Sanjak of Shkodra
Encyclopedia
The Sanjak of Scutari or Sanjak of Shkodra ' onMouseout='HidePop("28790")' href="/topics/Turkish_language">Turkish
: İskenderiyye Sancağı or İşkodra Sancağı ) was one of the sanjak
s of the Ottoman Empire
. It was established after Ottoman Empire captured Shkodër
in 1479. It was part of Rumelia Eyalet
until 1867, when it became a part, together with Sanjak of Skopje
, of newly-established Scutari Vilayet. In 1912 and beginning of 1913 it was occupied by members of Balkan League
during the First Balkan War
. In 1914 the territory of Sanjak of Scutari became a part of Principality of Albania
, established on the basis of peace contract signed during London Conference
in 1913.
The last Slavic dynasty
that controlled Shkodra was House of Balšić
. At the end of 14th century the city came under control of the Republic of Venice
and after Ottoman Empire caputured Shkodra from Venice in 1479, it became the centre of Sanjak of Scutari.
of the Sanjak of Scutari was organized in 1485. It was the third Ottoman census which was organized on the territory within modern Republic of Albania. The first census was organized in 1431 on the territory of Sanjak of Albania. The 1485 census shows that Sanjak of Scutari consisted of four kazas:
The kazas were divided into smaller administrative units, nahiyah.
lost its status of independent state, though vassal of Ottoman Empire, when it was added to territory of Sanjak of Scutari in 1499. In 1514 this territory was separated from the Sanjak of Scutari and established as separate Sanjak of Montenegro, under the rule of Skenderbeg Crnojević. When he died in 1528, the Sanjak of Montenegro was joined to the Sanjak of Scutari, as unique administrative unit with certain degree of autonomy.
Marino Bizzi, the Archbishop of Bar
(Antivari), in his 1610 report stated that name of the sanjakbey of Sanjak of Scutari was Ali Pasha.
- 13, Žabljak
- 8, Hoti
- 8, Bjelopavlići - 6, Vražegrmci - 16, Pobor - 11, Klemente - 2, Kuči - 13, Peć
- 235, Altin (Altun li) - 41, Petrišpan - 33, Budimlje - 31, Komoran - 20, Plav
- 18 and Zla Rijeka - 12. There was totally 709 villages.
Additional, smaller part of Ottoman census from 1582—1583 dealt with Montenegro
(vilayet-i Karaca Dag) as separate administrative unit within Sanjak of Scutari. This part consisted of following nahiyah and villages: Grbavci with 13 villages, Župa 11, Malonšići 7, Plješivci 14, Cetinje
16, Rijeka 31, Crnica (Crmnica) 11, Paštrovići 36 and Grbalj 9 villages. There was totally 148 villages which belonged to Montenegro in that time.
The 1582—1583 census shows 857 villages and several towns like Shkodra, Peć
, Podgorica
, Bar
and Ulcinj
.
and Albanians
(Orthodox
, Catholic
and Muslim
). There was also certain number of Wallachians, Turks and other people present, mainly in towns.
created by the Albanian
Bushati family
around the city of Shkodër
in modern-day Albania
and parts of modern-day Montenegro
. The weakening of Ottoman central authority and the timar
system of land ownership brought anarchy
to the West Balkans region of Ottoman Empire. In the late eighteenth century, two centers of power emerged in this region: Shkodër, under the Bushati family
; and Janina, under Ali Pasha
of Tepelenë. Both regions cooperated with and defied the Sublime Porte as their interests required.
of Rumelia Eyalet
in Ottoman Empire
. In 1867, Shkodër sanjak merged with Skopje
(Üsküp) sanjak within Shkodër vilayet. Scutari Vilayet was split into Scutari, Prizren
and Dibra sanjaks. In 1877, Prizren passed to Kosovo Vilayet and Debar
passed to Monastir Vilayet, while Durrës
township became a sanjak. In 1878 Bar
and Podgorica
townships belonged to Montenegro
. In 1900, Scutari Vilayet was split into Scutari and Durrës
sanjaks.
during the First Balkan War
. In 1914 the territory of Sanjak of Scutari became a part of Principality of Albania
, established on the basis of peace contract signed during London Conference
in 1913.
