Written by Petrit Latifi.

Mirčeta Niklan (alb. Miregjeta Niklani or Nika) (fl. 1780s) was an Albanian leader from Spič, Sutomore, who lived in the 18th century.¹ He was reported to have been an excellent orator and peace maker who settled accounts with Mahmut Pasha of Shkodër regarding the Ottoman (Albanian) and Montenegrin borders.² Niklan also reportedly ended blood feuds between Albanians and Montenegrins.³

According to Montenegrin sources, Niklan was staying at an inn when he heard of a man who had been killed. He and his friend left the inn and found a man who was soaked in his own blood.⁴

During one feud, the village priest Rado Andrović Paštrović from the village of Kaluderc and Mirčet Niklan Spičanin met. The village elders, both wise orators and peacemakers, sat on stones to make peace.

Albanians of Spizza

Don Marko Giorga (alb. Mark Gjergji)

In the 17th century, the archbishop of Bar was Marko Giorga, an Albanian from Spič (1696-1700).⁵

“Don Nikola Giorga, Arbanas from Bar, apostolic missionary and pastor of Spič, was recruited for the Venetian intelligence service in 1724, when he started delivering reports on the movement of the plague around Bar. It was acquired by the extraordinary Kotor providor Vincenzo Loredan. Montenegrin Marko Nikolićević and captain Marko Zano (Zanov) served as Giorgi’s liaison. Apart from Vice-Consul Antun Doda, merchant Hasan-aga Kopilić from Shkodra was a member of the Venetian intelligence network, who regularly receives Venetian postmen for Constantinople at his apartment.”⁶

History

In 1648, the metropolitan district of Tivar at that time had 5,000 Catholics. In Spizza (Spič) most of the population had converted to Orthodoxism.

Albanian toponyms of Spič (Spizza) and Sutomore

Albanian sources states that Spič and Sutomore derives from the word ćarma meaning slope of a hill, land without stones on which birches can grow or narrow fields, plots with honey as scales.⁷

References

1. https://books.google.se/books?id=LYvyJH9tIO4C&pg=PA286&dq=Mir%C4%8Deta+Niklan&hl=sv&newbks=1&newbks_redir=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiVu-_3qNOHAxXyKBAIHRhXCVEQ6AF6BAgIEAI ↩︎
2. https://books.google.se/books?id=7QYHAQAAIAAJ&q=Mir%C4%8Deta+Niklan&dq=Mir%C4%8Deta+Niklan&hl=sv&newbks=1&newbks_redir=1&printsec=frontcover&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiVu-_3qNOHAxXyKBAIHRhXCVEQ6AF6BAgHEAI ↩︎
3. https://books.google.se/books?id=j7Ki4aJ2JLQC&q=Mir%C4%8Deta+Niklan&dq=Mir%C4%8Deta+Niklan&hl=sv&newbks=1&newbks_redir=1&printsec=frontcover&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiVu-_3qNOHAxXyKBAIHRhXCVEQ6AF6BAgKEAI ↩︎
4. https://books.google.se/books?id=NtPkAAAAMAAJ&q=Mir%C4%8Deta+Niklan&dq=Mir%C4%8Deta+Niklan&hl=sv&newbks=1&newbks_redir=1&printsec=frontcover&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiVu-_3qNOHAxXyKBAIHRhXCVEQ6AF6BAgOEAI ↩︎
5. https://www.google.se/books/edition/Radovi_Zavoda_za_povijesne_znanosti_HAZU/EMghAQAAIAAJ?hl=sv&gbpv=1&bsq=Albanac+iz&dq=Albanac+iz&printsec=frontcover
   ↩︎
6. https://www.google.se/books/edition/Zadar/nVG4AAAAIAAJ?hl=sv&gbpv=1&bsq=Arbanas+Spi%C4%8Da&dq=Arbanas+Spi%C4%8Da&printsec=frontcover ↩︎
7. https://www.google.se/books/edition/Gjurmime_albanologjike/ladiAAAAMAAJ?hl=sv&gbpv=1&bsq=Shqiptar+Sutomore&dq=Shqiptar+Sutomore&printsec=frontcover ↩︎