished in 1919 after the dethronement of the Petrović dynasty.

In 2017, a new monument was erected in the city, which was met with protest by ethnic Serbs, particularly those whose origins are traced back to the Kuči.