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
: İskenderiyye Sancağı or İşkodra Sancağı ) was one of the sanjak
Sanjak
Sanjaks were administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire. Sanjak, and the variant spellings sandjak, sanjaq, and sinjaq, are English transliterations of the Turkish word sancak, meaning district, banner, or flag...
s of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. It was established after Ottoman Empire captured Shkodër
Shkodër
Shkodër , is a city located on Lake of Shkoder in northwestern Albania in the District of Shkodër, of which it is the capital. It is one of the oldest and most historic towns in Albania, as well as an important cultural and economic centre. Shkodër's estimated population is 90,000; if the...
in 1479. It was part of Rumelia Eyalet
Rumelia Eyalet
The eyalet of Rumeli or eyalet of Rumelia , also known as Rumeli Beylerbeyliği was a eyalet of the Ottoman Empire. The capital was in Adrianople , Monastir and Sofia. Its reported area in the 19th century was .It was formed during the reign of Murad I as the first Beylerbeylik of the Ottoman Empire...
until 1867, when it became a part, together with Sanjak of Skopje
Sanjak of Skopje
The Sanjak of Skopje or the Sanjak of Uskub was one of the sanjaks in the Ottoman Empire with Skopje as its administrative centre.Skopje became part of Ottoman Empire after it was captured from District of Branković on January 6, 1392. The first Ottoman governor of Skopje was Pasha Yiğit Bey, a...
, of newly-established Scutari Vilayet. In 1912 and beginning of 1913 it was occupied by members of Balkan League
Balkan League
The Balkan League was an alliance formed by a series of bilateral treaties concluded in 1912 between the Balkan states of Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro and Serbia, and directed against the Ottoman Empire, which at the time still controlled much of the Balkan peninsula...
during the First Balkan War
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
. In 1914 the territory of Sanjak of Scutari became a part of Principality of Albania
Principality of Albania
The Principality of Albania refers to the short-lived monarchy in Albania, headed by William, Prince of Albania and to the state after the First World War, until the abolition of the monarchy in 1925, when Albania was declared a republic.-Principality:The Principality was established on February...
, established on the basis of peace contract signed during London Conference
London Conference of 1913
The London Conference of 1912-1913 was an international summit to discuss issues arising from the declaration of independence by Albania during the First Balkan War.-History:...
in 1913.
Background
With short interruptions, the territory that later became a part of Sanjak of Scutari in the Ottoman Empire, belonged to the Slavic medieval feudal states for many centuries. That explains why first Ottoman censuses (1431, 1467 and 1485) show such substantial presence of Slavic toponyms.The last Slavic dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
that controlled Shkodra was House of Balšić
House of Balšic
The Balšić was a noble house that ruled Zeta and the coastlands , from 1362 to 1421, during the fall of the Serbian Empire. Balša, the eponymous founder, was a petty nobleman that held only one village during the rule of Emperor Dušan the Mighty The Balšić was a noble house that ruled Zeta and...
. At the end of 14th century the city came under control of the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
and after Ottoman Empire caputured Shkodra from Venice in 1479, it became the centre of Sanjak of Scutari.
The 1485 Ottoman census
The first Ottoman censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of the Sanjak of Scutari was organized in 1485. It was the third Ottoman census which was organized on the territory within modern Republic of Albania. The first census was organized in 1431 on the territory of Sanjak of Albania. The 1485 census shows that Sanjak of Scutari consisted of four kazas:
- Shkodra,
- PodgoricaPodgoricaPodgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
, - PećPecPeć or Pejë is a city and municipality in north-western Kosovo and Metohija - Serbia, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district. Governor of city is Ali Berisha....
and - Bihor
The kazas were divided into smaller administrative units, nahiyah.
