Written by Petrit Latifi

In this article, we can read Turkish studies of the Ispiç region and the Montenegrin imperialist threats of the 19th century.

Halil Bego (Alb. Halil Begu) from Tudjemil in Ispiç (Spič) became the Yüzbaşı of Spic

“… Spič land was appropriated [By Montenegro – own note]. The text then continues: Therefore, Halil Bego from the (ruling) family of the village of Tudjemile near Spič, known for his great courage, was given the rank of Yüzbaşı (captain) and assigned 50 soldiers as his entourage and sent him a special letter to encourage him to protect him. Likewise, Yovo, the Bayrakdar of Spič, was given the rank of Yüzbaşı and was assigned a entourage of 50 soldiers in writing.”¹

Ispiç and Suzina belonged to the Sandjak of Shkodër near Çan Limani

“… Suzina pasture, in the İspiç district of the Shkodra Sanjak, near Çan Limanı … “²

Catholic Albanians of İspiç

“… If they had raided and invaded the İspiç district from the Baghdad, it would have been unacceptable to tolerate them. Consequently, the Montenegrins entered the İspiç district with a group. The flagship dynasty and the majority of the population of the İspiç district were Catholics…“³

Ahmet Cevdet Pasha, “Yüzyılda Osmanlı Devlet Yönetimi – Tezakir (Cilt 3) (Yeditepe Yayınevi)“, writes:  

“Pasture dispute with Montenegro

In the previous border cut, a part of the pasture called Suzina of the İspiç district on the coast of the İşkodra Sanjak remained on the Montenegrin side. The Montenegrins, however, did not accept this and did not hesitate to attack the part remaining on the İspiç side. Meanwhile, when the land exchange commission arrived at the İspiç border, the İspiç people were frightened and submitted a petition to the imperial court, and the investigation of the situation was directed to me, and therefore, the situation was asked from the District Governor Hafız Bey, who was the land exchange officer and was about to start the exchange work at the time, and a letter was written to the İşkodra Governor İsmail Pasha regarding this matter.

Meanwhile, when the answer from Hafiz Bey and the sealed documents of the İspiç flag bearer and the kocabasis were read, it was understood that the Montenegrins were thinking of making the İspiç people lose hope with such actions and forcing them to take refuge with them and in this way they would go to the sea. The situation was presented to the Sublime Porte. The main grudge of the Montenegrins was to have a pier in the İspiç district, and if the İspiç people were to join them, they would easily possess the İspiç coast.”⁴

Montenegrin intention to invade Ispiç, Shushan, Zubcha, and Tokemil

“Beyond the three mentioned mountain ranges overlooking the ports of Bar and Ispiç, there are large mountain ranges and the land between these two ranges is indisputably on the other side. The Montenegrins, on the other hand, did not recognize the privilege line and did not believe that they had not let the Ispiç people enter the Sazina land and did not refrain from hostility towards the people of Ispiç, Shushan, Zubcha and Tokemil by passing this second range.

Since the people of the one hundred and forty houses of the Ispiç district were Orthodox and did not act as selflessly as the Latins and since most of the Ispiç people came and went to Istanbul as gardeners, they could not maintain their place because their numbers were few. Since the Montenegrins’ aim was to have access to the sea, they wanted to include the Ispiç district in the Montenegrin government and the French were also supporting this.

In fact, the French Consul Hecquard, who was in Shkodra, gave the Montenegrins a definite promise that he would annex the İspiç district to the Montenegrin government. At that time, the French were gaining influence everywhere. Since the Sublime Porte could not use harsh language against the French state for such things, it was highly probable that the Montenegrins would suddenly raid and invade the İspiç district and turn a blind eye.

For this reason, the Montenegrins entered the İspiç district with a party. The flag-bearer dynasty and most of the people of the İspiç district were Latins of the Catholic sect, and since those of the Orthodox sect were subject to the flag-bearer according to their customs and traditions, the people were not subject to the Montenegrins, and when the flag-bearer Yovo asked for help from Shkodra, a party of the Malians of Shkodra came to their aid.

