Skadarska Krajina

Skadarska Krajina (Cyrillic: Скадарска Крајина, lit. "Skadar Frontier"), simply known as Krajina (Cyrillic: Крајина, pronounced [krâjina]; Albanian: Kraja) is a geographical region[1] in southeastern Montenegro stretching from the southern coast of Lake Skadar to the mountain of Rumija, comprising several villages. It is inhabited almost entirely by Albanians. The area is divided between the municipalities of Bar and Ulcinj.

Albanian man from Krajë

Based on the last parts of the Priest of Duklja, Krajina was a political centre of Duklja.[2] Jovan Vladimir, the ruler of Duklja (ca. 1000–1016), was interred in the Prečista Krajinska church by his widow Kosara, who was also buried in the church.[3] The oldest published Albanian book, Meshari ("the Missal"), was written by Albanian Catholic priest Gjon Buzuku who was born in the village of Livari.

Geography
M. Kragna, 1571
Location of Skadarska Krajina

The region within Montenegro is located from the eastern border with Albania near the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It is located between Crmnica and Ana Malit regions and stretches out from Ckla village to Šestani, a sub-region often considered as forming part of wider region of Krajina.[4] It is also between Skadar Lake and the Rumija mountain. Within Montenegro, it mainly consists of villages and small hamlets with Ostros being its most populated settlement (Pop. 230 (2003)). Within Albania, the region of Krajina is bordered on the southern flank by the Tarabosh mountains and only encompasses the coastal village of Zogaj on Lake Skadar.[4]

Within Montenegro, Krajina encompasses some of the following villages and hamlets:

  • Arbneš / Arbnesh
  • Bobovište / Bobosht
  • Blaca / Blac
  • Ckla / Skje
  • Kostanjica / Kështenjë
  • Runja / Runj
  • Mali Ostros / Ostros i Voqël
  • Martići / Martiq
  • Tejani / Ftjan
  • Veliki Ostros / Ostrosi i Madh

History

From what we can see in one Latin manuscript in the 14th century (The Directorium ad passagium faciendum 1332) we get a clear indication of the demographics of the area of that time in the Middle Ages; "The Latins have six towns with bishops: firstly Antibarum (Bar), the seat of the archbishop, then Chatarensis (Kotor), Dulcedinensis (Ulcinj), Suacinensis (Shas), Scutarensis (Shkodra) and Drivascensis (Drisht), which are inhabited by the Latins alone. Outside the town walls, the Albanians make up the population throughout the diocese.". note; this area would later be incorporated into Albania veneta (Venetian Albania) in the 15th century but would be lost later on to the Ottomans according to Dalmatian historian Luigi Paulucci.

Ottoman period

In the Ottoman defter of 1485 for the Sanjak of Scutari, the nahiyah of Krajna is recorded with a single village of the same name. In the register, Krajna appears as a large settlement with 142 households,[5] and around half of the household heads recorded bore typical Albanian personal names, the other half bearing Slavic anthroponymy possibly attributed to the influence of the Serbian Orthodox Church through the Patriarchate of Peć.[6][7] In the later register of 1582, the nahiyah had expanded and came to encompass the settlements of Gjonçiq, Ftilan, Pençan, Brisk, Livar, Zogan, Arbanas, Bespod, Babsul, Roviq, Boboshta, Shkllav, Vrajsha, Nadvila, Podgozhan, Muriq, and Koshtanja. The first 11 villages attested predominantly bore Albanian anthroponyms, while the proceeding 4 primarily had Slavic or mixed Albanian-Slavic personal names. Muriq and Koshtanja, however, had a roughly equal number of Albanian and Slavic names.[8]

Demographics

From the late 1960s to the early 1970s, thousands of locals migrated to countries throughout Europe and to the United States. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people are estimated to live in the Krajina region, with a majority of ethnic Albanians. The religious make-up is Muslim and Christian (Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic).

Krajë according to censuses[9]
Village name Population
Montenegrin Albanian 1948 1953 1961 1971 1981 1991 2003 2011 Ethnicity[10]
Arbnež Arbënesh 535 556 603 606 650 725 399 327 97.2% Albanians, 2.8% Others
Bobovište Bobosht 318 354 412 470 490 553 230 180 100% Albanians
Ckla Skje 179 193 243 285 291 301 104 83 100% Albanians
Koštanjica Kështenjë 402 517 551 564 609 510 216 168 100% Albanians
Mali Ostros Ostros i Vogël 323 358 394 384 427 419 148 111 100% Albanians
Martići Martiq 521 530 564 641 682 705 357 293 97.6% Albanians, 2.4% undeclared
Tejani Thtjan 305 288 292 261 185 240 93 61 100% Albanians
Veliki Ostros Ostros i Madh 601 575 611 638 639 623 416 332 100% Albanians
Total 3184 3371 3670 3849 3973 4076 1963 1555 99% Albanians, 1% Others/Undeclared

Christians mostly reside in the Shestan region, with minorities in Livari, Briska and Tejani.