Joining of the Principality of Zeta (Sanjak of Montenegro)
A big part of Principality of ZetaPrincipality of Zeta
Zeta was a medieval state, which territory encompassed parts of present-day Montenegro and Northernwestern Albania. From 1360. to 1421. Zeta was independent state administered by local noble family Balšić. From 1185. to 1360. and from 1421. - 1451, Zeta was province of medieval Serbia...
lost its status of independent state, though vassal of Ottoman Empire, when it was added to territory of Sanjak of Scutari in 1499. In 1514 this territory was separated from the Sanjak of Scutari and established as separate Sanjak of Montenegro, under the rule of Skenderbeg Crnojević. When he died in 1528, the Sanjak of Montenegro was joined to the Sanjak of Scutari, as unique administrative unit with certain degree of autonomy.
Marino Bizzi, the Archbishop of Bar
Bar, Montenegro
Bar is a coastal town in Montenegro. It has a population of 17,727...
(Antivari), in his 1610 report stated that name of the sanjakbey of Sanjak of Scutari was Ali Pasha.
The 1582—1583 census
The census organized in period 1582—1583 shows that there were many nahiyah within Sanjak of Scutari with following number of villages : Shkodra 128 villages, Dušmen - 24, Zabojana - 48, Mrko - 9, Krajina - 18, Gorje Šestan (Džebel-i Šestan) - 7, PodgoricaPodgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
- 13, Žabljak
Žabljak
Žabljak is a small town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 1,937.Žabljak is the seat of the municipality...
- 8, Hoti
Hoti
Hoti in Pukhto pronounced as Oothay is a Union council in Mardan District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The town is located 34°12'0N° 72°4'0E with an altitude of 284 metres and lies just west of Peshawar - the capital of the province and is inhabited by the Kamalzai Pashtuns, a sub-tribe of the...
- 8, Bjelopavlići - 6, Vražegrmci - 16, Pobor - 11, Klemente - 2, Kuči - 13, Peć
Pec
Peć or Pejë is a city and municipality in north-western Kosovo and Metohija - Serbia, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district. Governor of city is Ali Berisha....
- 235, Altin (Altun li) - 41, Petrišpan - 33, Budimlje - 31, Komoran - 20, Plav
Plav
Plav Plav Plav (Montenegrin, (Albanian: Plav) is a town in north-eastern Montenegro. It has a population of 3,615 (2003 census).Plav is the centre of the municipality (population of 13,805),-Geography:...
- 18 and Zla Rijeka - 12. There was totally 709 villages.
Additional, smaller part of Ottoman census from 1582—1583 dealt with Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
(vilayet-i Karaca Dag) as separate administrative unit within Sanjak of Scutari. This part consisted of following nahiyah and villages: Grbavci with 13 villages, Župa 11, Malonšići 7, Plješivci 14, Cetinje
Cetinje
Cetinje , Цетиње / Cetinje , Italian: Cettigne, Greek: Κετίγνη, Ketígni) is a town and Old Royal Capital of Montenegro. It is also a historical and the secondary capital of Montenegro , with the official residence of the President of Montenegro...
16, Rijeka 31, Crnica (Crmnica) 11, Paštrovići 36 and Grbalj 9 villages. There was totally 148 villages which belonged to Montenegro in that time.
The 1582—1583 census shows 857 villages and several towns like Shkodra, Peć
Pec
Peć or Pejë is a city and municipality in north-western Kosovo and Metohija - Serbia, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district. Governor of city is Ali Berisha....
, Podgorica
Podgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
, Bar
Bar
-Food and drink:* Bar , a retail establishment that serves alcoholic beverages* Bar , the counter at which drinks are served by a bartender* Dessert bar, a type of cookie-Law:...
and Ulcinj
Ulcinj
Ulcinj is a coastal resort town and municipality in Montenegro. The town of Ulcinj has a population of 10,828 of which the majority are Albanians...
.
Demography
Based on the people names registered in the census, it may be concluded that population of Sanjak of Scutari was mainly composed of SerbsSerbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
and Albanians
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
(Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
, Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
). There was also certain number of Wallachians, Turks and other people present, mainly in towns.