When Abdi Pasha saw this, he went to Bar with five or six battalions of asäkir-i şahane and from there to the coast of İspiç, and climbed up to the ruins of Nihay Castle, which is on a sharp hill of about seven hundred feet high. Dilâver Bey anchored his ships at the coast of İspiç and started to defend the Montenegrins from there, but before the necessary ammunition could be transported there, the Montenegrins surrounded it all around. Since there was no water in this castle, the soldiers were left thirsty that night, and they were seized with fear and anxiety, while the family of the İspiç flag bearer escaped from the invisible mountain roads at night.”⁵

Montenegrins of Grabafça kill Ramo (Alb. Rama) the leader of Botuna in Podgorica

“For example, the people of the village of Grabafça in the district of İşpuzi were Orthodox and inclined to the Montenegrin side due to their sectarian unity. Some of them, with the instigation of the Montenegrin, killed Ramo, the headman of the village of Botuna in the district of Podgorica and a respected Muslim, and presented his head to the Montenegrin, and their husbands were decorated by the Montenegrin Bey.

After this, since they no longer dared to live in Grabafça, they built huts on a hill around the village and some fortifications like walls around it, and took some Montenegrins into their villages to protect them. The rest of the people of Grabafça did not obey the bandit and stayed in their village. Ramo’s relative resorted to the Hot government to take revenge.

Thereupon, many malisors from the Hot Mountains and other Shkodra malis united and suddenly moved and attacked the new village that the Grabafça bandits had built on a hill, massacred all of them and after parading their severed heads in Podgorica, they put them in the Shkodra Castle to be displayed in order to receive wreaths as per their old customs.

Although this village was outside the Montenegro concession line, when they wanted to object by declaring that it was against military courtesy to cut off heads and give wreaths and tips for this – since the old customs of the mountaineers were like this – they saw this opposition and drew their weapons and left them in front of the Shkodra people, indicating that they should either become farmers and disperse or join the Montenegrins.

The Shkodra people also felt helpless and agreed to do what they wanted, saying “We will not leave you”. When Abdi Pasha saw this situation, he was forced to give wreaths and tips to the mountaineers and in this way the trouble was averted.”⁶

Albanians of Ulqin, Krajë, Zubçi and Tokemil

“However, as mentioned above, the people of the town of Ulgun do not consider themselves obliged to always walk around armed because they are busy with trade. Each flag has a flag bearer from among the people’s respected people and these flags are arranged according to district and location, some have more soldiers and some have less. In some districts there is one flag and in some districts there are many flags.

In the fifteen flags of the town of Shkodra, there are five thousand fully armed and always Muslim, lighters, that is, riflemen. The Kraina district is considered to be the most crowded flag of Shkodra, and in this, there are only two thousand riflemen from the Albanian tribe, and if necessary, they unite with the people of the İspiç district of the Bar district and the villages of Zubçi and Tokemil, and help each other.”⁷

Albanians of Bushata and Bilosha of the Bojana district

“Although Boyana Kenari district consists of seven hundred households, it is divided into two flags. One is the Bushata flag and the other is the Bilosha flag. Under these two flags, there can be at least one thousand and four hundred riflemen.”⁸

References

1. https://www.google.se/books/edition/Der_Islam/JQgtAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Spi%C4%8D+albanische&dq=Spi%C4%8D+albanische&printsec=frontcover ↩︎
2. https://www.google.se/books/edition/Ma%CA%BBr%C3%BBz%C3%A2t/iDxpAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%C4%B0spi%C3%A7&dq=%C4%B0spi%C3%A7&printsec=frontcover ↩︎
3. https://books.google.se/books?id=nH0cAAAAMAAJ&q=%C4%B0spi%C3%A7&dq=%C4%B0spi%C3%A7&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=1&printsec=frontcover&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjB2rufqrKLAxUfKBAIHYVOEo8Q6AF6BAgIEAM ↩︎
4. https://www.google.se/books/edition/19_Y%C3%BCzy%C4%B1lda_Osmanl%C4%B1_Devlet_Y%C3%B6netimi/sEjPEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%C4%B0spi%C3%A7&pg=PT47&printsec=frontcover ↩︎
5. https://www.google.se/books/edition/19_Y%C3%BCzy%C4%B1lda_Osmanl%C4%B1_Devlet_Y%C3%B6netimi/sEjPEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%C4%B0spi%C3%A7&pg=PT47&printsec=frontcover ↩︎
6. imbid. ↩︎
7. imbid. ↩︎
8. imbid. ↩︎