See also

References
  1. Pregled geografske literature o Balkanskom poluostrvu za ...: Revue de la littérature géographique de la péninsule Balkanique. 1895. Скадарска Крајина. Овим именом се назива предео на југо-западној и јужној страни од је чије међе иду између атара црмничког Вир-Пазара, крајинског села Сеоца, венцем Румије на Р Убала, брдом Тарабошем де Бојане а за ...
  2. Zbornik radova Vizantološkog instituta. Vol. 37. Naučno Delo. 1998. p. 22.
  3. Jireček, Konstantin Josef (1911), Geschichte der Serben (in German), vol. 1, Gotha, Germany: Friedriech Andreas Perthes A.-G., pp. 206–207
  4. Dabaj, Gjokë (2004). Shestani: Studim filologjik gjithëpërfshirës, Vëllimi 1 [Shestani: Comprehensive philological studies, Volume 1]. Shoqate për Kulturë "Don Gjon Buzuku". pp. 50-51. "Ka në verilindje Liqenin e Shkodrës dhe laget në rreth 9 km. vije te drejte prej këtij liqeni. Në lindje ka Kränjën, në jug takohet fare pak me krahinën e Mërrkotit, në jugperendim ka rrethinën e Tivarit, ndërsa në veriperendim dhe në veri kufizohet me krahinen malazeze të Cërrnicës. Shih hartën regjionale. Këta janë, në vija të trasha, kufizimet gjeografikë… nën emërtimin Shestan territorin nga Bujgri deri në Thtjan. Këtu, pra, nën emërtimin Shestan... këta katunde:: Bujgër, Nënmal, Pecanj, Gjuruç, Maruçiq, Dedanj, Lukiq, Barllanj Gurrz, Muriq i Poshtër, Bes, Muriq i Sipërm, Rjeps, Pinç, Babsul, Ljare, Dobrec, Brisk i Poshtër, Brisk i Sipërm dhe Thtjan. Megjithëketë, nuk duhet të harrojmë që në mjaft autorë, por edhe sipas historisë së administratavet, që janë vendosur këtu në kohë të ndryshme, si dhe sipas vazhdimësisë së terrenit buzë Liqenit të Shkodrës, ose edhe sipas vleravet etnokulturore, Shestani ka qenë përfshire, e ndodh që përfshihet edhe tash, edhe nën nocionin Kranjë, duke bërë në këtë rast një ndarje te përafërt me këtë që kam aplikuar unë: Nën emërtimin Ana e Sipërme (e Kranjës) kuptohet Shestani, dhe nën emërtimin Ana e Poshtme ose Kranja e Madhe kuptohet pjesa tjetër e regjionit tonë, nga Blaca deri në Zogaj. Por, për hollësira lidhur me këtë problem mund të flitet në këtë libër edhe me vonë sipas rastit që do të na paraqitet. Tash është me rëndësi të dime që në këtë libër, nën emërtimin Shestan, do të bëhet fjalë për këta 20 katunde, ose vendbanime që i përmenda më lart. [There northeast of Lake Scutari and neighbourhoods in about 9 km radius along a tangent line of the lake. In the east is Kranjë, in the south it intersects slightly with the Mrkojevići region, in southwest is the region of Bar, while in the northwest and north it borders Montenegrin region of Crmnica. See map of the region. These are, in broad terms, the geographical borders... under the name Shestan territory from Bujgri to Thtjan. Here, then, under the name Shestan... these villages: Bujgër, Nënmal, Pecanj, Gjuruç, Maruçiq, Dedanj, Lukiq, Barllanj Gurrz, Muriq i Poshtër, Bes, Muriq i Sipërm, Rjeps, Pinç, Babsul, Ljare, Dobrec, Brisk i Poshtër, Brisk i Sipërm dhe Thtjan. However, we must not forget that in many authors, but also by the history of administrators, placed here at different times, and by the continuity of the terrain at the edge of Lake Scutari, or by the ethnocultural values, Shestani has been included, which also is still included even now, even under the notion of Kranjë, making this a separation close to what I applied: under the name Ana e Sipërme (of Kranjë) which is understood as Shestani, and under the name of Ana e Poshtme or Greater Kranjë is understood as the other part of our region, from Blaca to Zogaj. But, for details concerning this matter can be discussed in this book and later as the case will be presented. Now it is important to know that in this book, under the name Shestan will be discussed about these 20 villages or settlements that I mentioned above.]"
  5. Pulaha, Selami (1974). Defter i Sanxhakut të Shkodrës 1485. Academy of Sciences of Albania. pp. 143–5.
  6. Pulaha, Selami (1984). Popullsia Shqiptare e Kosovës Gjatë Shek. XV-XVI (Studime dhe dokumente). Academy of Sciences of Albania. p. 52.
  7. Pulaha 1974, p. 40.
  8. Pulaha 1984, p. 75.
  9. "All places: 1948, 1953, 1961, 1971, 1981, 1991, 2003, 2011 censuses". pop-stat.mashke.org. 2022-05-20. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
  10. http://www.monstat.org/userfiles/file/popis2011/podaci%20naselja/Tabela%20N1.xls Population and Housing Census in Montenegro - ethnicity
  • Map of the region
  • Oto Aksesuar
  • Blog post on trip to the Sestani region including ingormation about the history of the region, villages and current status

42.10068°N 19.159998°E / 42.10068; 19.159998

Sources
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