Pashalik of Scutari
In the period from 1757 to 1831 Sanjak of Scutari became the Pashalik of Scutari, a semi-autonomous pashalik under the Ottoman empireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
created by the Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
Bushati family
Bushati
The Bushati family was a prominent family in Albanian history for part of the Ottoman rule of the region. The family ruled the Pashalik of Scutari from 1757 to 1831. Their dominance of the Scutari region was gained through a network of alliances with various highland tribes...
around the city of Shkodër
Shkodër
Shkodër , is a city located on Lake of Shkoder in northwestern Albania in the District of Shkodër, of which it is the capital. It is one of the oldest and most historic towns in Albania, as well as an important cultural and economic centre. Shkodër's estimated population is 90,000; if the...
in modern-day Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
and parts of modern-day Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
. The weakening of Ottoman central authority and the timar
Timar
Timar is a land granted by the Ottoman sultans between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries, with a tax revenue annual value of less than 20 000 akçes. The revenues produced from land acted as compensation for military service. A Timar holder was known as a Timariot...
system of land ownership brought anarchy
Anarchy
Anarchy , has more than one colloquial definition. In the United States, the term "anarchy" typically is meant to refer to a society which lacks publicly recognized government or violently enforced political authority...
to the West Balkans region of Ottoman Empire. In the late eighteenth century, two centers of power emerged in this region: Shkodër, under the Bushati family
Bushati
The Bushati family was a prominent family in Albanian history for part of the Ottoman rule of the region. The family ruled the Pashalik of Scutari from 1757 to 1831. Their dominance of the Scutari region was gained through a network of alliances with various highland tribes...
; and Janina, under Ali Pasha
Ali Pasha
Ali Pasha of Tepelena or of Yannina, surnamed Aslan, "the Lion", or the "Lion of Yannina", Ali Pashë Tepelena was an Ottoman Albanian ruler of the western part of Rumelia, the Ottoman Empire's European territory which was also called Pashalik of Yanina. His court was in Ioannina...
of Tepelenë. Both regions cooperated with and defied the Sublime Porte as their interests required.
Scutari Vilayet
Before 1867 Shkodër (İşkodra) was a sanjakSanjak
Sanjaks were administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire. Sanjak, and the variant spellings sandjak, sanjaq, and sinjaq, are English transliterations of the Turkish word sancak, meaning district, banner, or flag...
of Rumelia Eyalet
Rumelia Eyalet
The eyalet of Rumeli or eyalet of Rumelia , also known as Rumeli Beylerbeyliği was a eyalet of the Ottoman Empire. The capital was in Adrianople , Monastir and Sofia. Its reported area in the 19th century was .It was formed during the reign of Murad I as the first Beylerbeylik of the Ottoman Empire...
in Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. In 1867, Shkodër sanjak merged with Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
(Üsküp) sanjak within Shkodër vilayet. Scutari Vilayet was split into Scutari, Prizren
Prizren
Prizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
and Dibra sanjaks. In 1877, Prizren passed to Kosovo Vilayet and Debar
Debar
Debar is a city in the western part of the Republic of Macedonia, near the border with Albania, on the road from Struga to Gostivar. It is the seat of Debar Municipality.-Geography:...
passed to Monastir Vilayet, while Durrës
Durrës
Durrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...
township became a sanjak. In 1878 Bar
Bar, Montenegro
Bar is a coastal town in Montenegro. It has a population of 17,727...
and Podgorica
Podgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
townships belonged to Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
. In 1900, Scutari Vilayet was split into Scutari and Durrës
Durrës
Durrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...
sanjaks.
Disestablishment
In 1912 and beginning of 1913 it was occupied by members of Balkan LeagueBalkan League
The Balkan League was an alliance formed by a series of bilateral treaties concluded in 1912 between the Balkan states of Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro and Serbia, and directed against the Ottoman Empire, which at the time still controlled much of the Balkan peninsula...
during the First Balkan War
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
. In 1914 the territory of Sanjak of Scutari became a part of Principality of Albania
Principality of Albania
The Principality of Albania refers to the short-lived monarchy in Albania, headed by William, Prince of Albania and to the state after the First World War, until the abolition of the monarchy in 1925, when Albania was declared a republic.-Principality:The Principality was established on February...
, established on the basis of peace contract signed during London Conference
London Conference of 1913
The London Conference of 1912-1913 was an international summit to discuss issues arising from the declaration of independence by Albania during the First Balkan War.-History:...
in 1913.